2151) "Dalgona" (or "ppopgi"), Niue Island: A $1 (One Dollar) 2.00 Oz Silver Coin inspired by the "Honeycomb Candy Challenge" features in an umbrella-shaped coin that is completely removable from its centre-piece: Year of Coin issue: 2022:
The other day, Sumita and I were looking at some recently introduced coffees at the local Mall in our locality.
We happened to notice one jar of "Strong Beaten Coffee". Sumita instantly remarked that it reminded her of "Dalgona Coffee" which she used to have in her house at Lucknow in the 1970s as a teenager. So we bought a jar for "old times" sake.
A few days ago, I had read about the "Squid Game" and how one North Korean (NK) citizen has been sentenced to death by the NK authorities for smuggling this game into the country and getting a few school-children addicted to it. But that was just a news item for me, knowing about the NK authorities.
Yesterday, one of the news letters which I receive from various mints authorised dealers in Numismatics from all over the world informed me of this "Dalgona" umbrella shaped coin and the "Squid Game Challenge".
One thing led to another and I got interested in everything about "Dalgona" and the "Squid Game" and this post got compiled:
About "Dalgona" (or "ppopgi") - A brief Description:
"Dalgona"(or ppopgi) is a Korean candy made with melted sugar and baking soda.
It was a popular street snack in the 1970s and 1980s, and is still eaten as a retro food. When a pinch of baking soda is mixed into melted sugar, the thermal decomposition of the baking soda releases carbon dioxide, which makes the liquidized sugar puff up, and it becomes a light and crunchy candy once cooled and hardened.
Typically, the creamy beige liquid is poured on a flat surface, pressed flat, and stamped with a patterned mold.
The flattened mixture is then pushed shapes like a circle, triangle, square, star or umbrella into the center.
Eaters try to trim their way around the outline or picture on the snack without breaking the picture. If the trimming is completed successfully without breaking the candy, the consumer receives another free dalgona.
Modern cafes in Korea serve novel beverages where dalgona-flavoured coffee cream is heaped on top of iced tea or coffee, and pastries such as scones. Some cafes also used dalgona to launch desserts such as "bingsu" and "souffle".
Dalgona is a significant element of the Netflix Series "Squid Game," with a deadly version of the Dalgona challenge being the second game played in the series. The fictional series follows a group of cash-strapped people willing to die playing childhood games for a chance to win a jackpot. The third episode is all about ppopgi.
The Netflix Series has been viewed by more than 100 million people worldwide.
The success of the series led to a revival of the candy's popularity in South Korea, and sales doubled for street vendors. People have also taken to social media to make their own candy at home as a challenge.
With the popularity of “Squid Game,” the candy has made a comeback as a retro, nostalgic snack for the present generation of youngsters.
About the "Squid Game":
The "Squid Game" has brought Dalgona to the world. Social media has shepherded its leap to worldwide fame, introducing the candy to people outside South Korea.
The "Squid Game" Honeycomb Challenge is a Real Korean Game, And now It has got millions of people on the Internet "Sweatin' And Lickin'".
The whole internet is out here lickin' like their life depends on it. The brittle, honeycomb-like texture of dalgona makes the game tricky.
Round two tasks the players with something called the "Dalgona challenge". To win, they must carve a pre-determined shape out of a circular piece of honeycomb using a sewing needle or use their tongue to melt the sugar so it's easy to break. A tall order, especially when one of the shapes is an umbrella.
The only way to win is to separate the imprinted shape on the fragile biscuit from the rest of it, without breaking the shape. The Game has taken TV channels by storm.
Sometimes, the contestants of Squid Game "compete to the death" for a chance to win about $50 million.
The Coin:
Inspired by the biggest pop culture phenomenon in 2021, the Honeycomb Candy Challenge is brought to life with this unique umbrella-shaped coin that is completely removable from its centre-piece.
The $1 (One Dollar) Coin comes with State-of-the-art minting and comprises a unique two piece set - fully detachable like the candy.
The Coin has been struck in 2.00 oz of .999 fine silver with coloured finish (outer and inner pieces) and has a limited mintage of 456 pieces. It also comes in presentation case with Certificate of Authenticity (COA). The Coin is Legal Tender of Niue Island.
The Presentation Case/Box
5) Thomas Alva Edison (1847-1931), Niue: First Silver Coin with a denominational value of 1 NZD (One New Zealand Dollar) in "Geniuses of the 19th Century Coin Series" minted by the Czech Mint on behalf of Niue: Date of Coin issue: 01/2020
6) Nikola Tesla, Niue: Second Silver Coin with a denominational value of 1 NZD (One New Zealand Dollar) in "Geniuses of the 19th Century Coin Series" minted by the Czech Mint on behalf of Niue : Date of Coin issue: 03/2020
7) Alfred Bernhard Nobel, Niue: Third Silver Coin with a denominational value of 1 NZD (One New Zealand Dollar) in "Geniuses of the 19th Century Coin Series", minted by the Czech Mint on behalf of Niue: Date of Coin issue: 07/2020
3) The Mystical Ancient Egyptian Labyrinth depicted on $10 Silver coins issued by Cook islands in 2016, under its "Milestones of Mankind Series". 4) King Arthur: The first coin in the six coins "Camelot Series". 5) Quilling Art: Silver 2 Dollars coins issued - Flowers (2016) & Bird (2017)
Links to other posts on Metropolis Tiffany Art Coin Series:
The 7-Summits Silver Coin Series:
Links to interesting posts from the South Pacific Island of Fiji:
Links to posts on Australia, New Zealand and Countries and Overseas Territories of the South Pacific etc on this Blog:
3) The Mystical Ancient Egyptian Labyrinth depicted on $10 Silver coins issued by Cook islands in 2016, under its "Milestones of Mankind Series". 4) King Arthur: The first coin in the six coins "Camelot Series". 5) Quilling Art: Silver 2 Dollars coins issued - Flowers (2016) & Bird (2017)
7) Michelangelo's "Pieta", Vatican City: New Copper Coin Series titled "Art and Faithy": A 10 Euro Copper Coin minted by the "Istituto Poligrafico e Zecca Dello Stato" (IPZS) on behalf of the "Ufficio Filatelico e Numismatico Governatorato della Cotta del Vaticano": Coin issue date: 05.03.2020
8) Ancient Postal Routes, Vatican City State: EUROPA 2020 Theme: Two stamps of 1.10 Euro and 1.15 Euro issued by the Ufficio filatelico e Numismatico -Governatorato, Vaticano featuring Ancient Postal Routes emanating from the Vatican City State during the 6th & 11th Centuries AD
Santosh Khanna has commented:
ReplyDelete"Very comprehensive and informative post"
Thank you so much, Khanna sahab.
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