The story about the food you are going to eat makes the experience more enjoyable. In this article, we will look at red bean dishes and the stories about our culture and customs that they contain, as well as other Korean foods. 

Sources and References. Rural Development Administration, <The Secret History of Joseon in Food>(Song Youngshim, Pampas), <The Story of Beautiful Seasonal Custom Foods>(Kang Jaehee, Yoon Sookja, Jilsiru)

Food for good fortune

Sirutteok was a steamed rice cake made after the harvest in order to pray for peace for the whole family or to wish for a bountiful harvest. It was often used at important events, such as moving, starting a new job, or receiving ham(a box of wedding gifts from a bridegroom to his bride before wedding). In addition, using red beans has a shamanistic meaning of warding off bad fortune. 
 

Ingredients : 5 cups non-glutinous rice, 1 tbsp salt, 3 cups red beans, 1 tbsp salt, and 1/2 cup water

How to make it
① Wash and soak the rice for at least 6 hours. Add salt, pound, and sift.
② Wash the red beans and bring them to a boil in plenty of water. When it starts to boil, drain the first water, pour 3 times the amount of water as the red beans and boil. When it is hot, pour it into a bowl, add salt, pound it, and then sift through a sieve in order to make red bean paste.
③ Sprinkle water over the prepared rice flour, rub with your hands, and sift through a sieve.
④ Lay a cotton cloth in a siru(steamer), spread red bean paste, and then alternately place watered rice cake flour(2 cm thick).
⑤ Boil water in a pot, put the siru on top, cover with a lid, and steam for 30 minutes over high heat.

Rice cake eaten on the baby's 100th day and 1st birthday

Gyeongdan is a rice cake that is made by kneading glutinous rice flour with boiling water, forming it into a ball, boiling it, and dipping it in various toppings. There are various types of bean toppings for coating gyeongdan, such as bean powder, ground pine nuts, and ground sesame seed. However, on the 100th day and the 1st birthday of babies, red bean toppings were coated to ward off evil spirits.   
 

Ingredients : 3 cups glutinous rice flour, 10 tbsp warm water, 200 g red beans, and a little bit of salt

How to make it
① Sift the glutinous rice flour through a fine sieve, mix with salt, and knead with warm water.
② Wash the red beans, pour enough water to cover the red beans, and bring to a boil. Once boiling, discard the first water. Pour water again and bring to a boil over medium heat until soft.
③ When the red beans are soft, filter them through a sieve to remove the water, stir-fry them over medium-low heat so that the remaining water evaporates, and then add salt.
④ Make balls with glutinous rice dough.
⑤ After boiling the rice balls in water, rinse them in cold water.
⑥ Remove the moisture from the rice balls by placing them in a sieve and rolling them in red bean paste to finish.

Red rice on the king’s royal table

In the old days, the king's table was served with baekban(白飯: cooked rice) and hongban(紅飯: rice cooked in boiled red bean water) together so the king can choose between the two. 
Why was the rice dyed in red? It appears to have been done to stimulate the eater’s appetite by eating rice with a pretty color, as well as to supplement nutrients not found in rice by mixing red beans. 
 

Ingredients : 1/5 cup red beans, 320 g rice, and 470 mL water

How to make it
① Wash rice thoroughly and soak in water for 30 minutes.
② Wash the red beans, pour enough water to cover the red beans, and bring to a boil. Once boiling, discard the first water, pour 2 cups of water again, and cook until the red beans do not burst. Set aside the red bean water.
③ In a rice cooker, pour rice, boiled red beans, boiled red bean water, and water, and bring to a boil.
④ When the rice boils over high heat, reduce the heat, and allow it to settle for a while. 
⑤ Mix the rice well and put it in a bowl to serve.

Food that chases away ghosts

Patjuk is a dish that was made and eaten in every household on Dongji. Our ancestors offered patjuk on a rites table, placed it in various placesof the house, and even sprinkled it on the walls. This is due to their belief that the reddish color of the red beanswould drive away evil spirits and prevent bad luck.
 

Ingredients : 1/2 cup non-glutinous rice, 2 cups red beans, 20 cups cold water, 1 cup glutinous rice flour, 1/2 tsp salt, 1/4 cup hot water, and a little bit of salt and sugar

How to make it
① Wash the rice and soak in water for at least 2 hours, and then drain the water through a sieve.
② Wash the red beans, place them in a pot, pour 5 cups of cold water, cover with a lid, and bring to a boil over high heat. Once boiling, pour out the water immediately, pour 7 cups of cold water again, and simmer over medium heat until soft.
③ Mash the boiled red beans and pour 8 cups of cold water through a sieve to remove the skin on the sieve. The sediment will settle and red bean water will form on top.
④ Mix the glutinous rice flour with salt, add hot water, and knead. Make a 1-cm-diameter saealsim(small rice balls), boil it for 5 minutes in boiling water for 5 minutes, and then place it in cold water to cool.
⑤ Place the boiled red bean water and soaked rice in a pot and boil over medium heat until the rice becomes completely mashed. 
⑥ Add the red bean paste over medium heat, bring to a boil while stirring, add boiled saealsim, and boil for 2 minutes. Season with salt and sugar.