Traditional Sikhye (Korean Rice Drink) – 3-Hour Fermentation
Easy and Delicious Homemade Traditional Sikhye Recipe
Beat the summer heat with this refreshing and sweet traditional Sikhye, homemade right in your kitchen! With just 3 hours of fermentation, you can achieve a wonderfully deep flavor. For more detailed instructions, visit the Kkaejjaengi Market blog: https://m.blog.naver.com/yejin1108/223438109275
Main Ingredients- 250g Malted Barley Powder (used 1/2 of a 500g purchase)
- 2.5L Water
- 1 bowl of Cold Cooked Rice
Sweetness Adjustment- 5 Tbsp Sugar
- 5 Tbsp Oligosaccharide (adjust to taste)
- 5 Tbsp Sugar
- 5 Tbsp Oligosaccharide (adjust to taste)
Cooking Instructions
Step 1
Prepare 250g of malted barley powder. (Note: 500g of malted barley was purchased and half of it was used.)
Step 2
Add about 3 cups (approximately 540ml) of lukewarm water to the malted barley powder. Gently knead and mix the powder with your hands to extract the malted barley water. Let it sit for 10-20 minutes to allow the flavors to infuse thoroughly.
Step 3
In a bowl, add 1 bowl of cold cooked rice and sprinkle 5 Tbsp of sugar over it. Mix well. Pre-sprinkling sugar helps the rice grains to ferment more effectively.
Step 4
Place a sieve over a large bowl. Pour the kneaded malted barley mixture through a fine-mesh sieve or cheesecloth to strain out the clear malted barley water, discarding the solids. Add the remaining 2L of water to the solids and squeeze out any remaining liquid. Combine this with the first strained liquid to get a total of 2.5L of malted barley water.
Step 5
Add the cold cooked rice (mixed with sugar) to the prepared malted barley water and stir well, ensuring the rice grains are separated. Place this mixture in an electric rice cooker and use the ‘Keep Warm’ function for 3 hours to ferment. Be mindful that if the keep-warm temperature is too high, the rice may cook instead of ferment.
Step 6
After 3 hours, if you see about 10-20 rice grains floating on top, your Sikhye has fermented successfully. If you prefer a sweeter drink, add another 5 Tbsp of oligosaccharide and stir well. Oligosaccharide will add a smoother, richer sweetness.
Step 7
Chill the Sikhye in the refrigerator until cold. Serve and enjoy! You can garnish with pine nuts or dried fruits for an extra touch.
