Sungnyung facts for kids
| Sungnyung | |
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Quick facts for kids Korean name |
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| Hangul |
숭늉
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| Revised Romanization | sungnyung |
| McCune–Reischauer | sungnyung |
Sungnyung is a warm, traditional Korean drink. It's made from the crispy, browned rice left at the bottom of a pot after cooking. People often enjoy it after a meal.
How to Make Sungnyung
Sungnyung is usually made from nurungji. This is the slightly roasted, golden-brown crust of rice that forms at the bottom of a cooking pot. It's important that the rice is browned, but not burned.
To make the drink, hot water is poured over this nurungji. The pot is then gently heated, or simmered, for a short time. This allows the water to soak up the delicious flavor from the crispy rice.
History of Sungnyung
Sungnyung has been a part of Korean meals for a long time. Records about this drink can be found in old documents from the late Joseon era. The Joseon era was a period in Korean history that lasted from 1392 to 1897.
In the past, Koreans often cooked rice in heavy iron pots, similar to a Dutch oven. When the rice was cooked, a tasty, crispy layer of nurungji would form at the bottom. Making sungnyung was a smart way to use all the leftover rice stuck to the pot. It also helped clean the pot, making it easier to wash later. Since sungnyung was made after the main rice dish was served, it was usually enjoyed as a warm drink after the meal.
Over time, new ways of cooking rice became popular. People started using nickel-silver pots and modern electric rice cookers. These new methods often didn't create the crispy nurungji layer. Because of this, sungnyung became less common for a while.
However, in the late 1900s, sungnyung started to become popular again! Many modern electric rice cookers now even have a special setting to make nurungji for sungnyung. You can also buy pre-made nurungji at stores. This makes it super easy to make sungnyung quickly by just adding boiling water.
