Ricecakes

Basic Info:

Ricecake is made by either baking, or frying powered grains. Ricecake is a unique food that cannot be found anywhere else in the world. One surprising fact about ricecakes is that there are over 200 types of them. This shows how much Koreans loved ricecakes, because if they were not popular, there would not have been so many varieties. Steamed ricecakes are one of Korea’s oldest standard foods.

Different types of ricecakes 1

History:

It is most likely that ricecakes first appeared in Korean history around 1^st century and by the period of three kingdoms, ricecakes were principle foods of Koreans. Because Korea strongly depended on agriculture, as Korean agricultural skills developed, ricecakes also developed. Back in the old days, ricecakes were much more valuable than they are now and they were essential in important meals and celebrations. Baksulgi and shiruddeok are prim examples of ricecakes that were eaten on only special days in the past. However, both of these ricecakes are easily findable today.

Different types of ricecakes 2

Purpose:

Because all ricecakes were mostly made out of grains, they were nutritious and even a  small amount of ricecake was able to fill the hunger of many people. Without the development of ricecakes, perhaps the food culture of Korea would have been completely different. Also, it is interesting that Korea’s neighboring countries, China and Japan both had ricecakes. However, ricecakes of all three countries were different and this shows how different culture can have different effects.

CCOT:

In modern days, ricecakes are used in other foods as well. For example, some breads have ricecake in them, creating a distinctive flavor. Such example shows how traditional Korean food, ricecake interacted with foods from other nations to create new atypical foods. Ricecakes are not as important to Koreans anymore, but they are still used in some major Korean meals such as ddeokguk.

Experience:

I've heard that foreigners do not like ricecakes, but I still recommend ricecakes, because there are many varieties and there will be ricecakes that are delicious for foreigners. I think that along with kimchi, ricecakes represent the food of Korea the best.

Hangwa

Yumilgwa

Basic Info:

Hangwa is general term for “traditonal Korean snack” and it is made from many different ingredients such as honey, grains, sugar and fruits. There are many different varieties of hangwa, including yumilgwa, suksilgwa, gwapyeon, dasik, yeot and gangjung. Hangwa is not very healthy, but comparing to modern day snacks, they are much healthier.

History:

Gwapyeon

Hangwa was first introduced in the Korean history in 12^th century and at that time, they were expensive, meaning they were eaten only by high-class people. Interestingly, hangwa was used to interact with other nations such as China. For example, it is recorded that when a Korean prince visited to China to attend to a wedding, he was greatly appraised because of the hangwa he brought to the wedding. This shows how a simple thing such as food, could improve a relationship between two nations.

Suksilgwa

CCOT:

Over time, hangwa became the traditional snack of Korea as it slowly became available to people of all classes. However, in the last two decades, Western style snacks have replaced hangwa and hangwa is losing its popularity. Even though the new generations are leaning more toward Western snacks, hangwa are still part of traditional Korean meals.

Experience:

Dasik

It may be hard to find hangwa in common grocery stores these days, but you can still purchase them in traditional stores at the shijang or find them in stores during holidays. In my experiences, I’ve always liked hangwa, and they are different from other types of snacks. Therefore, I strongly recommend hangwa to people who have not tried them, because they are unique and delicious.

Rice Tea (Sikhye)

Basic Info:
Rice tea is made from mixing malt water with rice and sugar. Malt water is water that has been used for malting, which is a process where grains are germinated in water. In the case of rice tea, barley is used in the process of malting and this malt water is what determines the taste of rice tea.

History:

Rice Tea

The origin of rice tea is unknown, but according to the Korean records, it was first introduced in 1704. Rice tea was easily prepared in common households and it was popular among all people.  Rice tea has not at all changed over time, because it was available for people of all classes in the old days, and in modern days, even grocery stores have rice tea. Even the traditional way of making of rice tea has stayed the same over time, meaning we are drinking the same rice tea that was drunk many years ago. However, rice tea does differ in different regions of Korea. For example, Andong rice tea is different from Seoul rice tea, because Andong people changed the recipe slightly over a long period of time.

Purpose:
Rice tea helps with digestion in the way that yogurt helps digestion. Bacteria are created in the process of malting and these bacteria help digesting and prevents food from rotting in our bodies. It is written in the records that during Korean spiritual celebrations, rice tea was always included in the meal. This demonstrates that rice tea was very traditional and popular in the old days. This tradition continues even in modern days, and Koreans always drink rice tea during holidays. 

Experience:
Rice tea is a must-try beverage, because it is probably the drink that represents Korean culture the best. I would recommend that you visit a well-known café to get rice tea rather than getting cheap rice tea.

Ginger Tea

Basic Info:

Ginger tea prepared by first storing the ginger with honey and when the ginger is fermented, it was boiled in water to make ginger tea. Ginger tea was drunk during all four seasons. Ginger tea is famous for its medical uses as an antipyretic.

History:
Ginger was first brought into Korea 2,500 years ago from China and Ginger tea was first discovered in the Chosun dynasty. In 1018, ginger was given out to families of soldiers who died fighting for their nation. This shows that ginger was valuable and that Korean nations stored a large amount of ginger. Today, ginger is much less valuable than the old days, because it is much more common nowadays.

Purpose:

In the past, ginger tea was popular to people of all classes and it was drunk to prevent common sicknesses such as cold. Similarly, ginger tea is still adored by many people for its taste and its effectiveness as a medicine in modern day Korea. One difference is that ginger tea is used for diet by many Koreans these days.

Experience:

Personally, I do not like ginger tea, because its taste is a bit too spicy for me and I was forced to drink ginger tea as a medicine when I was young, leaving a bad impression. However, I would definitely recommend people to try ginger tea, because its taste is unique and it is one of the most famous Korean traditional drinks.