Golden Dragon Breath The family that plays together, stays together

BY SIMONE J. SMITH

This year’s Jerk Fest was an amazing time for the Toronto Caribbean Newspaper team. We had the opportunity to connect with the community at a different level, and it also provided us with networking opportunities, especially with the many vendors who turned out to celebrate the summer, and share their products with the community.

One such product caught my eye, and when I found out that it was a young lady who was responsible for starting the business, I knew that it would be perfect for the feature. As I was perusing the many vendors, one booth really caught my eye; all I saw was an array of colour: pastel pinks, blues, violets, and greens. I was drawn over by the bright and lovely smile of a young woman who introduced herself as Rahdica Tiwari, and her beautiful daughter. I asked what they were serving, and this was when I was introduced to a product called Dragon’s Breath.

I had never seen or heard of this product, and I was curious. Dragon’s Breath is a liquid nitrogen-infused dessert imported from South Korea. What has made this a fantastic novelty is that when you eat the dessert, it turns your mouth into a steam machine. To be completely honest, from the videos that I found on YouTube about this treat, the fun part is not the taste (even thought it tastes just like Fruit Loops), the fun comes from the ability to exhale smoke through your nose, and create dragon like smoke from your mouth, hence the name of the product Dragon Breath.

Rahdica and I found some time to talk about how she became involved in this industry, and to my surprise, she told me her daughter was the one who wanted to start the business. “You know these young ones nowadays,” Rahdica explained, “They watch YouTube, and they are on the internet so much, it is not a surprise that she found this idea. When she brought it to me, I was impressed with her drive to want to do something, so I decided to do it for her. We started Golden Dragon Breath in January 2019, and we have made it a family affair.”

“How have things been going for the company?” I asked inquisitively. “Very well, “ Rahdica exclaimed. We have been receiving very positive feedback, and we have been invited to host birthday parties and other children’s functions. We first launched the product on CP24, and since then, people have become fascinated with the product.

Upon doing some research I found that Dragon’s Breath was originally invented and served at “The Bazaar” a restaurant in LA ran by José Andrés in 2008 (Glutto Digest). According to The Straits Times, Dragon’s Breath appeared in the Philippines and South Korea in 2015. The term “Dragon Breath” was trademarked in the US in 2017 by Chocolate Chair, and gained popularity when they added it to their menu. It has made its way over to Canada, and is now starting a wave across the city.

“So, tell me Rahdica, what exactly creates the magic behind Golden Dragons Breath?” “The magic is in the liquid nitrogen,” Rahdica replied. “ The cereal balls are flash frozen in about 90 seconds. When the liquid nitrogen comes in contact with the cereal balls, they start changing hue; it changes from the pastel colours you see, to bright fluorescent primary colours. This is how we know that the treat is ready to be served.”

“What exactly is liquid nitrogen, and should we be concerned about eating it?” “Many people don’t realize that liquid nitrogen has been used in food preparation since the 1890’s. It is the liquid form of the element nitrogen that is produced commercially by the distillation of liquid air. Nitrogen is non-toxic, odourless and colorless. It is not flammable, and is used for the freezing and transporting of food products. Whether you want to believe it or not, you have had contact with liquid nitrogen, especially if you eat ice-cream.”

“Is there any training involved when using liquid nitrogen?”  I asked curiously. “Of course!” Rahdica explained. “My son and I had to go through a comprehensive training course to become Cryogenic Chef’s. Being able to use liquid nitrogen has given us some amazing capabilities. Chef’s can use it to cryopoach oils, cryoshatter cheese, cryopowder herbs and cryograte meat (Scientific Chef, 2011). Speed is crucial which is why training was a necessity. Since the 1970’s, chefs have used liquid nitrogen to make ice cream, and more recently it is being used to flash-freeze delicate foods such as foie gras. We have decided to keep it fun and use it for our product Golden Dragon’s Breath.”

“What type of events do you specialize in?” “We are great for: birthdays, weddings, Christmas party’s, corporate events, and pretty much any event where you want to have a little fun. We will come set up at your venue, and we are running a special for the Toronto Caribbean Newspaper readers; if you book now, we will take off 20% of the booking price.”

“That is fantastic Rahdica! Where can we find you?” “ You can book with us today at 905-232-1376 or 647-003-1376. You can also visit us at our website goldendragonbreath.com.” “Thank you so much for sharing your story with us Rahdica, and please let your daughter know that I am proud of her entrepreneurial spirit.” “We thank the Toronto Caribbean Newspaper for providing us with the opportunity to share our work,” Rahdica said happily.

This is what is about Toronto; let us continue to support our community by encouraging our budding young entrepreneurs and their families.