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Hangwa
In fact, Korean cuisine is difficult to separate and categorize one part like Western cuisine because it is eaten with a variety of foods mixed together. If you look at it as a grafting, you can include Hangwa and Eumcheong-ryu. One of the most traditional Korean desserts is Hangwa. Depending on the method of making or the ingredients used, it can be divided into Yumil-gwa, Gangjeong-gwa, Sanja-gwa, Dasik-gwa, Ripe-sul-gwa, Gwapyeon-gwa, Yeot-gang-jeong-gwa, and Taffy-type. In Korea, confectionery is traditionally referred to as gwaejangryu or in Korean, gwajul. Originally, it was made by processing compared to fresh fruit and was called joggwa in the sense that it was a substitute for fruit. In the beginning, it was also called Hangwa because it was introduced during the Han Dynasty in China, and then it was called Hangwa to distinguish it from foreign snacks [Yanggwa].
Yugwa
The representative Korean snack made by kneading glutinous rice flour with bean water and alcohol, boiling it, rolling it out thinly, drying it, and then frying it to cover the rice residue is called taffy. It is more commonly made in winter due to its hot nature.Depending on its size, it is also called Sanja or Gangjeong.
medicine department
It is a type of yumilgwa made by adding sesame oil and honey to wheat flour. In Korea, it is a food that is always served during ancestral rites. It is a strange snack that seems a bit sticky and thick, but if you keep chewing it, the sweetness comes out.
Jeonggwa
It is a Korean confectionery made by boiling fruits or plant fruits with honey. It has the advantage of being able to be stored for a long time.
snack
It is a confectionery made by kneading rice powder, perilla powder, chestnut powder, and pine-honey powder with honey and stamping it on a tea tray. Because of its unique crumbly texture, likes and dislikes may differ, but when eaten with tea, it naturally blends in and gives a unique aroma and taste.
Chewy Dessert
Taffy
**Dessert taffy** is a type of Korean confectionery that is known for its diverse nutrition and efficacy. It is made by cooking rice with grains that contain starch, fermenting it in malt water, and then cooking it in a pot. Thinner taffy is called grain syrup, while taffy that is boiled longer and hardened is called gangtaty. If the gangwae taffy is stretched several times before it hardens, it is called white taffy. The ingredients and method of making taffy are simple, but it requires careful attention as it needs to be simmered over a fire for a long time to prevent it from sticking. In the past, when sugar was not readily available, taffy was used as a sweetener, specifically grain syrup. Some famous variations of taffy include corn taffy from Pyeongchang, Gangwon-do, pumpkin taffy from Ulleungdo, and chestnut taffy from Gaeseong.
**Taffy** contains malt, which is known for its beneficial effects on adult diseases such as lowering blood pressure, anemia, and diabetes. It is also believed to strengthen immune function and relieve colic caused by tension and stress. The presence of ingredients like maltose and dextrin in taffy is known to be beneficial for fatigue and stomachache. Furthermore, taffy is believed to nourish the spleen, which is essential for digestion. These properties make taffy a popular choice for individuals seeking relief from digestive issues and overall well-being. Sugar, another component of taffy, provides quick energy to the brain due to its simple sugar structure. In the past, the king of Joseon consumed grain syrup in the morning for studying. Taffy’s benefits are documented in Oriental medical books, enhancing its reputation as a beloved dessert.
A Refreshing Traditional Drink
Eumcheongryu is a general term for beverages other than alcohol. There are hwachae, sikhye, sujeonggwa, tea, fruit tea, etc. Recreational drinks flourished during the Joseon Dynasty, offering a wide variety.Let me tell you about three representative types. During the Joseon Dynasty, sujeonggwa referred to drinks made with ginger, cinnamon, dried persimmons, or pine nuts.
Sikhye aids digestion and is enjoyed with glutinous rice cakes or meat after steaming, fermenting, rinsing, boiling, and floating rice grains. It is said that it was a food enjoyed by the general public as the best drink.
Hwachae
Hwachae is a drink made by adding fruit or flower petals to Schisandra chinensis broth, honey water, or fruit juice. There are several types of rice cakes, including azalea flower cakes, pear flower cakes, and cherry flower cakes. Sudan is a traditional Korean rice cake made by pounding spicy rice powder into a white rice cake, cutting it into small pieces, coating it with starch powder, rinsing it in cold water, and eating it floating in honey or omija water.
Jujube Tea
Jujube Tea ancient health drink, rich in nutrients, treats nervous breakdown, anemia, loss of appetite. Enhanced flavor: brewed and squeezed for delightful experience.Pour water into the jujubes and boil them until they are completely mushy. Wrap them in a cloth or gauze and squeeze. It is good to boil the juice from here, concentrate it, store it, mix it in hot water and drink it.
Korean Traditional
Rice Cake
When you think of traditional Korean food, rice cake comes to mind. Rice cake is a food that has been made and eaten since before the Three Kingdoms Period, and is said to have been used as a staple food even before rice. It is a rice cake that is used for various events and ancestral rites and has various meanings. Let me introduce you to the hidden meaning of rice cake.
Rice cake that symbolizes uprightness!
- Garaetteok: The long white rice cake symbolizes starting with a solemn and clean heart.
- Mugwort Rice Cake: Mugwort’s strong will to survive symbolizes the upright spirit that protects its roots.
- Songpyeon: Rice cake symbolizing broad mind, harmony, and upright scholar, filled with filling. It is also the rice cake that represents Chuseok.
Rice cake for good health!
- Gijuddeok: This rice cake is meant to pray for health and disease that does not spoil even in hot weather.
- Baekseolgi: Clean, disease-free rice cake symbolizing perfection, like the number 100.
- Millet red bean rice cake: It is a rice cake that chases away ghosts. This rice cake is meant to ward off evil spirits and avoid evil.
A rice cake for a harmonious couple!
- Injeolmi: This is a rice cake that means that the mind and body become one and do not separate.
- Section: The white and mugwort sections are rice cakes that signify harmony between husband and wife.
- Bongchi rice cake: This is a rice cake made to welcome a baby before a wedding. It is said to be a rice cake that prays for happiness and harmony between couples.
A rice cake that prays for abundance!
- Moon Rice Cake: Symbolizes prosperity and abundance, offered for a bountiful harvest.
- Gimitteok: Rice cake offered to the stars for a fruitful harvest.
- Rainbow rice cake: refers to the eight fairies and symbolizes wealth, good luck, and new hope.