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Maejakgwa (Korean ginger ribbon twists in honey syrup)
Fried twisted ginger-dough ribbons glazed in honey syrup with pine nuts
Maejakgwa is one of Korea's oldest hangwa, the traditional confections served on holiday tables at Seollal and Chuseok, at weddings and ancestral rites, and with tea when guests visit. Thin rectangles of ginger-scented wheat dough are slit and twisted into little ribbons, fried until crisp and pale gold, then dipped in honey and cinnamon syrup and finished with ground pine nuts. The name is often said to come from their resemblance to a sparrow perched on a plum branch. They shatter lightly when bitten, then turn sweet and warm with ginger. Serve a small plate with green tea or a cup of sweet rice punch. They are naturally egg-free: the dough is just flour, ginger juice and water held together by its own gluten, and the honey syrup that coats them is the only glaze. Because of the honey they are vegetarian but not vegan. Chef's tip: keep the frying oil at about 160°C; the common mistake is oil that is too hot, which browns the ribbons before they crisp through and leaves them chewy inside.
- Total time
- 55 min
- Difficulty
- medium
- Serves
- 6
Ingredients
For the dough
- 7 oz plain flour
- ½ tsp salt
- 1 ⅜ oz fresh gingerpeeled
- ¼ cup waterroughly
- 3 ¼ cups neutral oilfor frying
For the syrup
- 3 ½ oz honey
- 1 ¾ oz granulated sugar
- ¼ cup water
- ½ tsp ground cinnamon
To finish
- ⅔ oz pine nutsfinely chopped
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Method
0/8 doneStep 1: Grate 1 ⅜ oz fresh ginger finely and squeeze it through a fine cloth to get about 2 tbsp of juice.
Step 2: Mix 7 oz plain flour and ½ tsp salt, add the ginger juice and enough ¼ cup water to knead into a firm, smooth dough that is not sticky, about 3 minutes. Wrap and rest for 15 minutes.
18 minStep 3: Make the syrup: simmer 1 ¾ oz granulated sugar and ¼ cup water for 5 minutes, then stir in 3 ½ oz honey and ½ tsp ground cinnamon and simmer 2 minutes more, until it coats the back of a spoon. Set aside to cool.
7 minStep 4: Roll the dough on a lightly floured surface to 2 mm thick and cut into 2 x 5 cm rectangles.
Step 5: Cut three parallel slits lengthways in each rectangle, a long one in the middle and shorter ones either side, leaving the ends joined. Push one end through the centre slit and pull it back out to make a twisted ribbon.
Step 6: Heat 3 ¼ cups neutral oil in a deep pan to 325°F. Fry the ribbons in batches for 2–3 minutes, turning, until crisp, puffed and a pale golden colour all over.
15 minStep 7: Drain on kitchen paper for 1 minute, then toss the warm ribbons in the cooled syrup until glossy and coated.
Step 8: Lift onto a rack, sprinkle with ⅔ oz pine nuts and leave to set for 10 minutes. They keep 3 days in an airtight container.
10 min
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 290 kcal
- Protein
- 4 g
- Carbs
- 47 g
- Fat
- 10 g
- Fibre
- 1 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does maejakgwa (Korean ginger ribbon twists in honey syrup) take?
- About 55 minutes in total: 30 minutes to prepare and 25 minutes to cook.
- How many people does it serve?
- 6 as written. Change the servings above the ingredients and every amount scales to match.
- Is it vegetarian?
- Yes. It has no meat or fish.
- 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.
- What can I use instead of plain flour?
- Self-raising flour, same amount (then leave out the baking powder).
- What can I use instead of fresh ginger?
- ¼ tsp ground ginger per tbsp fresh (add it with the spices).
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