Hello, my beautiful people! I hope you are having a wonderful day. My family is staying at a cabin at Vang village in Norway this weekend. We are here to hike Bessegen, which is one of the well-known hiking trails in Norway. It’s by Beitestølen where I went last year and wrote a blog post about it. 😌 It is North West of Oslo and therefore quite chilly here already in early August. The highest temperature here is 13 °C and the lowest is 7 °C (44.6-55 °F). It already feels like autumn here! And that means we crave something warm and comforting in our belly. So for today’s blog post, I want to share the dish that fulfills that purpose – a recipe for the Korean pine nut porridge, aka Jatjuk in Korean!
Then let me introduce you to the jatjuk, the gourmet pine nut porridge.
About Korean Pine Nut Porridge Recipe (Jatjuk)
As a traditional dish, this jatjuk can be made both into porridge and soup. It can be made as porridge if you leave the rice as it is, or can be made as a soup if you blend the rice into a smooth consistency.
Primarily made with ground pine nuts and white rice, jatjuk is a luxurious and gourmet recipe that is also easy and simple to make! This is served when you are not feeling well, as a breakfast, or as an appetizer to a fancy course meal in Korea.
In this blog post, I will go over everything you need to know about Korean pine nut porridge – the health benefits of pine nuts, how to find good pine nuts, a little caution before eating jatjuk, how to serve, and most importantly, the jatjuk recipe!
Then let me give you a little introduction to Korean porridge first.
Introduction to Korean Porridge (Jook or Juk)
Welcome to the world of Korean porridge! In many other parts of the world, porridge can be eaten in the morning as breakfast or as a dessert with sweeteners. In Korea, however, porridge is usually eaten when someone is not feeling well. It is considered a comfort food to lift someone’s recovery. Korean porridge is called “jook” or “juk.”
Here are some popular Korean porridge types.
There are many different types of porridge in Korea.
Types of Korean Porridge
- Vegetable porridge 야채죽
- Black sesame porridge 흑임자죽
- Pumpkin porridge (Hobak-juk) 호박죽
- Chicken porridge (Dak-jook/Dak-juk) 닭죽
- Abalone porridge 전복죽
You can check out my recipes by clicking the links above!
Health Benefits of Pine Nuts
1. Improves Brain Health
Nuts, including pine nuts, are great for brain health. They are rich in unsaturated fatty acids which help keep the brain healthy. It is great for the elderly to prevent dementia and great for growing children who have brains developing.
2. Skin Health
The high amount of unsaturated fatty acids in pine nuts is also great for skin health! It provides nutrients to the skin and maintains elasticity.
3. Heart Health
Vitamin E, magnesium, and manganese in pine nuts are great for heart health.
4. Bone Health
Pine nuts are rich in nutrients that are known for bone health such as magnesium, manganese, vitamin K, and zinc.
Isn’t it amazing? No wonder this pine nut porridge has been served from the old times. Then let’s take a look at how to find good pine nuts.
How to Pick Good Pine Nuts
When choosing pine nuts, look for big pine nuts, regular in size, and have vivid colors. If you could, it’d be best to smell the nuts. Fresh pine nuts should smell pleasant and nutty, while stale pine nuts can smell rancid and bad.
How to Store Pine Nuts
Once you bought pine nuts, store them in a cool, shaded place. I like to buy pine nuts in small quantities and keep them in the fridge. Nuts with a high percentage of fats like pine nuts and walnuts can go bad very quickly if it is not stored properly!
My Recommendations for Pine Nuts
Raw Pine Nuts from Herbaila 8 oz
This is a great quality raw pine nuts. It’s packed in a well-sealed packaging and I love that! also, this one package makes 4 servings of jatjuk (1 cup of pine nuts) in my recipe. So you can simply get this package to make the jatjuk.
I recommend using pine nuts soon after you buy them.
A Little Caution Before Eating Jatjuk, Pine Nut Porridge
1. Might Have Nut Allergic Reactions
Before eating jatjuk, check if you are allergic to nuts. People who have nut allergies might have allergic reactions to pine nuts too.
2. Might Be Too Fatty
If you are looking for a porridge recipe because you have a stomachache after eating something too heavy, this jatjuk recipe might not be the best menu choice. Jatjuk has beautiful nutty flavors and a creamy texture due to the pine nuts, but it also has a high percentage of fats. Although it is a healthy fat, it is best to save it for later when you are in a condition to digest fats.
But if you don’t have these problems, great! Let’s get right into making jatjuk!
Korean Pine Nut Porridge Recipe | Jatjuk
Jatjuk (Pine Nut Porridge)
Ingredients
Equipment
Method
- Add a cup of water and 1 cup of pine nuts to a blender. Blend it until smooth. Set it aside.
- Add a cup of white rice and four cups of water to a pot. Leave the rice to soak in water for at least 30 minutes.
- After the rice has been soaked, add 2 teaspoons of salt to the pot.
- Start cooking the rice in the pot. Bring the pot to a boil and decrease the heat to medium-high to a simmer. Close the lid and cook for 25 minutes.
- With a stick blender, blend the rice porridge until smooth.
- Add the prepared pine nut mixture to the pot. Mix well. Cook for another 5 minutes.
- Take the porridge into a bowl. Optionally, you can garnish the pine nut porridge with a few pine nuts in the middle.
- Serve hot. Enjoy!
Tips for Serving Jatjuk, Korean Pine Nut Porridge
1. Leave the Rice Intact
You can also leave the rice intact without blending it like in the picture above. 😌 Some people prefer it that way!
2. Garnish with Pine Nuts
If you want to decorate this porridge, garnish it with a few pine nuts in the center of the porridge. It is one of the most common ways to garnish many types of porridge in Korea and it works well on jatjuk as well!
3. Can be Seasoned with Sugar
You can also season this jatjuk with a little bit of sweetener. It can be served as a great appetizer.
Summary of Jatjuk Recipe
I hope you liked this jatjuk recipe, which is a delicious, gourmet Korean pine nuts porridge recipe. It has so much umami flavor and is luxurious, but it is quite easy to make.
Whether you are looking for an exquisite appetizer to impress your guests, want to make some warm and nutritious porridge for your unwell family, or just want to enjoy some warm and filling in your belly, this jatjuk would be a great choice!
I will see you again with another warm post. Until then, I wish you a great day!
Other Porridge Recipes
Korean Porridge Recipe | Simple Vegetable Jook Recipe
Try this easy Korean vegetable porridge recipe with simple ingredients. It’s nourishing, comforting, warm, and easy to digest. Make this comfort food at home.
Black Sesame Seed Porridge | Korean Porridge Recipe | Heugimja-juk
Try this black sesame seed porridge recipe that is creamy, savory, and comforting. It was served in the royal court during the Joseon Dynasty for a reason!
Other Korean Recipes You Might Like
Crispy & Flavorful Chickpea Patty Recipe | Gluten-Free
Try this wonderful chickpea patty recipe! This recipe makes chickpea patties that are crispy on the outside, soft on the inside and so flavorful.
Mugwort Latte Recipe | All About Fragrant Korean Ssuk Latte
Try this fragrant, soft, sweet, and comforting mugwort latte! It is one of the trendy Korean lattes that are delicious and healthy. Learn how to make it here.
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