Korean Traditional Snacks

Korean Traditional Snacks or Han-gwa are always present on special occasions like Chuseok (Thanksgiving Day) and Seollal (Chinese New Year) specially when there's Jesa or when the family holds a ceremony for the repose of one's ancestors. Korean traditional snacks are included in the sacrifices offer for the death.

This box of hangwa is a gift from hubby's friend and because we don't practice jesa at home, we brought to my in-laws who always do jesa at home.



The long ones on the corner of the box are like pop rice. They are soft and sweet. In the middle of the right side are grains. They are a little bit hard and crispy. The brown ones on the middle left side of the box are too sweet and glutinous.

They are just snacks but the price is surprising. They are one of my favorite snacks.

Onion Juice

My mother in law always give us nutritious food. Today, she gave us some onion juice. Like its name itself, it is made with onion juice and traditional Korean medicine. She told me to drink it three times a day. My hubby doesn't like onions so I drink it alone. I drink it before I go to bed. I drink it once a day instead of thrice like my mother in law said.

My mother in law always asked if I already drank it all. She said she still has much at home so I have to drink as quickly as I could. My mother in law likes buying some nutritious food or medicines to give us. Whenever she thinks that it's good for the health, she buys and give something to us. I hate some of the traditional korean medicines that she gives us but this onion is good doesn't taste bad at all.

I used to hate onions when I was young but I like them now. I eat any kind of onions including onion kimchi or pickled onions that my mother in law also gave me.

Korean Traditional Snacks

During special occasions like Chuseok (Thanksgiving Day) and Seollal (Chinese New Year), my mother in law has always different kinds of Korean snacks so whenever I come home, I always have to carry some traditional korean snacks.

These snacks that looks like pieces of doughnuts and yet taste like tasteless, hard and crispy donuts, are my favorites. They aren't delicious but it's fun to eat them while watching TV specially with coffee.



Since I'm lazy to upload some pictures on my camera, I decided to check my draft and found the snacks that I think my mother in law gave me last Chinese New Year. I was about to blog for it but I forgot all about it and I'm glad that I feel like blogging now but lazy to upload pictures so I'm happy to see these so hard and tasteless donuts.

Makgoli

Makgoli is korean traditional drink which is favorite by old generations specially those who are living in the countryside. Sometimes you'll people under the trees drinking this alcohol which is made of rice. I don't drink but I like the taste of this alcohol specially when it's cold.

I first tasted it when me and my co-workers visited a temple and the restaurant was selling this kind of alcohol. We ordered it and each of us had a bowl of makgoli. I felt dizzy after drinking mine. One of my co-workers said that the drink is very strong and he warned the ladies not to drink it when with another man. hehehe...



Anyway, my hubby and I went to the market and we saw this makgoli. My hubby who doesn't drink any alcohol has never tasted it. I said it was delicious and it's because it's too cheap, just only a dollar a bottle we decided to buy and had it at home.



My hubby had tasted a little and he gave his to me. I drank 3 bowls and I drank the rest on the next few days. I had a bowl before I go to bed and when I feel thirsty. It's really cool and it obeys my thirst. I don't wanna buy anymore because I'm worried that I will be addicted to it.

Red Ginseng candies

I always see lots of candies in my father in law's house. They are put in a big basket displayed on top of the kimchi refrigerator. The candies are not just the cheap candies that we can buy in the supermarket. They are Korean health products, Renesse Red Ginseng Candies. The Ginseng is a common herb grown on the shaded mountainsides of Korea. I don't like the taste of ginseng. It's bitter and has strange smell. My mother in law usually gives us ginseng drinks but I don't drink it eventhough it's a healthy drink.

We went to my father in law's house and my hubby took this ginseng candies in the basket and brought them home.



I don't wanna try this traditional herb candies because of their smell but my hubby offered one so I tried it. Ummmm... the smell is still strange but the taste is not bad.