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''Sikhye'' (, also spelled ''shikhye'' or ''shikeh''; also occasionally termed ''dansul'' or ''gamju'') is a traditional sweet Korean
rice Rice is a cereal grain and in its Domestication, domesticated form is the staple food of over half of the world's population, particularly in Asia and Africa. Rice is the seed of the grass species ''Oryza sativa'' (Asian rice)—or, much l ...
beverage, usually served as a
dessert Dessert is a course (food), course that concludes a meal; the course consists of sweet foods, such as cake, biscuit, ice cream, and possibly a beverage, such as dessert wine or liqueur. Some cultures sweeten foods that are more commonly umami, ...
. It is a popular beverage in South Korea, often found in the beverage sections of convenience stores. It is a drink made by fermenting rice with malt to give it a sweet taste. In addition to its liquid ingredients, ''sikhye'' contains grains of cooked rice and in some cases
pine nut Pine nuts, also called piñón (), pinoli (), or pignoli, are the edible seeds of pines (family Pinaceae, genus ''Pinus''). According to the Food and Agriculture Organization, only 29 species provide edible nuts, while 20 are traded locall ...
s. It is similar to the Chinese ''
jiuniang ''Jiuniang'' is a sweet, soup- or pudding-like dish in Chinese cuisine. It is also known as sweet wine or sweet rice wine. It consists of a mixture of partially digested rice grains floating in a sweet saccharified liquid, with small amounts o ...
'' and Japanese ''
amazake is a traditional sweet, low-alcohol or non-alcoholic Japanese drink made from fermented rice. ''Amazake'' dates from the Kofun period, and it is mentioned in the Nihon Shoki. It is part of the family of traditional Japanese foods made using ...
''.


Preparation

''Sikhye'' is made by pouring
malt Malt is any cereal grain that has been made to germinate by soaking in water and then stopped from germinating further by drying with hot air, a process known as "malting". Malted grain is used to make beer, whisky, malted milk, malt vinegar, ...
water onto cooked rice. The malt water steeps in the rice at typically 62 degrees Celsius until grains of rice appear on the surface. The liquid is filtered and boiled until it gets sweet enough (no sugar is added to this drink). In South Korea and in overseas Korean grocery stores, ''sikhye'' is readily available in cans or plastic bottles. One of the largest South Korean producers of ''sikhye'' is the Vilac company of
Busan Busan (), officially Busan Metropolitan City, is South Korea's second list of cities in South Korea by population, most populous city after Seoul, with a population of over 3.3 million as of 2024. Formerly romanized as Pusan, it is the economi ...
. Most canned ''sikhye'' typically have a residue of cooked rice at the bottom. Homemade ''sikhye'' is often served after a meal in a Korean restaurant. The method of making sikhye is to first measure the malt properly, put the skin in warm water, wash it, strain it through a fine sieve, and then let the water settle. Grow it in the ground and water it occasionally.


Regional variations

There are several regional variations of ''sikhye''. These include
Andong Andong () is a Administrative divisions of South Korea, city in South Korea, and the capital of North Gyeongsang Province. It is the largest city in the northern part of the province with a population of 167,821 as of October 2010. The Nakdong Ri ...
''sikhye'' and ''yeonyeop sikhye'' or ''yeonyeopju'', a variety of ''sikhye'' made in Gangwon province. Andong ''sikhye'' differs in that it includes
radish The radish (''Raphanus sativus'') is a flowering plant in the mustard family, Brassicaceae. Its large taproot is commonly used as a root vegetable, although the entire plant is edible and its leaves are sometimes used as a leaf vegetable. Origina ...
es,
carrot The carrot ('' Daucus carota'' subsp. ''sativus'') is a root vegetable, typically orange in colour, though heirloom variants including purple, black, red, white, and yellow cultivars exist, all of which are domesticated forms of the wild ...
s, and powdered red pepper. Also, it is fermented for several days as opposed to being boiled. The crunchy texture of the
radish The radish (''Raphanus sativus'') is a flowering plant in the mustard family, Brassicaceae. Its large taproot is commonly used as a root vegetable, although the entire plant is edible and its leaves are sometimes used as a leaf vegetable. Origina ...
is kept despite the longer fermentation process; 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'' is a genus of gram-positive, aerotolerant anaerobes or microaerophilic, rod-shaped, non-spore-forming bacteria. Until 2020, the genus ''Lactobacillus'' comprised over 260 phylogenetically, ecologically, and metabolically div ...
.


Names

''Sikhye'' is also referred to by the names ''dansul'' () and ''gamju'' (감주; 甘 酒). Both of these names mean "sweet wine" and are also used to refer to a sweet, slightly alcoholic rice wine.


''Hobak-sikhye''

''Hobak-sikhye'' (pumpkin sikhye) is a water-boiled broth with pumpkin, steamed rice, and malt. It is fermented for several days at a proper temperature. Some sugar is added to taste sweet.


Andong ''sikhye''

It is original sikhye in
Andong Andong () is a Administrative divisions of South Korea, city in South Korea, and the capital of North Gyeongsang Province. It is the largest city in the northern part of the province with a population of 167,821 as of October 2010. The Nakdong Ri ...
, South Korea. It is a little bit different from other Sikhyes. This Sikhye's color is light red with red pepper added. Though also made with rice, it is left to ferment naturally rather than rushed through the process using the boiling method. Sikhye, especially the type enjoyed in this city but also the most common variety, is high in probiotic bacteria.


''Yeonyeop-sikhye''

Yeonyeop-sikhye is made by wrapping the hot glutinous rice, sake, and honey in a lotus leaf. Before drinking, put up a few pieces of pine nuts. File:Hobak-sikhye.jpg, alt=Hobak Sikhye, ''Hobak Sikhye'' File:Andong-Sikhye gotgam-mari strawberries.jpg, alt=Andong Sikhye with gotgam-mari and strawberries, Andong ''Sikhye'' with ''gotgam-mari'' and strawberries


Effects

Sikhye is believed to aid
digestion Digestion is the breakdown of large insoluble food compounds into small water-soluble components so that they can be absorbed into the blood plasma. In certain organisms, these smaller substances are absorbed through the small intestine into th ...
, as it contains dietary fiber and anti-oxidants. It was regularly served to royalty after meals to help digestion. Sikhye is said to help people who have a "cold" constitution to be warm and also helps those who have too "warm" constitution to be less warm. It is also believed to be very helpful for relieving hangovers.


Origin of the word

Sikhye is a word that does not exist in China or Japan, but rather a Korean word similar to "shikhye" with similar pronunciation and meaning. Sik (or Sak) is related with mature and Hye is making alcohol or sweet juice. These two words were combined to form. However, there is not yet a solid literary basis for etymology.


Preparation

Barley is sprouted in water, then ground, filtered, and fermented.


Gallery

File:Yeot-gireum.jpg, ''Yeot-gireum'' (malted barley) used for making ''sikhye'' File:Korean beverage-Sikhye-01.jpg, A can of ''sikhye'', produced by Korea Yakult File:Andong-Sikhye gotgam-mari strawberries.jpg, ''Andong-sikhye'' with '' gotgam-mari'' and strawberries File:Hobak-sikhye.jpg, ''Hobak-sikhye'' (pumpkin rice punch)


See also

*
Gamju ''Dansul'' () or ''gamju'' () is a milky (or cloudy) Korean rice wine made with rice, glutinous rice, and '' nuruk'' (fermentation starter). Due to the incomplete fermentation of the rice, the wine has relatively low alcohol content (2‒3% AB ...
*
Korean cuisine Korean cuisine is the set of foods and culinary styles which are associated with Korean culture. This cuisine has evolved through centuries of social and political change. Originating from ancient Prehistoric Korea, agricultural and nomad ...
*
Korean tea Korean tea is a beverage consisting of boiled water infused with leaf, leaves (such as the tea plant ''Camellia sinensis''), roots, flowers, fruits, grains, edible mushrooms, or edible seaweed, seaweed. It may or may not contain tea leaves. Hi ...
*
Plant milk Plant milk is a category of non-dairy beverages made from a water-based plant extract for flavoring and aroma. Nut milk is a subcategory made from nuts, while other plant milks may be created from grains, pseudocereals, legumes, seeds or endosp ...
*
Rice milk Rice milk is a plant milk made from rice. Commercial rice milk is typically manufactured using brown rice and brown rice syrup, and may be sweetened using sugar or sugar substitutes, and flavored by common ingredients, such as vanilla. It is com ...
* Sujeonggwa *
Sungnyung ''Sungnyung'' () is a Traditional food, traditional Korean infusion made from boiled scorched rice. Preparation This drink is typically made from ''nurungji'', the roasted (but not charred) crust of rice that forms on the bottom of a pot after ...


References


External links


Picture

Naver Encyclopedia article



Lifeinkorea recipe
{{Rice drinks Fermented drinks Korean drinks Rice drinks Andong