"Mrs. Pyke Eats Korea" Japgokbap

"Mrs. Pyke Eats Korea" can be seen every month
in the Chosun Taekwondo Academy newsletter
This column is from the May, 2016 newsletter

Tucked away in the quiet town of Salisbury Mills New York is the Korean Buddhist Wonkaksa Temple.  This is where we had an amazing seminar with Grand Master Chun some years back.  I was a red belt at the time. 

At this seminar Grand Master Chun revealed to us Kibon Five.  It was an exciting day.  There was a wonderful traditional lunch served after the seminar and after every Sunday Dharma service prepared by the women of the Sangha (community). This is where I experienced Japgokbap for the first time.  It is rice, but what kind? Japgokbap is a beautiful lavender colored rice that tastes divine. It is soft and sticky with a little sweetness. Perfect wrapped in Gim ( toasted seasoned seaweed).

I turned to my You Tube friend Maangchi to find out what it is.  She explained that it is a combination of short grain rice, barley, sweet brown rice and black sweet rice. 

After measuring out the ingredients you need to let the mixture soak in water for two hours.  This is a crucial step so you must plan ahead or it wont cook properly.  After soaking set the pot to medium heat and cook for ten minutes. Then you stir, cover and cook for twelve additional minutes. Fluff the rice with a rice paddle and serve immediately.

The color is a perfect lavender. The color will deepen to purple when you add more sweet black rice. It is up to you to determine how dramatic you want the Japgokbap to be. Traditionally it is always served with seasoned seaweed (Gim).

This goes very well with Sundub-jjigae, a spicy soft tofu stew.

I highly recommend a trip to Korean Buddhist Wonkaksa Temple.  You can go to the Sunday service at 11:30 am and then enjoy a fabulous Korean lunch afterward.  The grounds are beautiful and you can admire the giant Bronze Buddha’s. The new Temple is still under construction. 

Wonkaksa Temple

260 Clove Rd.

Salisbury Mills, NY. 12577

Sunday service 11:30 am all are welcome.

Haengbog Meogneum,

Pamela Pyke

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