Hobakjook (Pumpkin Porridge) How-to

Nowadays, we resort to quick and easy foods whenever we find ourselves in supermarkets and convenience stores. Though porridge can now be found as an instant food that you can cook in the microwave, our ancestors often used to cook delicious home-made meals for the family by the fireplace, without the help of pre-packaged meals. It’s about time we went back to our roots.

Among many kinds of porridge, pumpkin porridge is the most common. Pumpkins are very easy to find and cook. They’re also great for your health. Moreover, this dish is especially popular among women because pumpkins are very effective in helping you lose weight. During the winter, pumpkins have a warm nature, so we are accustomed to eating pumpkin porridge during the winter months. Pumpkins are also known to remedy the common cold by bringing warmth to your hands and feet. On Dong-Ji Day (December 22), which is considered the longest night of the year, it’s customary in some households to enjoy a warm bowl of pumpkin porridge.

The appearance of the pumpkin is not so good, however. For a long time, our ancestors have used the pumpkin as a euphemism for something ugly, for example, “a face like a pumpkin.” The saying “sticking pumpkin seeds in someone’s back” is another way of calling someone a backstabber. While the pumpkin is unpleasing to the eye, it contains many nutrients and minerals. For this reason, pumpkins were sought out as a food that was available to satisfy the Korean people during even the most difficult eras of their history. As history and traditions prove, the pumpkin is not something to take for granted. Why not try a warm bowl of pumpkin porridge yourself and get a taste of Korean history?

How to make Pumpkin Porridge (two servings):

Ingredients
Pumpkin 290g
Water 200ml
Glutinous rice flour 30g
Salt 2g
Sugar 12g
Sweet potato (optional)

Method:

1. Cut out a large piece of the pumpkin, and peel it. Cut it into relatively small pieces, and place the pieces in a pot with 200ml of water. (If you want to add sweet potato, add it to the pot, also.)  

 

2. Bring the water to a boil, then lower the heat moderate. Stir and cook until the pumpkin reaches a paste-like texture. During the heating process, make sure you do not burn the bottom of your pot or the pumpkin.

3.Mix the glutinous rice flour with water. Be sure there are no clumps.

4. Add the rice flour mixture into the pot and stir well until it is evenly cooked. Add salt or sugar according to your taste and enjoy!

By Jin Seon

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