Sweet and Refreshing Homemade Sikhye
How to Make Traditional Sikhye
I made Sikhye, a traditional Korean rice punch, to enjoy cool on a hot day. Store-bought versions often use very little malted barley and are mostly sugar, but homemade Sikhye, made with plenty of malted barley, is incredibly delicious. This recipe allows you to create a truly flavorful and authentic Sikhye at home.
Main Ingredients- 500g malted barley
- 30 cups water
- 2 cups uncooked short-grain rice
- 1 cheesecloth bag or fine-mesh cloth
Sweetener- 2 to 2.5 cups sugar
- 2 to 2.5 cups sugar
Cooking Instructions
Step 1
First, prepare 500g of malted barley. Do not rinse the malted barley. Place it into a cheesecloth bag or a clean piece of fine-mesh cloth and tie the opening securely with a hair tie or string. If using cloth, ensure it’s tied tightly to prevent the barley from escaping.
Step 2
Now it’s time to extract the delicious liquid from the malted barley. Prepare three bowls, each with 10 cups of lukewarm water. Lukewarm water helps to extract the flavor and aroma from the malted barley more quickly and smoothly. Place the cheesecloth bag (or cloth) filled with malted barley into the first bowl of lukewarm water and gently knead it. Once the barley has sufficiently infused the water, firmly squeeze the bag to extract the malted barley liquid. After squeezing out the first batch of liquid, let it sit for about 1 to 2 hours to allow the malted barley sediment to settle at the bottom.
Step 3
It’s time to extract the second batch of malted barley liquid. In another bowl, pour another 10 cups of lukewarm water and knead the malted barley as before. Extracting the liquid in 2 to 3 separate batches helps to create different concentrations of malted barley liquid, leading to a richer final flavor in the Sikhye.
Step 4
This is the third and final batch of malted barley liquid extraction. Following the same procedure, add 10 cups of lukewarm water to the remaining malted barley and knead to extract the third batch of liquid.
Step 5
Now, combine the extracted malted barley liquids and let them settle. Combine the second and third batches of liquid in a bowl and let them sit for about 1 to 2 hours, allowing the sediment to settle. After 1 to 2 hours, pour the clear first batch of malted barley liquid (the one that settled for the longest) into a pressure cooker. Adding 2 tablespoons of sugar at this stage can help to speed up the fermentation process.
Step 6
Carefully pour off the clear liquid from the top of the settled malted barley. You will notice a layer of sediment at the bottom. This sediment can make the Sikhye cloudy and less appealing, so it’s best to use only the clear liquid and discard the sediment.
Step 7
Prepare 2 cups of short-grain rice, cooked to be slightly firm and fluffy. If you’re using leftover rice, make sure to warm it up in the microwave until it’s warm to the touch before adding it, as this will aid faster fermentation. Add the prepared rice to the clear malted barley liquid in the pressure cooker.
Step 8
Now, it’s time to let the rice grains float and ferment. Combine the rice, the first batch of malted barley liquid, and 2 tablespoons of sugar in the pressure cooker. Set the cooker to the ‘keep warm’ function and let it ferment for 3 to 4 hours (approximately 3.5 hours), or until the rice grains are floating well.
Step 9
Once the rice grains are floating well, it’s time to cook the Sikhye. Carefully transfer the contents of the pressure cooker to a large pot. Add the second and third batches of malted barley liquid as well. If you like a decorative topping of rice grains, you can scoop out some of the floating rice grains when the Sikhye begins to boil, rinse them in cold water, and set them aside. You can then place these reserved rice grains on top of the finished Sikhye for presentation.
Step 10
As the Sikhye comes to a boil, add the prepared 2 to 2.5 cups of sugar and stir well until dissolved. Adjust the amount of sugar to your personal preference.
Step 11
Add optional ingredients to enhance the flavor. You can add 20g of fresh ginger or the zest of 20g of yuzu peel according to your preference. If you find the malted barley aroma strong, you can briefly add one dried chili pepper to the pot and then remove it; this helps to neutralize the smell. Alternatively, for a sweet potato Sikhye, blend half a pumpkin (about 1.5 pumpkins), strain out the solids, and add the juice at this stage.
Step 12
Finally, simmer the Sikhye for another 5 minutes, then turn off the heat and let it cool completely. Your delicious homemade Sikhye is ready! Chill it in the refrigerator and enjoy its refreshing taste.
