Sweet red bean porridge (danpatjuk)
Holiday eating takes a turn for the better in Korea. Christmas isn’t widely celebrated, home kitchens with ovens are rare, so decadent spreads of western-style roasted meats and vegetables are uncommon, even for expats searching for a little touch of home. This story is not about Christmas food, but winter solstice (동지 dongji), the shortest day and longest night of the year. On the solstice, December 22nd, it is customary to eat patjuk (팥죽). A red bean porridge that can be enjoyed savoury with kimchi on the side, or sweetened, known as danpatjuk (단팥죽).
Saealsim in patjuk.
And why not eat it at the second best danpatjuk place in town, 서울서 둘째로 잘하는집? Literally translated to ‘the second best in Seoul’, this small eatery in Samcheong Dong serves a short menu of Korean sweet drinks and soups. On this frigid day the place is packed, people queue outside and every table is loaded with red danpatjuk bowls. The porridge, made from red beans, is very smooth and lightly sweetened. Served with cinnamon powder, chestnuts, whole red beans, gingko nuts and an almost fist-sized saealsim (새알심), a kind of homemade glutinous rice flour cake. Stir it all up to blend in the cinnamon, then eat. One bite is nutty, sweet and comforting. The next is saealsim-chewy and mild. A whole cozy bowl of warmth and contentment, the polar opposite current weather conditions.
‘The second best in Seoul’ is a famous danpatjuk joint located in Samcheong Dong, a quaint neighbourhood dotted with traditional hanok houses, art galleries and eateries. An area well worth a wander through, though best visited on weekdays, to escape the tourist crush, and during winter, so you can warm up with a satisfying bowl of danpatjuk.
Patjuk and danpatjuk can also be found at local markets, many ttoek shops, some Korean fast food restaurants like Kimbap Chunguk (김밥 천국) and the juk (porridge) franchise Bonjuk.
The second best (patjuk) in Seoul
서울서 둘째로 잘하는집
Order: 단팥죽 (danpatjuk) 6,000won for a medium-ish serving.
Subway line 3 to Anguk (exit 2) or Gyeongbokgung (exit 5) then check the map.
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