Sikhye (Korean Sweet Rice Drink)

Method10 steps · about 7 hr 15 min

1. 1

   Step 1: Choose exactly one malt form for the whole batch: tea-bagged flour, regular flour or coarse malted barley (210 g). Use the same 210 g malt and 15 cups drink water once in the selected preparation, and skip the other preparations. Tea-bagged method only: put the 210 g malt tea bags and all 15 cups drink water in a rice-cooker pot with enough capacity; do not overfill. Skip the regular and coarse preparation stages and continue at the shared warming stage.

   Uses 210 g tea-bagged malt, only if choosing the tea-bag preparation · All 15 cups drink water, once for the selected tea-bag preparation

2. 2

   Step 2: Regular-flour method only: put the 210 g regular malted barley flour and all 15 cups lukewarm drink water in a large bowl. Let stand for about 1 hour until the water is milky and sediment has settled. You may hold the flour in clean kitchen linen or cheesecloth, then remove the cloth and barley after that hour. Skip this stage if using tea bags or coarse malt.

   Regular malt only: extract and settle · 60 minUses 210 g regular malted barley flour, only if choosing this route · All 15 cups drink water, once for the selected regular-flour route

3. 3

   Step 3: Regular-flour method only: gently pour the settled milky malt water into the rice-cooker pot, leaving the sediment behind; discard that sediment and any remaining barley solids. Skip the coarse-malt stages and continue at the shared warming stage. Do not add a new malt or drink-water supply.

   Uses Prepared regular-malt extraction, only if this route was selected

4. 4

   Step 4: Coarse-malt method only: soak the 210 g coarse malted barley in all 15 cups lukewarm drink water for 1 hour. Gently massage it several times to release milky water, then strain and discard the hulls, sprouts and husks. Skip this stage if using tea bags or regular flour.

   Coarse malt only: soak before straining · 60 minUses 210 g coarse malted barley, only if choosing this route · All 15 cups drink water, once for the selected coarse-malt route

5. 5

   Step 5: Coarse-malt method only: let the strained milky malt water stand for another 1 hour so the sediment settles. Gently pour the liquid into the rice-cooker pot without its sediment and discard the settled solids. Continue at the shared warming stage without adding another malt or drink-water supply.

   Coarse malt only: settle the strained water · 60 minUses Strained coarse-malt water, only if this route was selected

6. 6

   Step 6: Use only the selected prepared malt liquid in the rice-cooker pot: tea bags and their water, decanted regular-malt water, or decanted coarse-malt water. Add the 1 cup already-steamed short-grain rice once. Use the keep-warm setting, not the rice-cooking cycle, for 4–8 hours. The tea-bag method is ready when about 20 rice grains float; the regular or coarse method is ready when about 3–4 grains float. The author usually takes about 7 hours with tea bags.

   Warm the selected batch until rice grains float · 480 minUses Tea-bag preparation, only if selected · Regular-malt preparation, only if selected · Coarse-malt preparation, only if selected · 1 cup already steamed short-grain white rice

7. 7

   Step 7: When the selected batch is ready, remove and discard the tea bags if you used them; regular and coarse malt solids were already discarded. Pour the warm prepared drink into a large pot. If you want floating rice for serving, strain out some of its cooked rice as you pour, rinse that rice under cold running water and put it in a separate container with fresh holding water. Keep the remaining rice in the drink.

   Uses Ready warm malt-extracted drink and rice · Cold running water for rinsing optional reserved rice, discarded · Fresh water for holding optional reserved rice, drained before serving

8. 8

   Step 8: Add the sugar (1 cup) to the prepared malt-extracted drink in the large pot. Bring to a boil over high heat and boil for about 5–10 minutes, until the sugar has dissolved. Adjust sweetness to taste.

   Boil until the sugar dissolves · 10 minUses Prepared malt-extracted drink with remaining rice · 1 cup sugar, or to taste

9. 9

   Step 9: Cool the boiled sweet drink, then refrigerate until chilled. If you reserved rinsed rice in fresh holding water, refrigerate that container separately as well.

   Uses Boiled sweet rice drink · Reserved rice, only if set aside

10. 10

    Step 10: Stir and pour the chilled sikhye into 12 drink portions. If you reserved rice separately, drain it from its holding water and add some to each cup. Garnish with optional pine nuts and sliced dried jujube. Keep remaining drink and reserved rice refrigerated; the author gives about one week for refrigerated storage.

    Uses Chilled sweet rice drink · Reserved rice drained from holding water, only if prepared · Pine nuts for garnish, optional · Pitted dried jujube, thinly sliced for garnish, optional