What is the traditional food to eat on winter solstice? (dongji)
It’s Dongji, (동지 冬至) winter solstice, on Dec 22 and the traditional dish to eat is patjuk, 팥죽 red adzuki bean porridge. It’s available in many cafes all over Seoul at this time of year but I wanted to go to the best place.
So I asked a Korean friend and WITHOUT HESITATION she led me here to a small but famous tea shop in Samcheong dong, Jongno (near Gyeongbok palace).
The tea shop is rather modestly (and ironically) named ‘The Second Best in Seoul‘ (서울서 둘째로 잘 하는 집) and has been in business since the 1970s. It’s famous for the taste and quality of the patjuk as well as the unpretentious interior which still has a 70s vibe.
It’s not the sort of place to hang out and chat in all afternoon – the seats and tables are quite low and small and it’s a busy little place with a steady stream of customers.
So, since the porridge arrived literally seconds after we ordered it, we promptly ate our porridge and then with warm, comfortably full tummies, we headed off to find somewhere with coffee (and larger chairs!)
It gets busy at this time of year and there will even be a queue outside when it gets nearer to winter solstice.
Would I wait outside in a queue in WINTER to eat patjuk?
No, I wouldn’t. But then, I don’t want to queue for anything. (even though I’m British…)
But it’s a healthy (although quite sweet) and warming dish to have around afternoon tea time when you might be feeling a bit peckish and chilly in the winter.
It’s not a huge portion but the beans and rice cake make it quite filling so it was just enough for me. The smooth bean porridge is served with soft white rice cake, slices of cooked chestnut, one gingko, and a dusting of cinnamon which gave the dish added spice which I liked.
The staff are used to tourists and bring over a menu with pictures so it’s easy to order just by pointing at the pictures. But the menu is also in English (see below).
Dongji 동지 冬至 Winter Solstice used to be New Year!
According to the Encyclopaedia of Korean Seasonal Customs, Koreans used to celebrate the New Year at Winter Solstice (as in China). So there’s the saying “One turns a year older on Dongji.”
And Winter Solstice was also known as Tigers’ Wedding Day (호랑이 장가가는 날) since the cold weather and long night led to it being associated with mating tigers!
The full menu
There are 6 items on the menu.
The 단팥죽 sweet red bean soup with rice dumpling is their signature dish and the most popular item on the menu. But there is also a choice of 5 traditional Korean beverages. I haven’t tried any of the teas at this particular shop but they are often on the menu in other traditional tea shops too.
십전대보탕 Korean traditional herb tonic tea
Known as Ten Perfect Balance Herbal Tea which according to Amazon (where they sell this type of tea although I have no idea how to make it at home!) include Angelica root, Cnidium Officinale Makino, Radix Paeoniae, Rehmannia Glutinosa, Ginseng, Atractylodes Lancea, Poria Cocos, Liquorice Root, Astragalus Root, Cynanchum Wilfordii, Jujube, and Arrowroot. It tastes like Korean traditional medicine. I quite like it, but people don’t necessarily drink it for the taste – they drink it for health!
수 정과 Korean fruit punch with cinnamon
This is made with ginger and cinnamon and you may find some semi-dried persimmon in the cup too. This tea is hot and sweet and cinnamony.
녹 각탕 Korea herb tonic tea with deer overgrown antler
Actually, I’ve never tried this tea. But it’s another health tonic.
생강차 ginger & jujube tea
Jujube (대추) also known as red dates are popular in Korea and China and used for healthy teas and concoctions. (When I was in Beijing recently the supermarket was full of jujube snacks. I bought a bag of dried jujube stuffed with walnuts. chewy and nutty!)
In autumn jujube are put on the ancestral table at Chuseok, when they are fresh and taste a bit like apple. They are put on the table at New Year too but by this time of year they have been dried and become dark red and wrinkly. There are some jujube trees in our apartment complex – I don’t know if anyone picks the jujubes though.
식해 sweet rice drink
This is a cold drink and usually very sweet. It’s also got cooked rice grains in it, so you might need a spoon to get the rice out as it tends to gather at the bottom of the cup.
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DIRECTIONS
The cafe is about a 20 minute walk from Gyeongbok palace or you can take the small green village bus no.11 from Gwanghwamun station (광화문한국통신 KT) and get off at Korea Banking Institute (금용연수원) (5 stops)
서울특별시 종로구 삼청로 122-1
Samcheong-ro 122-1, Jongno-gu
