KUALA LUMPUR, April 5 — I have a confession to make: I haven’t watched Squid Game yet.
You might be incredulous at this statement. The South Korean show on Netflix is the very definition of must-see television: a high-stakes survival drama designed for binge watching.
But it’s true: aside from the instantly iconic green tracksuits of the game participants and pink jumpsuits of the murderous masked guards (already a Halloween classic and cosplay standard), I know little else about Squid Game (I assumed it had more to do with a calamari cook-off at first).
On second thoughts, this isn’t entirely accurate. There is one further detail about Squid Game that even I recognised — that high tension, palm sweating game of ppopgi or dalgona candy.
The name dalgona has been common for some years now; Malaysians were crazy about dalgona coffee the first year of the pandemic.
But this was something else altogether.
What began as a challenge street vendors selling ppopgi to schoolchildren — can you tap out the shape emblazoned on the dalgona candy without breaking it? — was now a matter of life and death on Squid Game.
Naturally, the whole world — including our fellow Malaysians — went crazy over it. Not that ppopgi was something you could easily get from your neighbourhood snack shop.
This is where Dalgona Malaysia — the brainchild of the mother-daughter team of Jessie Chong, 54, and Elaine Loo, 23 — comes in.
The duo offers homemade dalgona candy, both in the classic South Korean shapes of triangle, square, star and umbrella, as well as customised shapes such as hearts for Valentine’s Day, the double happiness symbol “囍” (pronounced shuāngxǐ) for weddings and even corporate logos.
Chong, who has been a real estate agent for the past 15 years, shares, “We saw the opportunity of ppopgi gaining popularity here due to the Squid Game show.
"As the show took the world by storm, we thought there was a big chance that dalgona candy will be popular among Malaysians as well. Thus, we started making the cookies and we were the first to sell dalgona candy in Malaysia.”
It wasn’t an immediate jump, however. Loo had to convince her mother that starting their own small business was not only doable, it was a way the both of them could do something together.
In a way, this was a way of pairing both their strengths: Chong’s business savvy and Loo’s creative prowess (she had studied art and design).
Loo had always kept a close eye on lifestyle developments, hence her confidence the venture would work. She recalls, “The dalgona trend started in 2020 when the dalgona coffee suddenly took off during the pandemic while everyone was under home quarantine. Last year, the trend once again returned with the dalgona candy thanks to Squid Game.”
Firstly, the pair began by researching recipes and experimenting until they came up with a version that they were satisfied with.
Chong explains, “We learned online, from YouTube. The ingredients are basic, just sugar and baking soda. I thought it would be simple, but it turns out, it’s so much harder than it looks. You have to control the timing, the temperature, and the shape in that one minute of pouring and making the candy.”
The results speak for themselves. Beyond the shapes that customers might recognise from the Netflix show, Dalgona Malaysia has created a plethora of new shapes. Corporate logos are especially for events and as gift packs.
Some shapes are more challenging than others, of course. The aforementioned double happiness shape, with all the swirls and twirls of the Chinese character might make even the most hardened Squid Game participant weep.
On a happier note, Dalgona Malaysia also produced a limited edition gift box for the recent Chinese New Year festivities. Auspiciously named “Peace All Year Round”, the 2022 seasonal set has shapes such as mandarin oranges and gold ingots — perfect for the celebratory occasion.
Therein lies the challenge for Dalgona Malaysia: not in tapping away at complex ppopgi shapes without breaking the candy, but to grow further as a business as the dalgona hype ebbs and flows.
Fads do not last forever, so if a business is to survive, they must do more than simply capitalise on what is hot today; they need to keep a sharp eye on what will be in demand tomorrow — or better yet, create that demand themselves.
Loo says, “We do feel fortunate to have the chance to start our own little small business due to this trend, but as you mentioned, trends do die down as fast as they begin. The main thing is what we have learned from building this small ‘trend’ business, and what we can do to continue or make changes for the brand to go further and stronger.”
One way they have adapted is to move beyond a purely online business by exploring the physical space, firstly with pop-up stalls. Even the packaging and brand logo matter, to consolidate their first mover advantage and status.
Chong notes, “Some challenges that we’ve faced, aside from perfecting the candy, include getting helpers, searching for bazaars and events, selling online and offline.”
Everything feels like a first when one is a newbie entrepreneur, as the learning has to run parallel with the building of the business. How blessed then, that they are learning and building as a team, as mother and daughter grow closer as they grow their little passion project.
Dalgona Malaysia
IG: instagram.com/dalgonamalaysia/
Order at: linktr.ee/dalgonamalaysia
