Songpyeon

The story

Songpyeon is a Korean dessert with a clear sense of place. Songpyeon is closely connected with Chuseok, Korea’s major harvest festival. Families traditionally gather to shape the half-moon rice cakes, and pine needles perfume the cakes while preventing them from sticking in the steamer. The recipe below keeps the defining ingredients and technique intact while giving practical metric quantities and enough detail for a home cook to judge texture, seasoning and doneness rather than simply follow a timer.

Ingredients

• 400 g wet-milled rice flour
• 220 ml boiling waterapproximately
• 3 g fine salt
• 80 g toasted sesame seedsground
• 45 g dark brown sugar
• 30 g honey
• 80 g pine needlesfood-safe, washed
• 10 ml toasted sesame oilfor finishing

Method

1. Mix rice flour and salt

   Mix rice flour and salt. Add boiling water a little at a time, stirring with chopsticks, until the flour gathers into damp clumps; the exact amount varies with rice flour moisture.

   Look for: the flour gathers into damp clumps; the exact amount varies with rice flour moisture Tip: Knead while the dough is still warm and test one half-moon before shaping the rest: if its edges crack, work in a teaspoon more hot water. Avoid: Using ordinary dry rice flour without adjustment can crack; a dry dough splits when shaped; too much filling bursts through during steaming.

2. When cool enough to handle, knead firmly

   When cool enough to handle, knead firmly for 5–7 minutes until the dough becomes smooth, pliable and no longer cracks when pressed. Keep it covered at all times because rice dough dries quickly.

   Look for: the dough becomes smooth, pliable and no longer cracks when pressed

3. Mix ground sesame seeds, brown sugar and

   Mix ground sesame seeds, brown sugar and honey into a damp, sandy filling. Pinch off walnut-sized dough pieces, roll smooth and press a deep well into each.

4. Add about 1 teaspoon filling, close the

   Add about 1 teaspoon filling, close the dough carefully and shape into a plump half-moon. Avoid trapping air, which can split the rice cake during steaming.

5. Line a steamer with clean pine needles,

   Line a steamer with clean pine needles, arrange songpyeon without touching and cover with another light layer of needles. Steam over vigorously boiling water for 18–20 minutes.

6. Transfer immediately into cold water for a

   Transfer immediately into cold water for a few seconds, drain well and rub very lightly with sesame oil to prevent sticking. Serve at room temperature.

   Look for: The cakes are glossy, flexible and chewy all the way through with no dry white floury core.

Nutrition

per serving

Estimated from the listed ingredients and default serving size. Actual values vary with brands, trimming, absorption and cooking losses.