Sungnyung

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Sungnyung

Korean name

Hangul	숭늉
Revised Romanization	sungnyung
McCune-Reischauer	sungnyung

Sungnyung is a traditional Korean beverage made from boiled scorched rice.

This drink is typically made from the nurungji, or roasted (but not charred) crust of rice that forms on the bottom of a pot after cooking rice. Boiling water is poured on this brown crust, the pot is covered, and it is allowed to simmer until the water gains enough flavor of the scorched rice.

It should be noted that this drink is usually made using a traditional cooking pot (made of heavy iron, like a Dutch oven), as modern electric rice cookers do not generally leave a layer of roasted crust after the rice is steamed.

With the advent of modern electric rice cookers, sungnyung has lost its popularity over time and it is now considered nostalgia. However, in the late 20th century it began to gain popularity again and many electric rice cookers now come with an ability to cook sungnyung. In a supermarket, a powdered form of nurungji can be found, which can be used to make sungnyung in short of amount of time with just a boiling water.

For some Koreans who do not have a strong appetite in the morning, sungnyung can be substituted for a regular breakfast. Normally, this drink is typically served after a meal.