Sweet treat from sinister Netflix series 'Squid Game' a hit at Montreal shop
A sugar candy featured in the wildly popular Netflix series Squid Game is causing a stir in Montreal.
Robert Kim sells Korean fare at his St-Henri shop Claude & Claudette Depanneur. Two weeks ago, he started selling dalgona, a candy featured in the series.
The treat comes with its own built-in game: scratch out the inner shape from the brittle sugar disk without snapping it.
Kim remembers playing dalgona as a kid.
“Me and my classmates, we went for it, and played this game and we enjoyed it,” he said.
The after-school treat of his youth is now being devoured by neighbourhood kids. Though of course, the stakes aren’t quite as high as they are in the sinister series from South Korea that’s taking the world by storm.
This undated photo released by Netflix shows a scene of contestants vying to win the Dalgona Korean candy challenge in a scene from "Squid Game." (Youngkyu Park/Netflix via AP)
This undated photo released by Netflix shows a scene of contestants vying to win the Dalgona Korean candy challenge in a scene from "Squid Game." (Youngkyu Park/Netflix via AP)
“When we trim exactly the perfect shape, we get some free dalgona, that's the whole game about it. Without the death, no blood, nothing like that. Just fun,” said Kim.
'Squid Game' is the latest Korean pop culture craze that's made waves around the world. Experts say the show's popularity indicates blossoming North American interest in international content.
Young Montrealers play with their dalgona cookies -- a common South Korean snack popularized around the world by smash-hit series "Squid Game." (Christine Long, CTV News)
Young Montrealers play with their dalgona cookies -- a common South Korean snack popularized around the world by smash-hit series "Squid Game." (Christine Long, CTV News)
“'Squid Game' is an unique phenomenon, but it will lead to more Canadians choosing to get their entertainment outside of Hollywood and Canada – outside of the west, let’s say. It’s a sign of what’s to come,” said University of Toronto Korean studies professor Michelle Cho.
The show's streaming host Netflix wrote to social media this week that the show had garnered 111 million viewers, making it the largest series launch in the platform's history.
The nine-episode thriller, released on Sept. 17, follows protagonist Seong Gi-hun (played by Lee Jung-jae) -- a man in serious debt to a local gang. He and hundreds of others enroll in a series of children's games for cash prizes. However, losers of those games face deadly consequences.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
American millionaire Jonathan Lehrer denied bail after being charged with killing Canadian couple
American millionaire Jonathan Lehrer, one of two men charged in the killings of a Canadian couple in Dominica, has been denied bail.
Judge says 'no evidence fully supports' murder case against Umar Zameer as jury starts deliberations
The judge presiding over the trial of a man accused of fatally running over a Toronto police officer is telling jurors the possible verdicts they may reach based on the evidence in the case.
Nearly half of China's major cities are sinking, researchers say
Nearly half of China's major cities are suffering 'moderate to severe' levels of subsidence, putting millions at risk of flooding especially as sea levels rise.
LeBlanc says he plans to run in next election, under Trudeau's leadership
Cabinet minister Dominic LeBlanc says he plans to run in the next election as a candidate under Prime Minister Justin Trudeau's leadership, amid questions about his rumoured interest in succeeding his longtime friend for the top job.
Sports columnist apologizes for 'oafish' comments directed at Caitlin Clark. The controversy isn't over
A male columnist has apologized for a cringeworthy moment during former University of Iowa superstar and college basketball's highest scorer Caitlin Clark's first news conference as an Indiana Fever player.
Health Canada to change sperm donor screening rules for men who have sex with men
Health Canada will change its longstanding policy restricting gay and bisexual men from donating to sperm banks in Canada, CTV News has learned. The federal health agency has adopted a revised directive removing the ban on gay, bisexual and other men who have sex with men, effective May 8.
Prince Harry formally confirms he is now a U.S. resident
Prince Harry, the son of King Charles III and fifth in line to the British throne, has formally confirmed he is now a U.S. resident.
U.S. vetoes a widely supported UN resolution backing full membership for Palestine
The United States has vetoed a widely backed UN resolution that would have paved the way for full United Nations membership for the state of Palestine.
'Shopaholic' author Sophie Kinsella reveals brain cancer diagnosis
Sophie Kinsella, the best-selling author behind the 'Shopaholic' book series, has revealed that she is receiving treatment for brain cancer.