Traditional Korean sweets, Hangwa
Korean traditional confectionery sweets is called Hangwa. In the ritual performed in the era of the Imperial Palace, the Korean confectionery was arranged along with other dishes as a gift.
There are many types of Korean cuisines such as those made by fermenting rice and those made using fruits and nuts etc. All are healthy sweets that make use of natural taste.
There is also Korean confectionery arranged fashionably nowadays, and cafes that can be enjoyed with traditional tea are very popular.
Let’s introduce Korean traditional sweets.
How many kinds of traditional confectionery is there?
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There are countless types of traditional confectionery from Korea, depending on the material and how to make it.
We will introduce representative Korean confectionery among them.
Medical food (Yaksik)
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It is traditional sweets like okowa, which is adding cinnamon or other ingredients on glutinous rice and cook it.
Since the glutinous rice is the main ingredient, not only your stomach will be satisfied, and your health will also be happy too because it contains kanpou (traditional Chinese medicine) materials such as natsume (jujube) and matsu (pine nuts).
Medical Confectionery (Yakgwa)
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The texture is made from wheat flour, honey, raw barley juice, etc and then shape it with unique form.
It is not as greasy as it looks, it is a popular sweet with moderately sweetness and aroma.
Korean style okoshi (Yeot-gangjeong)
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It is a sweets made by sauteing sesame seeds, soybeans, pine nuts etc, and hardened it together with a starch syrup. It is similar to Japanese okoshi and it has nice fragrance .
Steamed red beans rice cake (Pat sirutteok)
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Mochi made with red bean and rice flour. This pat sirutteok is being distributed to the neighborhoods when celebrating or moving in.
Colored rice cake (mujigaetteok)
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Made by steaming non-glutinous grain rice. If it’s only white it is called Pessolgi, and if the texture is colored by adding toki or omija and then steam it, is called Saekpyeon.
Pine rice cake (Songpyeong)
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It is a representative typical sweets to eat when it is autumn evening. There a legend that girls who made it with the whole family on the previous day and can make Songpyeong well, a cute girl will be born after she’s going to be bride.
Oil Confectionery (Yugwa)
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Often, when you order tea at a Korean cafe, your order will be accompanied by Yugwa. Fermented glutinous rice is fried in oil and sweetened with syrup etc. It looks easy at first sight, but it is a hand-made sweet made over one or two weeks. The crisp felt good in your teeth and its elegant sweetness are very charming.
Real Confectionery (Jeonggwa)
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It is a sweets that we can feel by cook apples, oranges, renkon (lotus root), or any other vegetables and fruits together with starch syrup. Enjoy the original taste of the material, it looks fashionable.
Sweets for tea ceremony (Dasik)
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Grind beans and sesame finely to a powder state. Add honey and other ingredients you like, putting it in the form of a tree for tea ceremony. It is a cute sweet that can be eaten in a bite.
