Injeolmi


Injeolmi is a variety of tteok, or Korean rice cake, made by steaming and pounding glutinous rice flour, which is shaped into small pieces and usually covered with steamed powdered dried beans or other ingredients.
It is a representative type of glutinous pounded tteok, and has varieties depending on the type of gomul used. Gomul can be made with powdered dried soybeans, azuki beans, or sesame seeds, or sliced dried jujube. Subsidiary ingredients are mixed into the steamed rice while pounding it on the anban. Patinjeolmi, and kkaeinjeolmi are examples for the former, coated with azuki bean powder and sesame respectively. In ssuk injeolmi and surichwi injeolmi are artemisia and Synurus deltoides added.
Injeolmi is not only a popular snack but also is considered a high quality tteok, used for janchi in Korea. It is easily digested and nutritious. Injeolmi can be stored in a refrigerator and taken out when needed. If the tteok is heated slightly in the microwave, it may taste almost as good as the newly made one.
It is better to use soy beans gomul in summer because it is prone to damage. Red beans gomul is used a lot in spring, fall, and winter.
The way of making Injeolmis has an important effect on the characteristics of Injeolmis; whether the glutinous rice is Japonica or Japonica/Indica, and whether it is steamed in rice grain, or in rice powder. The characteristics of Injeolmi were investigated through sensory evaluation and Instron Universal testing machine.

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