← Nouns Cooking · Korean

Ingredients

• 250 g Barley malt powder (yeotgireum)
• 3 l lukewarm water, divided
• 300 g cooked short-grain rice
• 150 g Sugar, or to taste
• 3 slices Ginger (optional)
• 1 tbsp pine nuts, to garnish (optional)

Method

1. Put the barley malt in a large bowl with 2 litres of the lukewarm water and leave it for 1 hour. Rub the malt between your hands in the water, then strain through a fine sieve, pressing hard. Mix the leftover malt with the rest of the water, rub again and strain into the same bowl.
2. Leave the malt water to stand for 1 hour, so the sediment sinks to the bottom. Carefully pour off the clear liquid, leaving the cloudy sludge behind.
3. Put the cooked rice in a rice cooker (or a slow cooker on its lowest setting) and pour the clear malt water over. Keep it on the warm setting, about 60°C (140°F), for 4–5 hours.
4. It is ready when a dozen or so rice grains float to the surface. Scoop out the floating grains, rinse them in cold water and keep them chilled.
5. Pour the liquid into a large pot, add the sugar and ginger and bring to the boil. Skim off the foam and simmer for 5 min, then remove the ginger.
6. Cool, then chill thoroughly. Serve very cold in small bowls or glasses, topped with a spoonful of the rice grains and a few pine nuts.

Tips

• Barley malt powder (yeotgireum) is sold in Korean grocers. It contains barley, so sikhye is not gluten-free.
• It keeps for about a week in the fridge; freeze some in a bottle for a slushy treat.

Sources

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

Korean Bapsang Beyond Kimchee FutureDish