Store-bought rice cake (sliced into small rounds)½ cup
Potato starch3 tbsp (divided)
Ice cubes~1-2 cupsest.
Pine nutsFor garnish~2 tbspest.
Sparkling water (for mocktail version)Only needed for the mocktail variation1 cup
Steps
1
Rinse the dried omija berries in cold water, place them in a roughly 2.5-cup jar, add one cup of purified water, seal, and let it soak for 24 hours to extract color and flavor.
2
The next day, press and squeeze the soaked berries to release their juice and pulp, then strain and discard the solids, which are very bitter and not meant to be eaten.
3
Stir one cup of honey into the strained omija liquid until fully dissolved, creating a sweet-tart honey syrup, then refrigerate it.
4
Slice the rice cake into small round pieces (the traditional round rice cake, not the tteokbokki style), using about a quarter cup per serving.
5
Toss the sliced rice cake pieces with about one tablespoon of potato starch until evenly coated.
6
Boil the coated rice cake pieces for about two minutes until they float and turn soft, then remove and rinse them in cold water until they look glossy and translucent.
7
Coat the rice cake pieces again with about two more tablespoons of potato starch, return them to boiling water, and cook for another two minutes to build up a chewy, glassy texture.
8
For the traditional version: in a bowl, combine ice, the omija honey water, the cooked rice cake pieces, a splash of water, and pine nuts, then stir and serve chilled.
9
For the mocktail version: fill a glass with ice, the omija honey water, and cooked rice cake, then top with about one cup of sparkling water and stir gently for a beautiful, wine-like mocktail.
PrimedTableBETA
