history

The patterned savoury cake is one of the biscuits peculiar to the Korean nation. The flour of roasted or fried grains, or the powders of chestnut and sesame, pine pollen and the like are kneaded with sugary liquid made by boiling down corn syrup, sugar, honey, etc. And then the dough is placed on a board with various patterns for pressing the dough into small cakes.

The history of making the savoury cake in the country is very long.

It was widely disseminated and used along with the tea-drinking practice of the Koryo Kingdom (918-1392) and underwent further development in the period of the feudal Joson dynasty (1392-1910).

This is evidenced by the fact that the number of materials increased considerably as compared to the previous period.

Its materials were mainly grains until the Koryo period, but in the period of the feudal Joson dynasty various edible fruits, pollens and oil-bearing crops were used.

Progress was also made in the cooking tools and methods. The board, which was used to make the patterned savoury cake in the period of the feudal Joson dynasty, blended in well with its materials, making and pattern pressing to remind viewers of a craftwork. The board was mainly made with such hardwoods as pear tree, birch and jujube tree.

The method of manufacturing the board also got varied. There were a board for making only one cake and the one for moulding several cakes at a time.

And the board had such patterns as petals, birds, butterflies, fish and other animals and plants, which enhanced the decorative effects of the cake.

The ancestors applied a unique cake baking method. They spread sand and placed a sheet of paper and material between roofing tiles and heated the upper and lower sides of the tiles by fire.

The cake varied in kind. There were cakes made of glutinous rice, red bean, soybean, chestnut, jujube, pine-nut, pine pollen, sesame and other grains, fruits, plant roots, pollens and oil-bearing crops.

In the past, it was essential in setting tables on ceremonial occasions.

In wedding ceremonies or the 60th birthday parties, those made of pine pollen and soybean in gorgeous colour and those engraved with the word “happiness” were put on the table. And in memorial services, dark- or white-coloured ones and those with ordinary petal patterns were mainly placed on the table.

The patterned savoury cake was inscribed on the list of national intangible cultural heritage last year.