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Gotgam-ssam (walnut-stuffed dried persimmon rounds)
Dried persimmon rolled tight around walnuts and sliced into flower rounds
Sangju in North Gyeongsang is Korea's dried-persimmon capital, and in Andong and across the region gotgam-ssam is a sweet for Seollal and Chuseok tables and for welcoming guests in winter. Soft dried persimmons are opened out flat, rolled tightly around a row of walnut halves and sliced, so each round shows a pattern like a flower. They are chewy and honeyed from the fruit, with crunchy, slightly bitter walnuts in the middle. Serve them with sujeonggwa, the cinnamon-ginger punch, or with a cup of roasted barley tea. It is naturally egg-free: the sticky dried fruit is its own glue, and a short chill firms the roll so it slices neatly. Chef's tip: wrap the roll tightly in cling film and chill it before slicing; the common mistake is slicing it straight away, which squashes the rounds and lets the walnuts fall out.
- Total time
- 19 min
- Difficulty
- easy
- Serves
- 4
Ingredients
- 1 tbsp pine nuts (optional)for garnish
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Method
0/7 doneStep 1: Toast 12 walnut halves in a dry pan over a medium-low heat for 3–4 minutes, until fragrant. Cool.
4 minStep 2: Pull the stalk caps off 4 soft dried persimmons (gotgam or banshi). Slit each one down one side, open it out flat and pick out any seeds.
Step 3: Lay the persimmons side by side, slightly overlapping, on a sheet of cling film, cover with a second sheet and roll flat into a rectangle about 5 mm thick.
Step 4: Peel off the top sheet and lay the walnut halves in a tight double row along one long edge.
Step 5: Roll up tightly from that edge using the cling film to help, then twist the ends of the film to squeeze the roll firm.
Step 6: Chill for 15 minutes in the freezer or 30 minutes in the fridge, until firm.
15 minStep 7: Unwrap and cut into 1 cm slices with a sharp knife. Top each slice with 1 tbsp pine nuts if you like. Keeps 1 week, wrapped, in the fridge.
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 150 kcal
- Protein
- 2 g
- Carbs
- 26 g
- Fat
- 5 g
- Fibre
- 4 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does gotgam-ssam (walnut-stuffed dried persimmon rounds) take?
- About 19 minutes in total: 15 minutes to prepare and 4 minutes to cook.
- How many people does it serve?
- 4 as written. Change the servings above the ingredients and every amount scales to match.
- Is it vegan?
- Yes. It has no meat, fish, dairy or eggs.
- Is it gluten free?
- Yes, as written. Check the labels on stock, sauces and spice mixes, which sometimes contain gluten.
- Can I make it ahead?
- Yes. It keeps well, so you can cook it earlier in the day or the day before and reheat it.
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