Making 송편: a “Must-Eat” Korean Dessert October Is Now in Full Swing, As Can Be Felt in the Newfound Chill in the Air

Making 송편: A “Must-eat” Korean Dessert October is now in full swing, as can be felt in the newfound chill in the air. Just in the past couple weeks, the weather’s gotten drastically cold, the sidewalks have been blanketed by colourful leaves, and we’ve been greeted with Vancouver’s signature drizzling rain. Despite the dreary weather, many of us have managed to find fun and creative ways to pass the time, as we’ve been doing so for the past few months we’ve stayed socially distant. For example, in the beginning of this month on October 1st, many of us celebrated what we know as Mid-Autumn Festival, otherwise known as Chuseok (추석) in Korea! Although we weren’t able to get together with family friends, we managed to find a way to enjoy this holiday by spending some quality time amongst ourselves. In the case of our family, we decided to make some Songpyeon (송편) at home, rather than going for our usual Korean store-bought ones. Our grandma has a recipe she likes to use, so we all followed her lead and expertise! Songpyeon is a special type of rice cake that’s an absolute must-have for any Chuseok Celebration. It’s a food that represents thankfulness for the fall’s bountiful harvest, and it’s differentiated from other rice cakes due to the fact that it’s steamed with pine needles. This adds to the Songpyeon’s unique scent and taste, and also allows it to keep for longer. Our grandma had picked out and rinsed the pine needles so they were ready to be steamed ahead of time, and they were left to dry in a large colander. The piney scent filled the air of our house, and it added to the pleasant atmosphere of our living room! We started off with kneading the dough, mixing hot water into the rice flour and bringing it all together. As in any Asian household, my grandma had no use for measuring spoons and added more or less water as she saw fit, the result being a firm dough that could hold its own without sticking to fingers. We had two different fillings for the Songpyeon. The most traditional choices happen to be sesame seeds or black beans, which is what we chose for ours. There are a variety of choices that other families do choose from, including chestnuts, walnuts, pine nuts and mung beans. We used a mixture of pre-roasted sesame seeds and brown sugar for the first filling, and steamed black beans for the second. Sitting around the table with the fireplace on felt warm and cozy, and with quiet music playing in the background, I didn’t think I could ask for much else! Each of us had a ball of dough in our hands, indenting it to add the filling, gently pressing in the edges. We took our time to make them, as it’s known that eating well-made Songpyeon with loved ones brings a bright future. We made a large batch and steamed them on a bed and blanket of fresh pine needles, dried them off gently with paper towels, and brushed them with sesame oil. The finished Songpyeons were warm from being steamed, and despite being a little rough around the edges compared to the store- bought pristine ones, they tasted so much better because we’d made it together. The brown sugar had melted just enough that a bit of the crunch was still there, enhancing the nuttiness of the sesame seeds, and the black beans had gotten softer, so creamy and mild. Whether in Vancouver or Korea, making good food from home is always an enjoyable experience. And what could be better than that to pass the time and spend some time with family! It’s delicious and fun to make, and it reminds us of what we cherish and value the most, our loved ones..

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