Sikhye
Encyclopedia
Sikhye is a traditional sweet Korean rice
beverage, usually served as a dessert
. In addition to its liquid ingredients, sikhye also contains grains of cooked rice, and in some cases pine nut
s.
water onto cooked rice. The malt water steeps in the rice at typically 150 degrees Fahrenheit until grains of rice appear on the surface. The liquid is then carefully poured out, leaving the rougher parts, and boiled with sugar.
In South Korea and in Korean grocery stores wherever Korean communities are found, sikhye is readily available in cans or plastic bottles. One of the largest South Korean producers of sikhye is the Vilac
company of Busan
. Atypical of most canned beverages, each can has a residue of cooked rice at the bottom. Homemade sikhye is often served after a meal in a Korean restaurant.
sikhye and yeonyeop sikhye or yeonyeopju, a variety of sikhye made in Gangwon province. Andong sikhye differs in that it also includes radish
es, carrot
s, and powdered red pepper. Also, it is fermented for several days as opposed to being boiled. It is important to note that the crunchy texture of the radish is kept despite the longer fermentation process, since a soft texture would indicate an inferior product. Whereas the sweet canned or restaurant sikhye is enjoyed as a dessert beverage, Andong sikhye is appreciated as a digestive aid, containing lactobacillus
.
(감주; 甘酒). Both of these names mean "sweet wine." However, they are also used to refer to a different, slightly alcoholic rice drink called gamju.
which can help a viscus's movement and this working accelates a digesion. Moreover,Sikhye contains abundant fibers more than other fiber beverages or foods. These ferment, especially fibers, work in body to accelate a digestion as the main element. Futhermore, these fibers contained abudantly in Sikhye is helpful for chronic constipation and prevention of colorectal cancer.
Also, Sikhye is good for relieveing hangover. According to Sasang typology(사상의학;四象醫學) in Oriental culture, Sikhye helps people who have cold constitution to be warmmer and also helps those who have too warm constitution to be less warm. It is very helpful for relieving hangover. In addition, by drinking Sikhye, people can supplement sugar and "electrolyte"
more efficiently.
Above these many effects, Sikhye is good for prevention of "arteriosclerosis"
and relieveing "mammalgia"
Rice
Rice 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...
beverage, usually served as a dessert
Dessert
In cultures around the world, dessert is a course that typically comes at the end of a meal, usually consisting of sweet food. The word comes from the French language as dessert and this from Old French desservir, "to clear the table" and "to serve." Common Western desserts include cakes, biscuits,...
. In addition to its liquid ingredients, sikhye also contains grains of cooked rice, and in some cases pine nut
Pine nut
Pine nuts are the edible seeds of pines . About 20 species of pine produce seeds large enough to be worth harvesting; in other pines the seeds are also edible, but are too small to be of great value as a human food....
s.
Preparations
Sikhye is made by pouring maltMalt
Malt is germinated cereal grains that have been dried in a process known as "malting". The grains are made to germinate by soaking in water, and are then halted from germinating further by drying with hot air...
water onto cooked rice. The malt water steeps in the rice at typically 150 degrees Fahrenheit until grains of rice appear on the surface. The liquid is then carefully poured out, leaving the rougher parts, and boiled with sugar.
In South Korea and in Korean grocery stores wherever Korean communities are found, sikhye is readily available in cans or plastic bottles. One of the largest South Korean producers of sikhye is the Vilac
Vilac
Vilac Company, Ltd. is a major dairy producer of South Korea, based in Busan. It also produces yogurt and the sweet rice beverage called sikhye....
company of Busan
Busan
Busan , formerly spelled Pusan is South Korea's second largest metropolis after Seoul, with a population of around 3.6 million. The Metropolitan area population is 4,399,515 as of 2010. It is the largest port city in South Korea and the fifth largest port in the world...
. Atypical of most canned beverages, each can has a residue of cooked rice at the bottom. Homemade sikhye is often served after a meal in a Korean restaurant.
Regional Variations
There are several regional variations of sikhye. These include AndongAndong
Andong is a city in Gyeongsangbuk-do Province, South Korea. It is the largest city in the northern part of the province with a population of 167,821 in October 2010. The Nakdong River flows through the city...
sikhye and yeonyeop sikhye or yeonyeopju, a variety of sikhye made in Gangwon province. Andong sikhye differs in that it also includes radish
Radish
The radish is an edible root vegetable of the Brassicaceae family that was domesticated in Europe, in pre-Roman times. They are grown and consumed throughout the world. Radishes have numerous varieties, varying in size, color and duration of required cultivation time...
es, carrot
Carrot
The carrot is a root vegetable, usually orange in colour, though purple, red, white, and yellow varieties exist. It has a crisp texture when fresh...
s, and powdered red pepper. Also, it is fermented for several days as opposed to being boiled. It is important to note that the crunchy texture of the radish is kept despite the longer fermentation process, since a soft texture would indicate an inferior product. Whereas the sweet canned or restaurant sikhye is enjoyed as a dessert beverage, Andong sikhye is appreciated as a digestive aid, containing lactobacillus
Lactobacillus
Lactobacillus is a genus of Gram-positive facultative anaerobic or microaerophilic rod-shaped bacteria. They are a major part of the lactic acid bacteria group, named as such because most of its members convert lactose and other sugars to lactic acid. They are common and usually benign...
.
Names
Sikhye is also referred to by the names dansul (단술) and gamjuGamju
Gamju or dansul is a traditional Korean alcoholic beverage, made from rice fermented with yeast-cake. Because its fermentation is incomplete, its alcohol content is relatively low. It is made from steamed rice, to which water and yeast-cake are added. It is then fermented for several hours in a...
(감주; 甘酒). Both of these names mean "sweet wine." However, they are also used to refer to a different, slightly alcoholic rice drink called gamju.
Effects
Sikhye has lots of effects. The first well-known effect is accelating function of digesion. Sikhye is one of the fermented foodsFermentation (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...
which can help a viscus's movement and this working accelates a digesion. Moreover,Sikhye contains abundant fibers more than other fiber beverages or foods. These ferment, especially fibers, work in body to accelate a digestion as the main element. Futhermore, these fibers contained abudantly in Sikhye is helpful for chronic constipation and prevention of colorectal cancer.
Also, Sikhye is good for relieveing hangover. According to Sasang typology(사상의학;四象醫學) in Oriental culture, Sikhye helps people who have cold constitution to be warmmer and also helps those who have too warm constitution to be less warm. It is very helpful for relieving hangover. In addition, by drinking Sikhye, people can supplement sugar and "electrolyte"
Electrolyte
In chemistry, an electrolyte is any substance containing free ions that make the substance electrically conductive. The most typical electrolyte is an ionic solution, but molten electrolytes and solid electrolytes are also possible....
more efficiently.
Above these many effects, Sikhye is good for prevention of "arteriosclerosis"
Arteriosclerosis
Arteriosclerosis refers to a stiffening of arteries.Arteriosclerosis is a general term describing any hardening of medium or large arteries It should not be confused with "arteriolosclerosis" or "atherosclerosis".Also known by the name "myoconditis" which is...
and relieveing "mammalgia"
See also
- SujeonggwaSujeonggwaSujeonggwa is a Korean traditional fruit punch. Dark reddish brown in color, it is made from dried persimmons, cinnamon, ginger, peppercorn and is often garnished with pine nuts. The punch is made by brewing first the cinnamon, ginger and peppercorn at a slow boil...
- GamjuGamjuGamju or dansul is a traditional Korean alcoholic beverage, made from rice fermented with yeast-cake. Because its fermentation is incomplete, its alcohol content is relatively low. It is made from steamed rice, to which water and yeast-cake are added. It is then fermented for several hours in a...
- SungnyungSungnyungSungnyung is a traditional Korean beverage made from boiled scorched rice.This drink is typically made from nurungji, the roasted crust of rice that forms on the bottom of a pot after cooking rice...
- VilacVilacVilac Company, Ltd. is a major dairy producer of South Korea, based in Busan. It also produces yogurt and the sweet rice beverage called sikhye....
- Korean cuisine
- Korean teaKorean teaKorean tea refers to various types of tisane that can be served hot or cold. Not necessarily related to "common" tea, they are made from diverse substances including fruits, leaves, roots, and grains used in traditional Korean medicine....
- Plant milkPlant milkthumb|right|250px|A cup of [[amazake]] .Plant milk is a general term for any milk-like product that is derived from a plant source. There is no formal or legal definition for plant milk...
- Rice milkRice milkRice milk is a kind of grain milk processed from rice. It is mostly made from brown rice and commonly unsweetened. The sweetness in most rice milk varieties is generated by a natural enzymatic process, cleaving the carbohydrates into sugars, especially glucose, similar to the Japanese amazake...