← Nouns Cooking · Korean

Ingredients

• 1½ tbsp Sugar
• 1 pinch small pinch of bicarbonate of soda
• 1 tsp oil, for greasing

Method

1. Before you start, lightly oil a sheet of baking paper or a metal tray, the bottom of a flat-based cup or small pan for pressing, and a cookie cutter.
2. Put the sugar in a metal ladle or tiny pan over low-medium heat and stir with a chopstick as it melts. Keep stirring for 1–2 min, until it is completely liquid and pale amber.
3. Take it off the heat, add the soda and stir fast for a few seconds. It will foam up and turn a light caramel colour.
4. Pour it onto the oiled paper in a round puddle, wait for 10 seconds, then press it flat with the oiled cup.
5. Press the cookie cutter gently into the middle without cutting through, then leave it to harden for 1 minute. Try to snap out the shape without breaking it.

Tips

• Melted sugar burns badly: an adult should handle the hot ladle.
• Too much soda makes it bitter; a tiny pinch is plenty.

Sources

Written in our own words after cross-checking these recipes:

Korean Bapsang Kimchimari Beyond Kimchee