Dalgona craze makes way to department stores

A social trend spreading across the world amid the new coronavirus pandemic crisis, the dalgona fever has now made its way to local department stores.

The operator of Lotte Department Store, Lotte Shopping, on Wednesday said it has launched Cafe Cha, a cafe brand famous for its dalgona-inspired dessert products, at its flagship store in central Seoul, on April 29.

Dalgona refers to the Korean street food made from brown sugar and baking soda.

According to the Lotte Shopping, Cafe Cha, a coffee shop located near the Seoul Forest in eastern Seoul, gained popularity on the social media for its dalgona-flavored milk tea and bakeries after the shop appeared on a television show. Cafe Cha’s most popular items, dalgona milk tea and dalgona scones, are both priced at 5,000 won ($4.10).

Starting with the “dalgona coffee challenge” -- which involves whipping up coffee powder, sugar and water until they turn into a soft froth tasting similar to the Korean snack -- the dalgona craze has not only swept the nation amid the period of self-quarantine, but has stretched beyond the country as more foreigners joined in on the challenge with the prolonged virus pandemic.

As the dalgona fever continues, food retailers are catching up with the new trend and launching related products. Korea’s leading convenience store chain CU introduced dalgona-inspired treats in early April.

By Choi Ji-won (jwc@heraldcorp.com)