Yeot Facts for Kids

Quick facts for kids
Yeot
solid yeot and liquid mullyeot
Type	Hangwa
Course	Dessert
Place of origin	Korea
Main ingredients	bap (cooked rice), yeotgireum (powdered barley malt)

Yeot
Hangul	엿
Revised Romanization	yeot
McCune–Reischauer	yŏt
IPA	[jʌt̚]

Yeot is a special kind of Korean traditional sweet treat. It's part of a group called hangwa, which are traditional Korean sweets. Yeot can be either a liquid syrup or a solid candy, like a taffy.

This yummy treat is made from steamed grains. These can include rice, glutinous rice, a type of sorghum, corn, or sweet potatoes. Sometimes, different grains are mixed together. People believe yeot has been made in Korea since before the Goryeo period, which was a very long time ago!

To make yeot, the steamed grains are first lightly fermented. Then, they are boiled for a long time in a big pot called a sot.

If yeot is boiled for a shorter time, it becomes a sticky, syrup-like liquid. This is called jocheong (조청). Jocheong is often used in cooking as a condiment. It can also be used to coat other hangwa sweets. Sometimes, people use it as a dipping sauce for garae tteok, which are white, cylindrical rice cakes.

If the yeot is boiled for a longer time, it will become solid when it cools down. This solid form is called gaeng yeot (갱엿). Gaeng yeot usually has a brownish color. However, if you stretch it, like how taffy is made, it becomes lighter in color. Many tasty things can be added to yeot as it cools. These include pan-fried beans, nuts, sesame, sunflower seeds, walnuts, or pumpkin.

Different kinds of yeot are named after the extra ingredients added to them.

What are the Different Kinds of Yeot?
Yeot in Everyday Language
Images for kids
See also

What are the Different Kinds of Yeot?

There are many delicious types of yeot, often named after their main ingredients:

Ssallyeot (쌀엿) – This type is made from rice.
Hobakyeot (호박엿) – This yeot is made with pumpkin. It's a special treat from Ulleungdo island.
Hwanggollyeot (황골엿) – This one is made from a mix of rice, corn, and malt.
Kkaeyeot (깨엿) – This yeot is covered with kkae, which is sesame.
Dangnyeot (닭엿) – A special yeot from Jeju Island. It's made with glutinous millet and chicken.
Kkwongnyeot (꿩엿) – Also from Jeju Island, this yeot is made with glutinous millet and pheasant meat.
Dwaejigogiyeot (돼지고기엿) – Another Jeju Island specialty, made with glutinous millet and pork.
Haneuraegiyeot (하늘애기엿) – From Jeju Island, this yeot uses glutinous millet and the haneulaegi herb.
Boriyeot (보리엿) – This type is made from barley and is also a local treat from Jeju Island.
Maneullyeot (마늘엿) – A Jeju Island yeot made with glutinous millet and garlic.
Gochgamyeot (곶감엿) – This yeot is a local specialty from Sangju. It's made with dried persimmons.
Yakyeot (약엿) – This special yeot includes sesame, walnut, ginger, and jujube. It was sometimes used as a tonic to help sick people feel better.
Tongoksusu (통옥수수엿) - This yeot is made from sprouted corn.