what is injeolmi?

i'm glad you asked!

in.jeol.mi 인절미 (IPA: [in.dʑʌl.mi])
is a type of rice cake (tteok 떡 IPA:[t͈ʌk]) covered in ground soybeans 콩가루, lending it both a sweet (단 맛) and a nutty, savory taste (고소한 맛)
variations include ground red beans 팥가루, sesame 깨 powder, ssuk 쑥, and more!

its texture is very soft and chewy. some rice cakes are stiffer, but injeolmi has the consistency of a relaxed ferret.

a round shallow bowl containing several rectangular pieces of injeolmi rice cake covered in yellow soybean powder

a bowl of yummy injeolmi!
(source: LeeSeungHwan, CC0, via Wikimedia Commons)

injeolmi is a tasty snack on its own, but it's also an amazing bingsu 빙수 topping!
bingsu is a very popular dessert, especially in the summer. it's a mountain of ice shavings topped with sweet red bean paste 단팥, and often drizzled with sweet condensed milk and topped with tteok and, in modern times, jellies. there's so many varities nowadays, ranging from mango bingsu to oreo bingsu to green tea bingsu... all delicious! my favorite is still injeolmi bingsu, though.

a bingsu topped with injeolmi and sliced almonds

a bingsu topped with small bits of injeolmi and almond slices~
(source: Db9023, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons)

lately, injeolmi has also become slang to refer to golden puppies that look just like injeolmi!

a photo of a golden retriever puppy crouching on a brown surface against a brick background

(source: ST7667, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons)

further reading:

EN:wikipedia
KOR:namu wiki

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