Monday, August 8, 2011

Korean KKultarae (Honey Skein)-Walnut & Chocolate: A Korean Tradition Royal Court Food

This box doesn't reveal its identity for it looks like any ordinary chocolate.

It was the first time I had seen something I had not been too eager to eat. Usually, I’m the type who goes after the food the minute I had seen it. But not this one, definitely not this time. Perhaps, it had something to do with my being a Filipino. Before I could go on further, let me introduce another food adventure I had recently.

An aunt went to Seoul, Korea last week for a leisure trip. When she went back, she had given me a box of a Korean special delicacy called Kkul Tarae (Oops, don’t be deceived by its name, ok? I know it sounded a little weird for Filipinos but then…better read my post J). Anyway, as I was saying, Kkul tarae is actually made from honey threads or yarn. It is a court cake according to Koreans and it’s made from the finest ripened honey and malt, which was once presented to the king and valuable guests.
See the threads bundled together? Yes, they're edible.
It is brewed with the artisan spirit to make 16,000 strands suggesting the prayer for longetivity, healthy, good fortune and wish fulfillment. To be honest, Kkul tarae doesn’t look appealing to me at first. It doesn’t look edible to me. But since I am adventurous when it comes to food, I decided to take a piece. To my surprise, it is not much sweet, not sticky to the teeth. But it is enjoyable with various tastes according to garnishings. It goes well with hot teas as it is best served cold and frozen. And in knowing that it’s a traditional court cake, I felt like a princess nibbling on a precious edible gem. 

Does it look like a cotton ball? Yes, it does.

The choco malt inside ever Kkul tarae.
Well, I am not sure yet if Kkul tarae is available in the local market, but with the numerous Korean food shops that we have now, I bet it’ll only take a while before it becomes an alternative snack to everyone. Or better yet, ask your friendly Korean food shop owners to get you a Kkul tarae from Korea. It’s worth the try, folks!

For details on kkul tarae, visit www.choeunnara.co.kr

0 comments:

Post a Comment