Squid Game honeycomb challenge has sparked curiosity among many Netflix viewers who are intrigued to see if they can beat the show's characters, among other games featured in the Korean survival thriller. Naturally, I wanted to test my honeycomb carving skills under pressure too. But even though I only needed 2 ingredients, the process became much harder than I expected.

But before diving into my harrowing experience of trying to make a honeycomb candy for Squid Game, let's put the show together for someone unfamiliar.

If you've lived under the rock for the past 1 month, Squid Game will soon become a streaming sensation and could become the most watched Netflix show ever, comparable to shows like Bridgerton and Emily in Paris. In short, Survival Thriller is a mixture of hunger games and Battle Royale. The plot unfolds when 456 debt-ridden people take part in a series of mysterious children's games to win a賞金456 billion prize (or米3870 million in US dollars). The only drawback. Well, every time a player is eliminated, they die.

The TV show featured a number of children's games, including "Red Light, Green Light" and "Stepping Stone." And although we are more or less familiar with the format of such games, it is difficult to reproduce the exact scenario in real life. However, 1 of the games is really easy to try at home (of course, remove the exclusion factor). And that's the honeycomb challenge.

Simply put, the player is given a flat candy made of sugar and baking soda with a pre-carved shape in the middle. Each player must separate the shape from the surrounding parts of the candy without it cracking or breaking. To do so, players can be creative in their own way, but the only tool available is either a toothpick or a regular sewing needle. Oh, the task must also be performed within the time limit of 10 minutes.

But if you're going to go through the game at home, sculpting shapes isn't even the hardest part of the challenge. In full disclosure, the process of making honeycomb candy (also called "Dargona candy") is much more difficult than it looks. The recipe contains only 2 basic ingredients that can be easily found in any home, but the technique itself requires great care. I, for one, had wasted only half a pack of sugar and spent at least five minutes cleaning the pot after each failed attempt, therefore, if you do not want to get tired of the smell of caramelized sugar, continue reading.

Below we've prepared a step-by-step guide based on countless YouTube and TikTok videos we've seen on how to try the honeycomb challenge from Squid Game.It also has in mind the difficulties you may encounter and what you should avoid. Basically, I spent a good two hours trying to make sweets again and again so you do not have to.

The tools and materials required are:

Before jumping into the cooking process, prepare the station and tools accordingly and make sure everything you need is nearby. Once you can prepare for the game of squid. Place the baking tray next to the stove and place non-stick wax paper on top.

Grease the press of the candy and cookie cutter well so that they do not stick together later in the process.

1. Heat the frying pan over medium to high heat. When heated, add white sugar (3 tablespoons per candy is recommended). If this is the first time, try not to make several candies at once, because it is difficult to get the proportions correctly.

2. Be patient so that the sugar gradually begins to melt. When the melting process begins, try mixing it with a silicone spatula, chopsticks or spoon. It should look a little lumpy, as shown in the photo below.

3. Continue mixing until the melted sugar has a caramel-like color, but be careful not to burn. At this stage, reduce the heat to medium.

4. Add a pinch of baking soda, but don't add more than that because your candy may end up tasting weird. If you mix well, your mixture should foam and become a little creamy color.

5. Once the baking soda is incorporated with all the caramelized sugar, take your pan and pour the mixture into the wax paper of your baking tray. Try to hold the pan tightly so that the mixture is poured into 1 place and in a circular shape.

6. Wait about 4-5 seconds until the foaming settles a little and press the mixture with your pre-greased pressing instrument of choice. Press firmly, but be careful not to press too hard, because the candy is too fast to solidify and can break if you use a cookie cutter.

It is important to press the candy while the mixture is still hot.Otherwise, it may be resistant to pressure. Also apply pressure towards the center of the press so that the candy spreads evenly and reproduces an almost complete circle.

7. Quickly and in a circular motion, turn the press and gently lift it. It should come off without sticking. Step 6-7 is the hardest ones to get right, so don't get discouraged if you don't get it right first. You can try to switch your pressing tools for something else.

Traditionally, Dargona candy is made of a metal press similar to a burger press, but some people use a frying pan, a dish, although we have used the lid of the container in which you can opt for other things with a flat surface instead. And do not be shy about the oil, you can always dab the extra pieces of candy later.

8. After successfully pressing the candy, quickly press the cookie cutter in the middle of the candy and leave it for 5 seconds, then gently lift it up.

9. If you made it to this step - congratulations, the hardest part is over. Leave the candy to cool and solidify, then carefully remove it from the wax paper. Finally, your honeycomb candy should end up seeing something like this:

Now that you have your honeycomb candy, it's time for the ultimate test. Set the timer for 10 minutes and try to take the shape out of the candy without the candy breaking or cracking. In the photo on the left, at first I tried to use a toothpick, but this method is quite dangerous, because the toothpick broke quite quickly. If this happens, try using a sewing needle (the instrument the player got) instead.

You can also try Seung Gi-hoon's method, which involves flipping the cookie and licking the border of the shape, so that eventually the shape simply falls. Note that this method takes time and a very sweet sweet taste can make you sick. For me, the latter method took more time, but it was effective.

I was able to successfully complete the challenge within 8 minutes.