Danja (food) facts for kids
|
|
| Type | Tteok |
|---|---|
| Place of origin | Korea |
| Associated national cuisine | Korean cuisine |
| Korean name | |
| Hangul |
단자
|
|---|---|
| Hanja |
團餈
|
| Revised Romanization | danja |
| McCune–Reischauer | tanja |
| IPA | [tan.dʑa] |
Danja (Hangul: 단자; Hanja: 團餈) is a delicious Korean snack. It is a type of tteok, which means "rice cake." Danja is made from special sticky rice flour. It often has sweet fillings inside. Then it is covered with sweet toppings. It is a popular treat in Korea!
What's in a Name? Danja and its Cousins
The name Danja has a special meaning. The word Dan (Hangul: 단; Hanja: 團) means "round." The word ja (Hangul: 자; Hanja: 餈) refers to a type of tteok called injeolmi.
Danja is similar to injeolmi, but there is a key difference. Injeolmi is made by pounding steamed rice. Danja is made by pounding steamed sticky rice flour. Also, danja is usually smaller. It is shaped like a little ball, not a flat square.
Another similar rice cake is gyeongdan. It also has the word dan in its name. Gyeongdan is usually boiled before it gets its coating. Danja is steamed. Japanese dango is another round rice cake. It can be boiled or steamed.
How Danja is Made
Making danja involves a few steps. First, sticky rice flour is steamed in a special Korean steamer called a siru. After steaming, the soft tteok is pounded. Then, it is shaped into small, round balls. These balls are about the size of a chestnut.
Next, the danja balls are filled. They can have many different sweet fillings. Common fillings include chopped mandarin oranges cooked in honey. Another popular filling is chestnuts mixed with cinnamon and honey. Sometimes, a sweet red bean paste is used.
Finally, the danja balls are coated. They are first dipped in honey. Then they are rolled in sweet powders or shredded ingredients. These coatings add extra flavor and texture.
Popular Danja Varieties
There are many kinds of danja, each with unique flavors:
- Bam-danja (밤단자): This type is filled with a mix of steamed chestnuts and mandarin orange cooked in honey. It is coated with more steamed chestnuts.
- Daechu-danja (대추단자): This danja is made with sticky rice flour steamed with shredded jujubes. It is coated with shredded jujubes and chestnuts.
- Pat-danja (팥단자): This one has a sweet red bean paste filling. It is coated with steamed and powdered red beans.
- Ssuk-danja (쑥단자): This danja is made with sticky rice flour mixed with mugwort. It is filled with honey and chestnuts. It is coated with powdered black adzuki beans.
- Yuja-danja (유자단자): This danja is made with sticky rice flour and yuja zest. It is filled with chestnuts. It is coated with powdered black adzuki beans.
