A Trip to the Past. . . Next Stop, Ppopgi
Sugar, not spice, and most certainly everything nice. Ppopgi (뽑기) is the answer to satisfying your sweet tooth. This snack also known as Dalgona (달고나), has been around since the 1970s. It’s sweet flavor and cute shapes makes it easy to say that it’s here to stay
In Korea, there’s plenty of places to get some Ppopgi. It evokes a sense of nostalgia for the older generation and it’s entertaining for the younger one. If you manage to eat around the shape and it remains intact, you get another ppopgi free! It’s usually melted over charcoal briquettes, but it can also be cooked over an open fire. You can see from Tasty 365’s video that it’s quite entertaining to watch.
If you don’t have a flight to Korea booked, you can also make it at home. There’s no need to have charcoal nearby, just a stove preferably. Grab sugar and some baking soda! Mangchi has a tutorial on her channel, she did a collaboration with critic Anthony Fantano from the Needle Drop. You’ll learn the recipe and get a couple of laughs along the way.
Even the boys from Seventeen took a crack at it! Make some good memories with your friends too and share the sweet Ppopgi born out of your joint effort.
Simple to make and great to eat. There have been some evolution to this snack over time. Instead of simple hearts and flowers, there are now more intricate designs.
So, if you ever want to get a little retro try this snack. It’s not bulgogi, it’s not mulgogi, it’s ppopgi. Delicious and a good quick recipe for this upcoming holiday season. Enjoy!
