Making Sikhye: A Traditional Korean Rice Punch Recipe

As we welcome the arrival of warmer weather, there's no better way to beat the heat than with a refreshing and sweet dessert. Today, we're going to explore the world of traditional Korean rice punch, also known as Sikhye. This delightful drink has been a staple in Korean cuisine for centuries, and its unique combination of ingredients makes it a perfect treat for any occasion.

Sikhye is essentially a rice punch made with rice, which may seem unusual at first, but trust us when we say that it's a game-changer. The magic lies in the barley malt powder, also known as yeotkiereum-garu, which gives Sikhye its distinctive malty flavor and aftertaste. This ingredient is what sets Sikhye apart from other desserts and makes it a must-try for anyone looking to experience traditional Korean cuisine.

Before we begin making Sikhye, let's talk about the importance of patience in this recipe. We need to wait until the barley malt powder has sunk to the bottom of the liquid before proceeding. This requires some time and effort, but trust us when we say that it's worth it. If you touch or shake the bowl too soon, all the hard work will be undone, and you'll have to start again from scratch.

With our patience in check, let's move on to making the rice. Washing and rinsing the rice is crucial in this process, as it helps to remove any impurities and excess starch. The amount of water used during the washing process may seem insignificant, but it makes all the difference in the final product. A quarter cup of water may not seem like much, but it's enough to help the rice cook evenly and prevent it from becoming too sticky.

Once the rice is cooked, we need to mix it with the malty water to create our signature drink. This is where the science comes in – barley malt contains an enzyme called amylase, which breaks down starches into sugars. When we combine the cooked rice with the malty water, this process occurs, resulting in a sweet and refreshing drink.

The next step is to let the mixture ferment for four hours. During this time, the rice will absorb the flavors of the malty water, and the liquid will begin to separate from the solids. This is where the magic happens, as the fermentation process helps to create a smooth and creamy texture that's both refreshing and delicious.

After four hours have passed, we need to check on our Sikhye to see how it has turned out. The rice should be light and fluffy, with a clear liquid that's infused with the malty flavor of the barley malt powder. If everything has gone according to plan, you'll see a beautifully separated liquid with a gorgeous white color and grains of rice floating to the top.

To serve Sikhye, we need to slowly pour out the clear liquid, taking care not to disturb the sediment at the bottom of the bowl. The resulting drink is sweet, refreshing, and full of flavor – the perfect way to beat the heat on a warm summer day. And as an added bonus, Sikkye is also known for its digestive benefits, making it a great treat after a big meal.

In conclusion, making Sikhye is a fun and rewarding experience that requires patience, attention to detail, and a willingness to try something new. With this recipe, you'll be able to enjoy a delicious and refreshing drink that's steeped in tradition and culture. So go ahead, give it a try, and taste the magic of traditional Korean cuisine for yourself!

"WEBVTTKind: captionsLanguage: en(knife chopping)(happy music)- Hi everybody!Let's make something sweet;sweet, cold, refreshing dessert.Today, we are going tomake Sikhye, Korean Sikhye.Sikhye is rice punch,because it made with rice.See, we can make anything with rice!This is a very populardessert among Koreans.Whenever we have some special occasions,always, we make this Sikhye.Because, we eat a lot ofdelicious food, after that,our stomach is kind of, it'llfeel uncomfortable, too full.This rice punch, you just drink this,and then all digests quickly.Also, tasty, because we makethis with barley malt powder,the malty flavor,aftertaste is amazing, so good.We call this yeotkiereum-garu,barley malt powder.Today, I will just makekind of a slush style.It's perfect for summer weather!This is eight ounce,then I will add 14 cups water.We got to mix this very well.We need to wait until thispowder is all sunk on the bottom,then we need to get only its clear water,clear malty water we need there.Before filming this, two hoursbefore, I mixed this one here.This bowl is just clear liquid,you can see the difference.Nobody can touch it now,because it's very important;if you touch and shake it,all will be mixed again, oh my!Just my time, two hours,I have to wait again!(laughs)So how important it is.I'm going to save this for later.Now, I will make rice.One cup.Let's wash.(faucet running)And rinse.And change water.In my last rinse, I will pourout water, as much as I can.3/4 cup water.1/2 a cup.1/4 cup.You see, not much water.Press the button, and make rice.There is a little scienceinvolved making this.Barley malt has enzyme called amylase.When amylase is meeting starch from rice,the starch turns intosugar, sweet thing.You know, you make rice,and just mix it with this malty water,then suddenly it makesa sweet drink!That's amazing, isn't it?My rice is done!Let's check it out.Oh wow.Each grain of rice is cooked and firm.That's what we need.So I'm going to reallycarefully just pour out this.Slowly, slowly like this.Can you see there on the bottom?It's like mud.I will just stop this,because I don't want tomake cloudy Sikyhe.This is around 11 cups malty water.And then now, close.You need to set to warm.Keep warm, can you see?And press this.I still like to use this.This is four cups of water,the color is a little grayish.That's it!I don't have to worry about this sikhye!I'm going to let itferment for four hours,and four hours later I will check it out.The rice is going to be light,and color will be changed to white.Grains of rice should be floating.Meanwhile, I'm not goingto touch this.Four hours later it'llbe nicely separated.So see you in four hours!(upbeat guitar music)I'm back, four hours later.So let's check it out!Wow, look at this!This rice is floating!Okay, I'm going to transferthis to my big pot.Look at this color, gorgeous, beautiful.Delicious looking and it smells really good.The sediment is sunkon the bottom.Pour this, just the clearliquid, very slowly slowly.Around three cups.I will boil this reallyvigorously, and then, turn off.That's Sikhye!And this leftover sediment isnot delicious anymore.All the malt flavor was infused,so throw it away.Let's heat up over high heat.It's really boiling now.Turn off.This tastes just subtly sweet,we usually add some sugar here.You can taste this, \"Oh, this is good.\"and then, don't add any sugar.But I will add one cup sugar.Ever since I was young,my grandmother, my mom,when they made Sikyhe, hotSikhye was so delicious.So we were always eatinga little bit to taste.You can serve it hot or cold.Oh, yummy, yummy!Serve hot or cold,but we usually serve cold.The rice will keepfermenting in this water.As time goes by, the coloris going to be more cloudy,or grayish.So we usually separate riceand Sikhye water.How I'm doing this? I will strain it.Then let's rinse this in cold water.(faucet running)Just soak this in cold water.Let me taste my Sikhye!Ah, so good~Now, what I'm going to dois just let it cool down.This Sikhye water, and Sikhye rice,keep these separately in the refrigerator,so whenever you serve this,you can ladle some Sikhyewater and scoop some rice.This is the way that we serve Sikhyeso that the color is notgoing to change, and pretty,rice color is always white,beautiful and floating.I'll just keep eating this again.The flavor is really good,sweet, but not that sweet.This is total, about 14 to 15 cups.When it's cooled down, cover.Now I'm going to make slush.To show you how to make slush,I had to make another batch.I froze it for around five hours.I will bring it, but before that,I will just give you an idea for garnish.You remember, jujube?With jujubes, I made theseflowers. How you make this?Use your knife and just cut around it,you can feel the seedinside, and just cut around,until the seed is coming out.You see? Seed.And then you can just rollit, roll it up tightly,and squeeze,because the inside issticky, you can do this.Just like a glue, you know?It's jujube flower.This way we make this, I made some here.And also, these are pine nuts.Pine nut in Sikyhe, is always very beautiful and tasty.When we add pine nuts, wealways remove the tips.See, this is the tip!You can take off the tip.Actually there is a little tiny hole inside,so you should be able to do like this.What does it look like?It looks like a match! (laughs)We usually make this with pine needles.(laughs)I just kept this in the refrigerator, so it's very cold.You see, just half is frozen.This is slush!In the summertime, it is awesome,you can make slush with allthese two jars, and use for a big party,you can serve this way for several people.I also made granita with it.Have you ever heard of granita?Using your fork, and thenjust scratch, scratch.Add some rice and mix it together.Jujube, pine nuts.Let me taste!I'm so excited about this Sikhye slush!Wow, almost too cold, too cold.My teeth are frozen!It tastes cold, refreshing, and sweet,and the aftertaste iskind of a malt flavor,that's really great.All the starch from the rice is gone, sothe texture is like sponge.The taste is really unique, ifyou have never tasted Sikhye,you got to make homemade Sikhye.Sikhye is loved by all Koreans,we always make this wheneverwe have some special occasions,We made this with one cup of rice,and eight ounces barley malt powder.Today we made Korean Sikhye and sikhye slush.Rice punch and slush!Enjoy my recipe, see you next time, bye!(happy music)\n"