Uniqueness of Korean Desserts

We have spent some time examining Korean food and drinks in previous articles. Our final nutritional analysis is with Korean desserts.

By Chad Meyer

This is the sixth and final part of a series focusing on the benefits of a Korean well-being lifestyle. We will explore the Korean diet and reveal that even desserts can have nutritional value. ― ED.

We have spent some time examining Korean food and drinks in previous articles. Our final nutritional analysis is with Korean desserts.

Internationally, desserts are sweet dishes served after a large meal. They satisfy our senses of smell and taste and cleanse the palate after a hearty meal. In the West, it is not uncommon for women to skip dinner and leap directly to dessert trying to minimize calorie intake.

Western restaurants implant desires in our minds by positioning dessert showcases within our line of sight. From cheesecakes to ice cream, these restaurants cater to our mouth's sweet tooth.

Interestingly, Asian restaurants located in Western countries often have reputations for serving desserts worth passing over. Why? Is it because Western desserts contain dairy products that are less popular in Asia? Or is it due to the fact that Western desserts are simply too sweet? Both of these statements are correct. But the true answer lies in tradition.

Traditionally, Koreans did not consume overly sweet foods. ``Ddeok,'' which we previously explored, along with Korean apples, pears, and persimmons are the most common traditional Korean desserts. All of these are low calorie, nutritious alternatives that the international community would enjoy.

Each of these fruits has a distinction from their Western counterparts. Korean apples can be traced back to 1103AD and were originally served as a dessert to royalty.

To this day, Korean apples are generally consumed raw and are not cooked with food. Korean pears are shaped like Western apples and exported in large quantities. They command high prices as they are considered to be among the best in the world. Like Korean apples, Korean pears are especially succulent and great care is taken in their handling. Each Korean pear is wrapped individually before becoming showcased in department stores and supermarkets. These pears can remain unspoiled for several weeks and are considered healthy gifts for relatives at holidays. Pears cleanse the blood and reduce the risk of cancer coming from smoking and the overeating of red meat.

Above apples and pears, Korean persimmons are especially unique. Persimmons appear similar to an unripe tomato taste much sweeter. There are two types of persimmons harvested in Korea in October. Only one of these types can be eaten before fully ripening, but both are a good source of vitamins B2, B9, and vitamin C. And along with red ginseng, Korean persimmons are frequently used as an ingredient in hangover remedies.

``Hangwa'' is another famous category of traditional Korean desserts. Hangwa consists of different types of sweets and cookies made of rice flour, honey, fruit, and roots. Hangwa is considered nutritious as it is made using natural ingredients and natural food coloring. Hangwa outlasts Western cookies in retaining flavor and not deteriorating too quickly over time. Similar to ddeok, it is an artistic food that is decorated in colors, textured with patterns, and given nature themed shapes. It is commonly found in special confectionery shops and department stores and gifted to family members during Lunar New Year's, Chuseok, weddings, and other ceremonies.

Due to the labor intensive preparation required, hangwa are considered a sophisticated traditional snack and therefore cost more than Western cookies or crackers. A box of hangwa can easily cost upwards of one hundred dollars. Traditionally served while fruit was out of season, hangwa can last long periods of time. Insadong is a famous traditional neighborhood of Seoul that houses many hangwa confectionary shops. There are too many types of hangwa to list but ``dasik'' is one variety that Westerners can enjoy.

Dasik is a soft round cookie that is normally accompanied by tea. Dasik is lighter and healthier than Western snacks as it is not as sweet as cookies or chocolate. Typical ingredients include: rice powder, flour, herbs, grains, sesame seeds, starch, chestnuts, green tea powder, and red ginseng powder. These ingredients are mixed together with honey to form dough. The dough is then pounded flat and pressed into molds. As the recipe for dasik originally derives from a Chinese type of cookie, dasik are frequently stamped with the Chinese characters for luck, health, and longevity.

``Pahtbingsoo,'' or red bean with ice flakes, is a summertime dessert that anyone can enjoy. It consists of shaved ice, sweet red azuki beans, condensed milk, and is topped with ice cream or frozen yogurt. Whipped cream, diced ddeok, green tea powder, and corn flakes often adorn ``bingsoo'' as well.

The sweet azuki red beans in pahtbingsoo are cooked into a red bean paste by boiling, mashing, and adding honey. These paht are an Asian bean that has existed since 1000BC. This bean is only second in popularity to the soybean. Red beans are high in protein, iron, and calcium. A variation of this dessert is ``gwa-ilbingsoo.'' Gwa-il is the Korean word for fruit. Fruit with ice flakes is a great dessert for those searching for something sweeter than red azuki beans. The fruit used in this dessert can be strawberries, bananas, or kiwi. Both types of bingsoo desserts are found in cafes, department stores, and other restaurants. Apgujeong and Cheongdam are great neighborhoods to find bingsoo. A typical bowl for two costs around $10-15 and is only 200 calories per person.

Bbang, or bread, is another healthy food that has taken off in the past decade. Interestingly, Korean bread is an entire category of food encompassing anything baked using flour. Often sweeter than American bread, bbang is considered more of a dessert than a meal. Korean style bakeries can be found at nearly every major intersection of Seoul.

Popular chains include Paris Baguette, Shilla Myunggua, Tous Les Jours, and Crown Bakery. Favorite breads include: hot dogs baked in croissants, chocolate covered croissants, pizza bread, panini pockets, baked rolls, croquettes, green tea cake, mango cake, and sweet loafs of bread. Croquettes are an interesting variation here. Often spelled ``koroke,'' these are deep fried dough stuffed with curry, potato, and vegetables.

In the past several years there has been an explosion of Waffle shops in Seoul. Street vendors sell a quickly prepared take away waffle. These finger food waffles come plain or sandwiched with ice cream. The cost is extremely low at two dollars or less.

These smaller shops can be found near universities and nightlife areas such as Ehwa University or Gangnam Station. Samcheong-Dong is a popular cultural district of Seoul with many deluxe waffles shops. This type of dessert cafe offers large Belgium-style waffles that are freshly prepared with premium ingredients and served on a dish. I have seen nothing like these in the States.

These sit down waffle dishes are topped with a mountain of ingredients including ice cream, fruit, red beans, whipped cream, and green tea powder. Often costing upwards of $10 for a two person serving, these are desserts that cannot be skipped.

Chad Meyer is a robotics engineer working in Korea with a passion for Korean food. He can be reached at: food.korea@hotmail.com