Scare the Ghost Away: Patjugg on Winter Solstice

In honor of the Winter Solstice, Mom’s Busan friend drove us to a nearby temple for a bowl of patugg (red bean porridge) and dduck (rice cake). Koreans eat patjugg on winter solstice because it is believed to scare away the ghosts. It’s an ancient myth, but growing up, I remember watching a children’s cartoon about a ghost who freaked out whenever his human friend ate patjugg.

We had to drive up a very steep mountain to get to a small café by the temple. They served us some songpyun, a type of glutinous rice cake with sugary sesame seeds and chopped peanuts, as an appetizer. I personally like the rice cake better when the syrup is a bit more liquidy. The outside was a bit hard, but the sweetness wasn’t too overpowering.

The patjugg, made of steamed red bean porridge, rice, and glutinous rice ball, was served in a huge bowl. I tend to have a salty appetite, so I really wished I had a dash of salt to add to the porridge. The glutinous rice that was added to the water and the red bean paste mixture had thickened the porridge. I really enjoyed the first couple bites, but then realized the porridge was rather bland—I guess I had been hungry. My favorite was the glutinous rice ball, which was chewy and tasted like rice cake. I didn’t like the little rice bits because it just disappeared in my mouth without having to chew.

Outside the café, I saw some ladies swirling a giant pot of patjugg. I wonder how many people they will serve today.