Top 6 Traditional Korean Rice Cakes and Desserts You Have to Try
If you’re planning a trip to South Korea, be sure to indulge in the country’s rich culinary heritage by trying out some of the traditional rice cakes and sweets. Here are six must-try delicacies that will tantalize your taste buds and give you a true taste of South Korea’s cultural traditions.
Top 6 Korean Traditional Sweets!
① Gyeongdan (경단)
A traditional Korean rice cake made by boiling balls of rice cake dough made with glutinous rice flour in water, then simmering them in a soup-like broth.
② Injeolmi (인절미)
Another type of rice cake made with glutinous rice flour, often coated in toasted soybean flour, and typically eaten as a sweet snack.
③ Hwajeon (화전)
A rice cake made by mixing rice flour with various nuts and fruits, such as pine nuts, chestnuts, and walnuts, and then flattening the mixture into small, round cakes and grilling them until crispy.
④ Yugwa (유과)
A traditional Korean confectionery made from glutinous rice flour and a variety of fruits, such as yuzu, omija, and jujube, that is molded into various shapes and sizes and then steamed or baked.
⑤ Gangjeong (강정)
Originally made for special occasions such as banquets or ancestral rites along with Yaksik and Dasik. It involves kneading glutinous rice flour with liquor, cutting it into various shapes, and then drying it in the shade. Afterwards, it is fried in oil and coated with honey.
⑥ Yakgwa (약과)
A sweet, honey or syrup-covered pastry made from wheat flour, sesame oil, ginger, and honey, often garnished with pine nuts or other nuts.