Tarakjuk

Tarakjuk
Alternative names Uyujuk
Type Juk
Place of origin Korea
Serving temperature Warm
Main ingredients Milk, ground rice, water
Cookbook:Tarakjuk  Tarakjuk
Tarakjuk
Hangul 타락죽
Hanja 駝酪粥
Revised Romanization tarak juk
McCune–Reischauer t'arak chuk

Tarakjuk is a variety of juk (죽), or Korean porridge, made by boiling a mixture of milk and finely ground rice soaked in water. It is also called uyujuk (우유죽), both terms meaning "milk porridge".[1]

History

The old Sino-Korean vocabulary, tarak derives from the Mongol word, taraq (torak).[2] The history of tarakjuk dates back to the consumption of milk in Korean history. According to old records, the royal court of Korea began to consume milk since the fourth century, but milk cows were rare so milk was only available when a cow gave birth. Moreover, the freshness of milk was a vital factor, it could not be delivered from far places. Milk was considered a supplement food for special occasions, or recovery food after illness.[3]

During the Joseon Dynasty, Mount Naksan located in the east of Seoul had a ranch for the royal court. Physicians of the royal health clinic Naeuiwon took charge of gathering milk and making tarakjuk to present to the king.[4]

The recipe for tarakjuk is recorded in the Joseon Dynasty records[5] of Jeungbo sallim gyeongje,[6] Gyuhap chongseo,[7] and Buin pilji. The recipe in Gyuhap chongseo indicates the ratio between milk and muri (무리, the deposits after soaked rice is grounded with a millstone and filtered with a sieve) as 1:0.8, with adjustments allowed according to taste. However, it advises the amount of milk not to exceed that of muri.[5]

Preparation

Pre-soaked glutinous rice is ground and sieved, then simmered with water. When the mixture has come to a boil, milk is slowly added and simmered once again on a low flame with constant stirring as to prevent the mixture from sticking to the pot. Seasoned with salt or honey if a sweet taste is desired.[1]

See also

References

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 (Korean) Tarakjuk at Doosan Encyclopedia
  2. ↑ (Korean) Tarak at the National Institute of the Korean Language Dictionary
  3. ↑ (Korean) Milk for royalty, MK Business News, 2008-11-21.
  4. ↑ (Korean) Tarak at Doosan Encyclopedia
  5. ↑ 5.0 5.1 (Korean) Tarakjuk at Encyclopedia of Korean Culture
  6. ↑ "증보산림경제(增補山林經濟), Jeungbo sallim gyeongje" (in Korean and English). The Academy of Korean Studies.
  7. ↑ "규합총서(閨閤叢書), Gyuhap chongseo" (in Korean and English). The Academy of Korean Studies.

External links