What's 'Dragon's Breath' And Why Is It So Controversial?

Over the past several years, social media has periodically become enamored with a Reels/TikTok/Shorts-friendly snack called dragon's breath, a wacky food that, when consumed, allows the consumer to breathe out vapor, or "smoke," hence the name "dragon's breath."

Still, while social media-friendly foods crop up all the time, dragon's breath has attracted a fair amount of attention since it was first introduced in 2016, largely because it's caused a not-insignificant amount of injuries and medical problems, leading health experts in multiple countries to warn against its consumption.

Here, we'll explain what dragon's breath is and what health experts are saying about it so you can decide if you want to try it yourself.

What Is Dragon's Breath?

Dragon's breath is a liquid nitrogen-infused cereal ball intended to be dipped in a sauce and eaten. When eaten, it creates the eye-catching "breathing smoke" effect that captured social media attention. It was created in 2016 at a California dessert shop named Chocolate Chair.

From there, the snack periodically gained popularity, with millions appearing to rediscover it every few years. In 2018, YouTuber KC Connection made a YouTube video about the snack that gained over 1.2 million views. On May 20th, 2020, TikToker row_timi posted a video of himself trying the snack and gained over 152,000 likes.

@row_timi I’m running out of drafts. #dragonsbreath #liquidnitrogen #cold ♬ original sound – Rotimi

The snack remains popular, particularly in street markets and in the UK, where regulations haven't struck the food.

What Are The Risks Of Dragon's Breath?

If you have some basic knowledge of liquid nitrogen, you can imagine there are some health risks involved in consuming it. Indeed, those risks became news stories after several snackers reported various maladies due to dragon's breath. Right as the snack was becoming a viral sensation in the U.S. in August 2018, Inside Edition posted a news story on dragon's breath, highlighting a consumer who burned the inside of his mouth trying the product.

Just a month later, the FDA put out a warning against consuming dragon's breath, saying it can cause skin burns, internal organ damage and is particularly dangerous for children with asthma. The liquid nitrogen could cause asphyxiation due to the extreme cold.

From there, the dragon's breath craze in the U.S. died down, but it remained popular across the globe. The U.K. has not put out official health warnings about dragon's breath, and a shop called Nitro Treatz, a store dedicated to liquid nitrogen treats, currently has many of the most popular TikToks related to dragon's breath on the platform.

@nitrotreatz Thank you for coming down! #fyp #desserts #nitrotreatz #desserts #dragonsbreath ♬ About Damn Time – Lizzo

This doesn't suggest that dragon's breath has become safer. Earlier this month, Indonesia joined the U.S. in warning against the snack, saying 25 Indonesian children were hospitalized as a result of the snack.

Is Dragon's Breath Safe?

While many have had dragon's breath and lived to tell the tale, the product has caused a significant amount of medical problems, much more than the average viral food sensation. If you decide you're okay with the risks, be sure to put it in dipping sauce, let the nitrogen evaporate in your mouth, consume it slowly, and do not handle it with your fingers.

---

For more information, check out the Know Your Meme entry on Dragon's Breath.