Chuseok (Korean Thanksgiving Day), is one of the most important holidays in Korea. Family members visit their hometown and ancestors to give thanks.
Songpyeon, a rice cake representative of Chuseok
Chuseok is a time to share the bounty of Korea. The holiday occurs during fall and is naturally the time when one can enjoy many delicious foods after the harvest. Upon the arrival of Chuseok, families gather to make Songpyeon (half-moon rice cake) and feast on japchae (stir-fried glass noodles and vegetables) and other representative traditional Korean holiday dishes. To celebrate Chuseok like a Korean, try making one of these three representative Korean foods. Experience the holiday at home by making and sharing the recipes with your family!
Chewy and aromatic rice cake - Songpyeon
Songpyeon
Songpyeon is one of the quintessential dishes that appear at every Chuseok gathering. Songpyeon is a type of rice cake, made of rice dough filled with beans, sugar or other nutritious ingredients and then steamed. The rice cakes get their name and signature scent from being steamed over a bed of pine needles (“song” means pine in Korean). The shape and filling of songpyeon vary according to region but the most common ones are bite-size and shaped like a half-moon.
How to make Songpyeon
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1. Mix hot water with non-glutinous rice flour to make the dough.
2. Flatten the dough in a round shape with a depression in the middle. Fill the depression with your ingredient of choice then fold in half and seal the edges together.
3. To make your Songpyeon in a half-moon shape, start by forming a block shape. Press the top edges with your index finger and thumb to create the half-moon shape.
4. Place a layer of pine needles on the bottom of a steamer, and put the completed songpyeon on top. Steam on high heat.
Mugworts, magnolia seeds, and other food items are used to add color to songpyeon
Full-bodied flavor -Jeon
Jeon assortment
A variety of jeon (Korean pancake) can be seen during Korea’s holiday seasons. Jeon is made by coating the ingredient of choice with a light flour batter and then frying it in a pan with some oil. The ingredient used will completely change the taste. Jeon can either be made with a single ingredient such as dongtae jeon (pollack pancake) and hobak jeon (batter-fried summer squash), or a mixture of two to three ingredients such as haemul pajeon (seafood and green onion pancake) and kimchi jeon (kimchi pancake).
Making pajeon
Making pajeon
1. Thoroughly clean the green onions and then cut into approximately 10-centimeter-long pieces.
2. Mix egg, water and Korean pancake flour to make the batter.
3. Once the batter is complete, add the ingredients (chives, carrot, shrimp, squid, etc.) and mix well.
4. Pour the pancake mixture into an oiled pan and fry until the edges turn brown. Flip and repeat on the other side.
Pajeon
Harmony of meat, vegetables, and noodles - Japchae
Japchae
Japchae is yet another dish that is often present during festive days in Korea. Japchae is a compound word of the Korean words “jap” meaning mix, and “chae,” from “chaeso” which means vegetable. Japchae is generally made by mixing various vegetables together with meat and glass noodles.
Japchae may seem like a relatively easy dish to cook, but it requires a lot of work. Each of the vegetable ingredients must be sliced into small pieces and either boiled or stir-fried separately before being stir-fried together one last time. It is a long process but the harmony of flavors is worth it.
Making japchae
Making Japchae
1. Cook glass noodles in a boiling water for approximately 8 minutes.
2. Rinse the boiled glass noodles in cold water.
3. Cut and fry the meat and vegetable ingredients separately.
4. Mix the rinsed glass noodles with seasoning sauce and simmer. Remove from heat after the noodles have absorbed the sauce.
5. Mix the seasoned noodles with the stir-fried vegetables to complete the dish.
* This column was last updated in August 2022, and therefore information may differ from what is presented here. We advise you to check details before visiting.
* Photo & Contents Credit : https://english.visitkorea.or.kr/
Chuseok (Korean Thanksgiving Day), is one of the most important holidays in Korea. Family members visit their hometown and ancestors to give thanks.
Chuseok is a time to share the bounty of Korea. The holiday occurs during fall and is naturally the time when one can enjoy many delicious foods after the harvest. Upon the arrival of Chuseok, families gather to make Songpyeon (half-moon rice cake) and feast on japchae (stir-fried glass noodles and vegetables) and other representative traditional Korean holiday dishes. To celebrate Chuseok like a Korean, try making one of these three representative Korean foods. Experience the holiday at home by making and sharing the recipes with your family!
Chewy and aromatic rice cake - Songpyeon
Songpyeon is one of the quintessential dishes that appear at every Chuseok gathering. Songpyeon is a type of rice cake, made of rice dough filled with beans, sugar or other nutritious ingredients and then steamed. The rice cakes get their name and signature scent from being steamed over a bed of pine needles (“song” means pine in Korean). The shape and filling of songpyeon vary according to region but the most common ones are bite-size and shaped like a half-moon.
How to make Songpyeon
1. Mix hot water with non-glutinous rice flour to make the dough.
2. Flatten the dough in a round shape with a depression in the middle. Fill the depression with your ingredient of choice then fold in half and seal the edges together.
3. To make your Songpyeon in a half-moon shape, start by forming a block shape. Press the top edges with your index finger and thumb to create the half-moon shape.
4. Place a layer of pine needles on the bottom of a steamer, and put the completed songpyeon on top. Steam on high heat.
Full-bodied flavor -Jeon
A variety of jeon (Korean pancake) can be seen during Korea’s holiday seasons. Jeon is made by coating the ingredient of choice with a light flour batter and then frying it in a pan with some oil. The ingredient used will completely change the taste. Jeon can either be made with a single ingredient such as dongtae jeon (pollack pancake) and hobak jeon (batter-fried summer squash), or a mixture of two to three ingredients such as haemul pajeon (seafood and green onion pancake) and kimchi jeon (kimchi pancake).
Making pajeon
1. Thoroughly clean the green onions and then cut into approximately 10-centimeter-long pieces.
2. Mix egg, water and Korean pancake flour to make the batter.
3. Once the batter is complete, add the ingredients (chives, carrot, shrimp, squid, etc.) and mix well.
4. Pour the pancake mixture into an oiled pan and fry until the edges turn brown. Flip and repeat on the other side.
Harmony of meat, vegetables, and noodles - Japchae
Japchae is yet another dish that is often present during festive days in Korea. Japchae is a compound word of the Korean words “jap” meaning mix, and “chae,” from “chaeso” which means vegetable. Japchae is generally made by mixing various vegetables together with meat and glass noodles.
Japchae may seem like a relatively easy dish to cook, but it requires a lot of work. Each of the vegetable ingredients must be sliced into small pieces and either boiled or stir-fried separately before being stir-fried together one last time. It is a long process but the harmony of flavors is worth it.
Making japchae
1. Cook glass noodles in a boiling water for approximately 8 minutes.
2. Rinse the boiled glass noodles in cold water.
3. Cut and fry the meat and vegetable ingredients separately.
4. Mix the rinsed glass noodles with seasoning sauce and simmer. Remove from heat after the noodles have absorbed the sauce.
5. Mix the seasoned noodles with the stir-fried vegetables to complete the dish.
* This column was last updated in August 2022, and therefore information may differ from what is presented here. We advise you to check details before visiting.
* Photo & Contents Credit : https://english.visitkorea.or.kr/