Memil-muk facts for kids
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| Alternative names | Buckwheat jelly |
|---|---|
| Type | Muk |
| Place of origin | Korea |
| Associated national cuisine | Korean cuisine |
| Main ingredients | Buckwheat starch |
| Korean name | |
| Hangul |
메밀묵
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|---|---|
| Revised Romanization | memil-muk |
| McCune–Reischauer | memil-muk |
| IPA | [me.mil.muk̚] |
Memil-muk (Hangul: 메밀묵), also known as buckwheat jelly, is a popular Korean food. It's a light gray-brown jelly made from buckwheat starch. People often eat it as a side dish with rice, called banchan, or as a snack with drinks, known as anju.
After the Korean War, in the mid to late-1900s, memil-muk was a common late-night snack. Street vendors would sell it along with chapssal-tteok (glutinous rice cakes). Today, many people enjoy memil-muk as a healthy diet food.
This special jelly is a local favorite in Gangwon Province, especially in Bongpyeong Township within Pyeongchang County.
Contents
How Memil-muk is Made
Making memil-muk starts with whole buckwheat grains. First, they are soaked in water to make them less bitter. Then, the soaked grains are ground using a maetdol, which is a traditional millstone. After grinding, the mixture is sieved to remove the outer skins.
The liquid that remains is left to sit. It separates into two layers: clear water on top and settled buckwheat starch at the bottom. The clear water is poured away. The thick starch at the bottom is then boiled while being stirred constantly. As it cools down, this mixture turns into a firm, jelly-like food called muk.
Ways to Enjoy Memil-muk
The most common way to eat memil-muk is as memil-muk-muchim. This is a "buckwheat jelly salad" where pieces of memil-muk are mixed with chopped kimchi, toasted sesame seeds, and soy sauce. It's a delicious banchan (side dish).
In Gangwon Province, memil-muk is even used in jesa, which are special family ceremonies to honor ancestors. During summer, people make memil-muk-sabal, a "cold buckwheat jelly soup" with cold kimchi broth. In winter, memil-muk is served in a warm jangguk, a beef broth made with soy sauce.
In Yeongju, some homes still prepare and eat Muk-bap (묵밥) in the traditional way.
Memil-muk in Korean Stories
Long ago, people believed that memil-muk was a favorite food of dokkaebi, which are Korean goblins. These goblins were thought to cause contagious diseases.
Because of this belief, memil-muk was offered in special rituals. One such ritual is dokkaebi-gut, a shamanistic ceremony performed by a mu (shaman) to chase away dokkaebi. Other similar rituals, like dokkaebi-je (a Confucian family ceremony) and dokkaebi-gosa (a shamanistic or Buddhist household ritual), also included offering memil-muk to keep the goblins away.
Memil-muk in Pop Culture
In the manhwa comic series Dokebi Bride, memil-muk plays an important role. It is used as a way to call on dokebi, making it a key part of the story's plot.
Gallery
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Memil-muk-muchim (buckwheat jelly salad)
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Memil-muk-sabal (cold buckwheat jelly soup)
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Blocks of memil-muk (buckwheat jelly)
See also
In Spanish: Memilmuk para niños
