December
December 21 Dong Jit Nal (Winter Solstice)
There is no offical Korean-specific holiday in December, but I do want to point out winter soltice that falls on the 22nd term in the 24 solar terms (along with the gregorian and lunar calendar, the 24 solar terms is also its own calendar system). This is the day that the earth’s poles reaches its maximum tilt away from the Sun, and it’s the shortest day of the year, and the longest night of the year.
In the ancient days, this day was considered a “small new year” as people thought that the sun dies and resurrects on this day. On this day, there is a very old tradition in Korea of eating Pat-Jook, a warm and sweet Red bean porridge, for good luck.
In the ancient days, Koreans believed that the red color of the “Pat” (red beans) kept ghosts and evil spirits away while they endured the longest night of the year. For similar reasons, you’ll often see this red bean as a common ingredient used for food involving various celebrations. Our ancestors also believed that if you eat this pat jook, you get sick less often and live a longer life.
I mean, red bean IS a great source of minerals and vitamins, so they weren’t wrong! On this day, it was common for everyone to try to pay back all their debt, reconnect and reconcile with neighbors and family, so they can start the new year on the right foot, hopeful for longer days ahead.
A common banchan (side dish) that accompanied this pat jook in this winter season was Dong chi mi, which you can see in a pretty leaf-shaped bowl in the calendar. Dong chimi is a variety of kimchi with radish, napa cabbage, chili, Korean pear, and other aromatics. It’s different from traditional kimchi in that it has a clear, acidic, slightly sweet brine rather than a spicy one.
Dong Baek Flower (Camellia)
From the fall through the winter and all the way to April, this beautiful flower blooms on the Dong Baek tree that grows across the center of the Korean peninsula.
this flower was also the title of a famous Korean classic novel written in 1936 (Dong Baek Kot 동백꽃)
A Short Cut to Pat Jook (Red Bean Porridge)
Ingredients (1 serving + paste to use later for 6-7 times more)
1 cup red beans
1/2 cup short grain rice
4 cup water
1/2 cup water to add later
2 Tbsp of brown sugar
pinch of salt
Wash 1 cup of red beans and 1/2 cup of white short grain rice
Add the mix of rice and redbeans into a rice cooker, and add 4 cups of water with a pinch of salt.
run the rice cooker (white rice cycle)
When done, mix the rice and red beans together until it becomes a paste-like consistency
Into a blender, add 1 cup of this red bean/rice paste, 1/2 cup of water, and 2 Tbsp of brown sugar
blend until smooth.
microwave 1 minute to make it warm, if you’d like to eat it warm! the porridge is good cold as well.
sprinkle with a pinch of salt to accentuate the sweetness, and enjoy!
portion the red bean paste, freeze it to enjoy the pat jook as needed!
