''Gangjeong'' () is a '' hangwa'' (, traditional Korean confection) made with

glutinous rice flour Domestication syndrome refers to two sets of phenotypic traits that are common to either domesticated animals, or domesticated plants. These traits were identified by Charles Darwin in '' The Variation of Animals and Plants Under Domestication. ...

. It is a deep-fried "rice puff" with hollow inside, coated with

honey Honey is a sweet and viscous substance made by several bees, the best-known of which are honey bees. Honey is made and stored to nourish bee colonies. Bees produce honey by gathering and then refining the sugary secretions of plants (primar ...

followed by nutty beans, nuts, seeds, pollen, or spice powders. ''Gangjeong'' is often served during important events such as weddings,

ancestral rites The veneration of the dead, including one's ancestors, is based on love and respect for the deceased. In some cultures, it is related to beliefs that the dead have a continued existence, and may possess the ability to influence the fortune of ...

, and

Korean New Year Seollal () is a festival and national holiday commemorating the first day of the Chinese lunisolar calendar. It is one of the most important traditional holidays in both North and South Korea. The celebration usually lasts three days: the day ...

celebrations. Yugwa was widely distributed after the Goryeo Dynasty due to the influence of Buddhism, and was called "Goryeo dessert" in the Yuan Dynasty of China.

Preparation

Glutinous rice Glutinous rice (''Oryza sativa var. glutinosa''; also called sticky rice, sweet rice or waxy rice) is a type of rice grown mainly in Southeast and East Asia, and the northeastern regions of South Asia, which has opaque grains, very low amylose ...

is soaked in water for four to five days, then pounded or ground into fine powder. Ten cups of glutinous rice flour is mixed with half cup ''cheongju'' (rice wine) and half cup

, and steamed in '' siru'' (steamer) lined with wet ''

bojagi A bojagi (, sometimes shortened to ) is a traditional Korean wrapping cloth. Bojagi are typically square and can be made from a variety of materials, though silk or ramie are common. Embroidered bojagi are known as subo, while patchwork or scrap b ...

'' (cloth). Steamed dough is kneaded, rolled into thick sheets, cut into long and wide rectangles, and dried in shade. Well-dried ''gangjeong'' is first soaked in room-temperature cooking oil, then let rise a little more in warm oil, and deep-fried at a high temperature. When all excess oil is drained, the rice puff is coated with

followed by nutty grains or powders such as toasted

sesame Sesame ( or ; ''Sesamum indicum'') is a flowering plant in the genus ''Sesamum'', also called benne. Numerous wild relatives occur in Africa and a smaller number in India. It is widely naturalized in tropical regions around the world and is cu ...

seeds, pine nut powder, soybean powder,

pine pollen Pollen is a powdery substance produced by seed plants. It consists of pollen grains (highly reduced microgametophytes), which produce male gametes (sperm cells). Pollen grains have a hard coat made of sporopollenin that protects the gametophyt ...

, Angelica leaf powder, and

cinnamon Cinnamon is a spice obtained from the inner bark of several tree species from the genus ''Cinnamomum''. Cinnamon is used mainly as an aromatic condiment and flavouring additive in a wide variety of cuisines, sweet and savoury dishes, breakfa ...

powder. Gangjeong 2.png, Pink ''gangjeong'' Gangjeong 3.png, Black sesame ''gangjeong'' Gangjeong 4.png, White sesame ''gangjeong'' Gangjeong.png, Gangjeong of many colors

References

Deep fried foods Glutinous rice dishes Hangwa {{Korea-dessert-stub

Preparation

See also

References