Indonesia’s health ministry is warning the public about the risks of eating foods prepared with liquid nitrogen after some children were injured eating “dragon’s breath” candies, a food trend that went viral on TikTok last year.
The street snack, called chiki ngebul in Indonesia, is prepared by dipping small pieces of candy or cereal in liquid nitrogen, creating billowing clouds of smoke that consumers can blow out their nose or mouth.
Between June and December 2022, approximately 25 children were harmed eating the snack and two had to be hospitalized, according to the health ministry’s director general Maxi Rein Rondonuwu. No deaths have been reported.
The children suffered food poisoning, severe stomach pains and burns to their skin, Maxi said. Local media reported that one child had to be operated on after the candies burned a two-centimetre hole in his stomach, the child’s father said.
Chiki ngebul has been around as a street snack for several years, the Guardian reported, but these candies are now easier to access than ever. It’s also not uncommon or illegal for liquid nitrogen to be used in food preparation — but when not handled properly, it can become hazardous.
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“Liquid nitrogen is not only dangerous when consumed, nitrogen fumes inhaled over a long period of time can cause severe breathing difficulties,” Maxi said.
The snack’s recent popularity in Indonesia may be due to the “dragon’s breath” food trend that went viral on TikTok. Videos tagged #dragonsbreath have been viewed 205.5 million times and mostly show young people eating the brightly coloured candies while blowing clouds of smoke out of their mouths.
Most of the videos tagged under dragon’s breath were from before 2021 — but in early 2022, one account, seemingly a store that makes dragon’s breath candies, posted dozens of videos on the topic, racking up millions of likes. Videos of a man trying to do smoke tricks with the candies went especially viral.
In 2018, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) issued a safety alert about “dragon’s breath” food products prepared with liquid nitrogen.
“Injuries have occurred from handling or eating products prepared by adding liquid nitrogen immediately before consumption, even after the liquid nitrogen has fully evaporated due to the extremely low temperature of the food,” the FDA said. “These products may include liquid nitrogen-infused colorful cereal or cheese puffs that emit a misty or smoke-like vapor.”
It’s unclear whether or not these candies are available in Canada.
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