Everyone, do you often go to Korean street markets to buy vegetables or household goods? I think you can find a snack called ‘Nurungji’ when you visit the supermarket. However, most foreign friends don't know what kind of snack 'nurungji' is, and even if they try to taste it, they probably don't know how to eat it.
On the outside, 'nurungji' looks similar to regular rice, but the taste and texture can be completely different. Are you curious about how ‘Nurungji’, a traditional snack commonly found in Korea, originated? And are you curious about what method you should use to eat 'Nurungji' more deliciously? Therefore, this time I would like to introduce you to the Korean traditional snack ‘Nurungji’.
Introduction to Nurungji
Nurungji is a traditional Korean snack. It is made by roasting leftover rice in a rice cooker to create a crispy, savory taste. Nurungji can be eaten as is, or boiled in water to make a soup called Nurungjitang. Nurungji has been loved since ancient times as a way to make good use of rice without wasting it.
Source: Nurungji (Scorched Rice) - | Recipe | Recipes, Ingredients recipes, Favorite snack (pinterest.co.kr)
Nurungji is rich in vitamin B1 and dietary fiber, and is known to aid digestion and be good for fatigue recovery. The method of making scorched rice is simple. Just spread the remaining rice in the rice cooker thinly and cook it over the highest heat. When you hear the sound of it baking, flip it over and bake the other side and it's done.
The history of Nurungji
Nurungji has a long history. In Donguibogam, a medical book from the Goryeo Dynasty, scorched paper was called chwigeonban (炊乾飯). Additionally, scorched rice appears in Chunhyangjeon, a literary work from the Joseon Dynasty. In the story, Chunhyang makes scorched rice for her sick mother, feeds her, and makes her drink sungnyung (sungnyung). In this way, Nurungji has been closely related to the daily life and health of Korean people since ancient times.
Source: Nurungji, can you enjoy it like this? (daum.net)
Nurungji is a similar food not only in Korea but also in other countries. There is a dish called guoba (鍋巴) in China, cơm chay (cơm cháy) in Vietnam, okoge (おこげ) in Japan, and Renginang (Rengginang) in Indonesia. These foods all have something in common: they are made by roasting rice, and they have changed with various ingredients and recipes to suit the characteristics of each country.
How to eat scorched rice
There are many ways to eat scorched rice. Nurungji can be crunchily chewed like a snack or boiled in water and eaten as a snack. You can also cut it into bite-sized pieces, fry it, and sprinkle it with sugar. Nurungji can be eaten with risotto or cup ramen, or spread with jam or butter.
The simplest way is to chew and eat the crispy nurungji. Just take out the nurungji, put it in your mouth, and chew it. Nurungji has a nutty and crunchy taste, so you can enjoy it like a snack. Nurungji is low in calories and rich in dietary fiber, making it a good snack.
The way to eat scorched rice as Sungneung is as follows.
Prepare the scorched rice. You can make it at home or use a commercially available product.
Put the scorched rice into a tumbler or bowl with a wide mouth.
Boil water in a pot and pour it into a tumbler or bowl. Pour in the scorched rice until it is completely submerged, and add a little salt or sugar depending on your taste.
Close the lid or cover the tumbler or bowl with an airtight film.
Put it in the microwave and turn it on for 2-3 minutes.
Take it out of the microwave and stir well.
Just put it in a bowl and eat it.
Here's how to fry the nurungji and sprinkle it with sugar.
Prepare the scorched rice. You can make it at home or use a commercially available product.
Cut it into bite-sized pieces.
Put it in a pan with heated oil and fry until crispy over medium heat.
Transfer to paper towel to remove grease.
Sprinkle an appropriate amount of sugar.
Just put it in a bowl and eat it.
Nurungji can be enjoyed in a variety of ways. Personally, I like to eat Sungnyung with fried eggs and seaweed. We recommend that you enjoy Nurungji according to your own taste!
