15+ Korean Chuseok Foods You Must Try
Chuseok food is at the core of Korea’s chuseok festival. Celebrate the Korean “Thanksgiving Day” with these 15 traditional Korean Chuseok recipes.
Happy Chuseok!
Chuseok (추석), also known as Hangawi (한가위), is a traditional Korean holiday for expressing appreciation for the fall harvest. Often described as the Korean “Thanksgiving Day,” Chuseok falls on the 15th day of the eighth month of the lunar calendar.
Chuseok Tradition
Chuseok is a day of celebration during which families and close relatives gather together to hold ancestral rituals and share family stories. Families give thanks and offer tributes to their ancestors for their blessings.
Another great tradition is making a wish during the full moon (보름달), a much-anticipated event.
Just like any other major Korean holiday, food plays a great role in the Chuseok festival. Families spend a great deal of time preparing Korean traditional dishes with newly harvested grains.
You will find many traditional Korean chuseok foods when you visit a Korean household during the holiday. Namul (나물, three color vegetable salad) and songpyeon (송편, rice cakes filled with sweet fillings) are perhaps the most iconic chuseok foods.
Along with them, here are 15 other classic chuseok recipes you must know and try.
15+ Korean Chuseok Foods
Easy Japchae (Korean Glass Noodles)
Make japchae, a classic Korean glass noodles, with this easy recipe. Korean noodles, known as Dangmyeon, are made from sweet potato starch and are stir-fried with beef and vegetables in a savory sauce. This recipe is adaptable for gluten-free, vegan, and vegetarian diets.
Galbi Jjim (Korean Braised Beef Short Ribs)
Galbi jjim, also known as Korean braised beef short ribs, are extremely tender and will fall off the bone when cooked well. The sauce, which is slightly sweet and savory, is the key to their deliciousness. Your family will love this Korean short ribs recipe!
Easy Korean Beef Patties (Tteokgalbi)
Celebrate a special occasion or holiday with Korean beef patties (Tteokgalbi). The patties are conveniently broiled in an oven, then brushed with soy honey glaze.
Korean Meat Tofu Patties (Wanja-jeon)
Korean meat tofu patties (wanja-jeon) are a traditional Korean Chuseok dish, but they are also great for a lunchbox as well. You can use ground pork, beef, chicken, or mixture of any. Makes 3 dozen mini patties.
Korean Sweet Rice Cake (Yakshik)
Korean sweet rice cake (yakshik) is made with sweet rice, jujube, chestnut, and other nuts. An instant pot makes this authentic recipe extremely easy and quick to prepare. It also serves as a good breakfast or snack.
Sikhye (Korean Rice Punch) – Instant Pot
Sikhye is a mildly sweet Korean rice punch made of fermented barley malt and cooked rice. This easy recipe uses an instant pot or rice cooker and you can enjoy the authentic taste of Korean drink anytime at home.
LA Galbi (Korean BBQ Ribs)
LA galbi is exquisite Korean bbq ribs originated from Korean immigrants in L.A. With the two step marinating, you will taste the most succulent Korean bbq ribs.
Classic Bulgogi Recipe (Korean BBQ Beef)
Bulgogi is a classic Korean BBQ beef dish. This authentic recipe uses thinly sliced, marinated beef for quick, tender, and juicy results. No extra oil needed!
Korean Beef Radish Soup (Sogogi Muguk)
Korean beef radish soup is a comforting soup that is often served in winter time in Korea. It's worth to look for Korean radish to get the mellow flavor of the soup. Gluten-free!
Perilla Leaves Dumplings with Pork (Kkaennip-jeon)
This Korean pork dumpling recipe is using perilla leaves (kkaennip) as a dumpling wrapper, coated with flour and egg, then pan-fried.
Beef and Rice Cake Skewers (Sanjeok)
Sanjeok is Korean beef and rice cake skewers and it's a traditional holiday food in Korea. Strips of beef are marinated with a quick and simple bulgogi sauce and cooked together with rice cakes and green onion.
The Most Popular Cabbage Kimchi in Korea
Making authentic cabbage kimchi takes time, but it's worth every effort. This authentic recipe rewards you with light and refreshing flavor.
Nabak Kimchi (Korean Water Kimchi)
Nabak kimchi is a mild Korean water kimchi made with cabbage and other vegetables. It doesn't require fish sauce and uses very little chili flakes. It's a great vegan and vegetarian kimchi and refreshingly tasty.
Korean Mung Bean Pancakes (Bindaetteok)
Bindaetteok (Korean mung bean pancakes) are made with ground pork, mung bean puree, mung bean sprouts, and kimchi. There's no added flour in the recipe, which makes this savory snack a wonderful gluten-free dish!
Sujeonggwa (Korean Cinnamon Drink)
Sujeonggwa is a Korean cinnamon punch made with cinnamon, ginger, and brown sugar, known for its unique and delicious taste.
And there you have it – 15+ Korean Chuseok Foods that you can enjoy with your loved ones during Korean Thanksgiving holiday! Happy Chuseok!
15+ Korean Chuseok Foods: Easy Korean Rice Punch Recipe (Sikhye)
Sikhye is a mildly sweet Korean rice punch made of fermented barley malt and cooked rice. This easy recipe uses an instant pot or rice cooker and you can enjoy the authentic taste of Korean drink anytime at home.
Ingredients
- 3 cup barley malt
- 12 cup warm water
- 2 cup cooked rice
- 3-4 slices ginger (1/4-inch thick), optional
- 1 1/2 – 2 cup sugar
- a few dried jujube flowers , to garnish, optional
- a few pine nuts, to garnish, optional
Equipment
- instant pot or rice cooker
- linen or cotton pouch See note #1 below
Instructions
- If using a clean fabric pouch, either cotton or linen, put malt barley in a pouch and tie up with a string and secure very tightly. Put the pouch in a bowl of warm water. See note #1 if you don't use a fabric pouch.
- While the pouch is in the water, manually press and squeeze the pouch multiple times to squeeze out the malt powder from the barley so it can mix with the water. Do this for about 1-2 minutes. Squeeze out the pouch tightly to get all the good juices out. Discard the malt barley left inside the pouch.
- Let the malt barley water sit for at least 30 minutes. The starch will sink to the bottom. Then carefully, without shaking the bowl, pour the malt water into another bowl leaving the sunken starch behind. Be careful not to let the starch fall in. (A little bit going in is okay.) Discard the starch.
- Put cooked rice in the instant pot (or rice cooker) bowl and break up the grain briefly with a rice spatula. You can adjust the amount of rice as you wish. Pour the strained malt water over the rice. Cover with a lid and set your instant pot on the Keep Warm setting. The fermenting time can vary from 4-8 hours depending on the heat level of your appliance. An instant pot can take about 4-5 hours; a rice cooker might take longer. Hint: If you see a few grains of rice floating on top, that’s a good sign that the rice punch is well fermented. If you don’t see any rice floating, wait 1-2 more hours. You do not want to wait more than 8 hours because the rice will spoil.
- Add a desired amount of sugar and ginger slices (if using) and bring the punch to boil and cook for 5 minutes. Use the “Saute” setting for an instant pot. If using a rice cooker, you will need to transfer the punch to a pot and boil it on the stove. Skim off any debris or foam from the top of punch with a skimmer.
- Allow the punch to cool completely. Transfer the punch into plastic or glass containers, and store them in the refrigerator for up to 1 week. Shikye also freezes well. Pour the punch into freezer safe bottles or containers and freeze up to 3 months.
To garnish the rice punch
- Collect a few scoops of rice from the bottom of the punch and soak them in cold water for later use. See note #2.
- Pour the rice punch in a serving bowl or glass. Add a tablespoon of rinsed rice, dried jujube flowers, and pine nuts (if using).
Notes
1. Don’t have a fabric pouch? You can soak the barley malt directly in the water, and rub it with both of your hands harshly to extract all the malt from the barley. Remove the barley with a fine strainer. Make sure you remove all the small barley pieces, then skip to step 3.
2. Rice garnish on the punch: The rice cooked in the punch retains its sugar inside which makes the rice grains heavy, so they tend to rest on the bottom. Rinsing and soaking the rice grains in cold water will remove the sweetness and allow these rice grains to float to the top when served.
Calories: 304kcal, Carbohydrates: 73g, Protein: 4g, Fat: 1g, Saturated Fat: 0.1g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 0.3g, Monounsaturated Fat: 0.1g, Sodium: 13mg, Potassium: 77mg, Fiber: 2g, Sugar: 44g, Vitamin A: 6IU, Vitamin C: 0.2mg, Calcium: 19mg, Iron: 1mg
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