Hangwa

A hangwa is a Korean traditional cookie. Hangwa includes Yumilgwa Yugwa, Dasik Dasik and Yeot Gangjeong. Hangwa is also called Jogwa since it is made of diverse grains and looks like fruits.

Hangwa
Various hangwa
Korean name
Hangul	한과
Hanja	韓菓
Revised Romanization	hangwa
McCune–Reischauer	han'gwa

Origin

Hangwa was very popular among people over the Shilla and Goryeo because the yield of grains had went up a lot and people tried not to eat meat for religious reasons. The religion at that time was Buddhism. Since then, Hangwa has become necessary in wedding ceremonies, memorial sacrifice days, and social dinners.

Types of Hangwa

The basic materials of Hangwa are mostly natural and based on the materials Hangwa is primarily divided into seven kinds and the recipes are slightly different.

Types	Names	Materials
Yugwa	Gangjeong, Sanja, Yohwagwa	Rice, Sesame, Black Sesame
Dasik	Songhwa Dasik, Saeng-gang Dasik, Nongmal Dasik	Rice, Starch, Ginger
Yeot Gangjeong	DDang-kong Yeot Gangjeong, KKae Yeot Gangjeong	Rice, Peanut, Sesame

Characteristics

Hangwa does not go bad easily because it is very good at preservation. This comes from the fermentation of grains and use of honey. Also, Hangwa is very nutritious. Ancestors thought that food was natural medicine and the idea was reflected on the nutrition of Hangwa too. Also, Hangwa shows Korean traditional virtue and emotions. It represents the warmth of neighbors. In ancient times, when people had ceremonies or social meetings, they made their guest go back with some food, which was mostly Tteok and Hangwa. In other words, Hangwa talks about the kindness and the affection between people in Korea.

References

• 한과의 디저트 상품화를 위한 브랜드아이덴티티 디자인 개발 연구
• International Strategy of Rice Cake and Korean Traditional Cookie

Other websites

• What is Hangwa
• The origin of Hangwa Archived 2007-12-31 at the Wayback Machine