Hangwa
Encyclopedia
Hangwa is a general term for Korean
traditional confectionery
. Common ingredients in hangwa are grain
flour
, honey
, yeot
, sugar, fruit or edible root.
is . Most sources, such as several major commercial online dictionaries and encyclopedias, interpret hangwa as “” (“Korean confectionery”), counterpart of yanggwa (洋果), Western confectionery. Contrariwise, the internet edition of a standard dictionary by the National Institute of the Korean Language
, South Korea
's official language regulating body, has “” (literally “Chinese confectionery”) with a definition that differs from the one given in other sources and this article, calling it a kind of yumilgwa
, which is also variety of Korean confectionery, instead of the other way around. This dictionary makes no mention of “”, whether as an alternative hanja spelling or in a separate entry.
Culture of Korea
The current political separation of North and South Korea has resulted in divergence in modern Korean cultures; nevertheless, the traditional culture of Korea is historically shared by both states.-Dance:...
traditional confectionery
Confectionery
Confectionery is the set of food items that are rich in sugar, any one or type of which is called a confection. Modern usage may include substances rich in artificial sweeteners as well...
. Common ingredients in hangwa are grain
GRAIN
GRAIN is a small international non-profit organisation that works to support small farmers and social movements in their struggles for community-controlled and biodiversity-based food systems. Our support takes the form of independent research and analysis, networking at local, regional and...
flour
Flour
Flour is a powder which is made by grinding cereal grains, other seeds or roots . It is the main ingredient of bread, which is a staple food for many cultures, making the availability of adequate supplies of flour a major economic and political issue at various times throughout history...
, honey
Honey
Honey is a sweet food made by bees using nectar from flowers. The variety produced by honey bees is the one most commonly referred to and is the type of honey collected by beekeepers and consumed by humans...
, yeot
Yeot
Yeot is a variety of hangwa, or Korean traditional confectionery. It can be made in either liquid or solid form, as a syrup, taffy, or candy. Yeot is made from steamed rice, glutinous rice, glutinous sorghum, corn, sweet potatoes, or mixed grains...
, sugar, fruit or edible root.
Types of hangwa
- Yumilgwa (유과): made by frying and kneading.
- YakgwaYakgwaYakgwa is a Korean traditional dish. It was originally considered as a dessert and more recently as a confectionery , because of its sweet taste and flower biscuit shape. Yakgwa is made mainly from honey, sesame oil, and wheat flour.-Origin:...
, literally "medicinal confectionery" is a flower shape biscuit made of honeyHoneyHoney is a sweet food made by bees using nectar from flowers. The variety produced by honey bees is the one most commonly referred to and is the type of honey collected by beekeepers and consumed by humans...
, sesame oilSesame oilSesame oil is an edible vegetable oil derived from sesame seeds. Besides being used as a cooking oil in South India, it is often used as a flavor enhancer in Chinese, Japanese, Korean, and to a lesser extent Southeast Asian cuisine.The oil from the nutrient rich seed is popular in alternative...
and wheat flour.
- Yakgwa
- SuksilgwaSuksilgwaSuksilgwa is a variety of hangwa, Korean traditional confectionery, made by boiling various fruits, ginger or nuts in water and then reformed into their original fruit-shape or other shapes. The ingredients are sweetened or coated with honey or yeot. Suksilgwa literally means "cooked fruits" in...
(숙실과), made by boiling fruits, ginger, or nuts in water and then reformed into the original fruit's shape, or other shapes. - GwapyeonGwapyeonGwapyeon is a variety of hangwa or Korean traditional confectionery made by boiling fruits, starch, and sugar, until they reach a jellylike consistency. The fruits for the hangwa are Korean cherry, apricot, Chinese quince, and omija which have a soft texture, large amounts of natural pectin and a...
(과편), jellyFruit preservesFruit preserves are preparations of fruits and sugar, often canned or sealed for long-term storage. The preparation of fruit preserves today often involves adding commercial or natural pectin as a gelling agent, although sugar or honey may be used, as well. Prior to World War II, fruit preserve...
-like confection made by boiling sour fruits, starch, and sugar. - DasikDasikDasik is a variety of hangwa or Korean confectionery, mainly eaten with Korean tea.It is made from nongmal , pine pollen , Ostericum grosseserratum , black sesame, honey, flour from rice or other grains, nuts and/or herbs.Dasik is kneaded and pressed with...
(다식), literally "teaTeaTea is an aromatic beverage prepared by adding cured leaves of the Camellia sinensis plant to hot water. The term also refers to the plant itself. After water, tea is the most widely consumed beverage in the world...
snack." It is made by kneading rice flour, honey, and various types of flour from nuts, herbs, sesame, or jujube. - YeotYeotYeot is a variety of hangwa, or Korean traditional confectionery. It can be made in either liquid or solid form, as a syrup, taffy, or candy. Yeot is made from steamed rice, glutinous rice, glutinous sorghum, corn, sweet potatoes, or mixed grains...
(엿): a KoreaKoreaKorea ) is an East Asian geographic region that is currently divided into two separate sovereign states — North Korea and South Korea. Located on the Korean Peninsula, Korea is bordered by the People's Republic of China to the northwest, Russia to the northeast, and is separated from Japan to the...
n traditional candyCandyCandy, specifically sugar candy, is a confection made from a concentrated solution of sugar in water, to which flavorings and colorants are added...
in liquidLiquidLiquid is one of the three classical states of matter . Like a gas, a liquid is able to flow and take the shape of a container. Some liquids resist compression, while others can be compressed. Unlike a gas, a liquid does not disperse to fill every space of a container, and maintains a fairly...
or solidSolidSolid is one of the three classical states of matter . It is characterized by structural rigidity and resistance to changes of shape or volume. Unlike a liquid, a solid object does not flow to take on the shape of its container, nor does it expand to fill the entire volume available to it like a...
form made from steamed normal riceRiceRice is the seed of the monocot plants Oryza sativa or Oryza glaberrima . As a cereal grain, it is the most important staple food for a large part of the world's human population, especially in East Asia, Southeast Asia, South Asia, the Middle East, and the West Indies...
, glutinous riceGlutinous riceGlutinous rice is a type of short-grained Asian rice that is especially sticky when cooked. It is called glutinous Glutinous rice (Oryza sativa var. glutinosa or Oryza glutinosa; also called sticky rice, sweet rice, waxy rice, botan rice, biroin chal, mochi rice, and pearl rice, and pulut) is a...
, glutinous kaoliangCommercial sorghumCommercial sorghum refers to the cultivation and commercial exploitation of species of grasses within the genus Sorghum . These plants are used for grain, fibre and fodder. The plants are cultivated in warmer climates worldwide...
, cornMaizeMaize known in many English-speaking countries as corn or mielie/mealie, is a grain domesticated by indigenous peoples in Mesoamerica in prehistoric times. The leafy stalk produces ears which contain seeds called kernels. Though technically a grain, maize kernels are used in cooking as a vegetable...
, sweet potatoes or mixed grains. The steamed ingredients are lightly fermentedFermentation (food)Fermentation in food processing typically is the conversion of carbohydrates to alcohols and carbon dioxide or organic acids using yeasts, bacteria, or a combination thereof, under anaerobic conditions. Fermentation in simple terms is the chemical conversion of sugars into ethanol...
and boiled in a large pot called sot (솥) for a long time. - Yeot gangjeongYeotYeot is a variety of hangwa, or Korean traditional confectionery. It can be made in either liquid or solid form, as a syrup, taffy, or candy. Yeot is made from steamed rice, glutinous rice, glutinous sorghum, corn, sweet potatoes, or mixed grains...
(엿강정) : Pine nuts, peanuts, popped rice, walnuts, roasted beans or sesame seeds rolled in yeot mixture - JeonggwaJeonggwaJeonggwa, also spelled jeongwa is a variety of hangwa or Korean traditional confectionery made by boiling fruits, plant roots, seeds in honey, mulyeot or sugar...
(정과) : Sugarized fruit, ginger, lotus root, carrot or ginseng - MandugwaMandugwaMandugwa is a variety of hangwa traditional Korean confectionery, consisting of a fried dumpling stuffed with a sweetened filling and coated with jocheong, or liquid candy. Its dough is prepared kneaded with wheat flour, honey, and sesame oil. The filling is made with filtered steamed jujubes mixed...
(만두과) : stuffed with a sweetened filling and coated with jocheong, or liquid candy.
Etymology
The word has two components: han and gwa. Gwa means “confectionery”. Sources disagree in their interpretation of han in this word, that is, whether it means “Korean” and whose hanja is or the one that means “Chinese” and whose hanjaHanja
Hanja is the Korean name for the Chinese characters hanzi. More specifically, it refers to those Chinese characters borrowed from Chinese and incorporated into the Korean language with Korean pronunciation...
is . Most sources, such as several major commercial online dictionaries and encyclopedias, interpret hangwa as “” (“Korean confectionery”), counterpart of yanggwa (洋果), Western confectionery. Contrariwise, the internet edition of a standard dictionary by the National Institute of the Korean Language
The National Institute of the Korean Language
The National Institute of the Korean Language is the language regulator of the Korean language.It was created on January 23, 1991, by Presidential Decree No. 13163 . It is based in Seoul, South Korea....
, South Korea
South Korea
The Republic of Korea , , is a sovereign state in East Asia, located on the southern portion of the Korean Peninsula. It is neighbored by the People's Republic of China to the west, Japan to the east, North Korea to the north, and the East China Sea and Republic of China to the south...
's official language regulating body, has “” (literally “Chinese confectionery”) with a definition that differs from the one given in other sources and this article, calling it a kind of yumilgwa
Yugwa
Yugwa or yumilgwa is a variety of hangwa, or Korean traditional confectionery, made by deep-frying a mixture of grain flour and honey. The name is now commonly shortened to yugwa, but the original name is yumilgwa after the cooking procedure: frying and baking...
, which is also variety of Korean confectionery, instead of the other way around. This dictionary makes no mention of “”, whether as an alternative hanja spelling or in a separate entry.