Glossary H
Husik is the Korean term for "dessert" or "after-dinner food". Husik tend to be semi-sweet and are almost scented with medicinal herbs and spices. Many of the Korean "Husik" or elaborate desserts has originated and were perfected in the royal and upper-class kitchens and even though preparation of these desserts are expensive and complicated, even ordinary Korean household make these desserts on special occassions, such as ancestral ceremonies and Korea's four (4) folk-festival days: (1) New Year's Day); (2) the first full moon of the first month; (3) the 5th day of the 5th month (Tano Nal); and (4) August full moon (Chusok Nal) all according to the lunar calendar.
Husik are also prominent on feast tables during weddings and birthday parties, especially during first, sixty-first and seventy-first birthdays which are considered a milestone in a person's life. Examples of easy- to-prepare Husik are: Paesuk (Pears Poached in Rice Wine ), Injolmi (Sweet Rice Cake), Kyongdan (Sweet Rice Balls)
Honghap is the Korean word for "Mussels". In Korea, mussels are made into soups together with other ingredients and porridge (Honghapjuk), or simply braised (Honghapcho)
I love mussels, it is one of my favorite seafoods. In the Philippines, we just saute mussels in their shells in garlic, onion and ginger and as simple as it is, it always turned out so good. In Germany, I have a favorite restaurant serving mussels during "Mussel Season". On my 50th birthday, I was lucky enough to be able to eat mussels. In this restaurant they cooked mussels with white wine, something different from how we cook it in my country. I miss my country and so its simple but delicious food, including "Tahong" (mussel)
Hangwa refers to Korean traditional sweets. There are many types of traditional Korean sweets and cookies and they vary according to ingredients and preparation method.
Hangwa is traditional Korean sweets and cookies. It is made of rice or wheat flour dough mixed with honey, yeot, and sugar and then deep-fried. It is also made by simmering fruits and plants’ roots in honey syrup until they are glazed. It is also called as Jogwa, which means cookies made of natural produce by adding artificial flavor. Koreans always prepare Hangwa for festive occasions and a variety of special occasions, but nowadays, they are usually enjoyed as a dessert.
There are diverse kinds of han-gwa, such as yakgwa , gangjeong, dasik, and yeot-gangjeong, and so on. Yakgwa is made from wheat powder mixed with honey and oil and is pan-fried. Gangjeong is made of sticky rice powder mixed with honey and wine, which is steamed, dried, and fried. Dasik is made from the powder of rice, chestnut, and pine pollen kneaded with honey and pressed into molds. Yeot-gangjeong is made of peanuts, sesame, and walnuts mixed with the yeot (sweet wheat gluten).