Songpyeon

About the dish

Songpyeon are half-moon rice cakes filled with sesame, beans or chestnut and steamed over pine needles for fragrance, in five natural colors. The signature treat of Chuseok, the harvest thanksgiving.

Key ingredient

Rice (ssal) — Korea's staple and main energy source; quick to digest with B vitamins for a balanced meal. Autumn harvest, mainly from Icheon & Yeoju.

Ingredients

Main: non-glutinous rice flour, sesame-sugar or chestnut filling · Coloring: gardenia, omija, grape, mugwort · Seasoning: salt, sesame oil

Simple recipe

1. Wash and soak the rice 8-12 hours, then mill it to flour with salt.
2. Make natural colors from gardenia, omija, grape and mugwort.
3. Divide the flour and knead each portion with hot water and a color.
4. Make the sesame-and-pine-nut filling.
5. Fill and shape into half-moons; decorate the white ones.
6. Steam over pine needles 20-25 min, rinse, and brush with sesame oil.

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