I think that pine nut porridge is the queen of all the porridges! Beautifully white, mild in taste, warm and satisfying, I’ve never seen anybody who doesn’t like this porridge. The recipe is also very simple, made with just a few ingredients, and it’s super-nutritious! Pine nuts contain lots of protein, iron, magnesium, and are good to increase your energy level. They are made with a combination of protein, fiber, and healthy fats that are good for you.
Koreans have always considered jatjuk as a very precious dish, not only for the reasons above but because for a long time pine nuts have been very expensive in Korea. Also, grinding them into a porridge takes lot of labor in a mortar and pestle. For a long time it’s been a dish we give to our loved ones when they’re recovering from an illness or are in the hospital. It’s a wonderful thing to bring some jatjuk to someone in a thermos and say “This is for you.” It always makes them feel better.
Of course these days jatjuk is so much easier to make with a powerful, modern blender. I used to separate the tips from my pine nuts when I made this porridge, because the idea of them bothered me. But these days the blenders are so strong it just doesn’t make a difference. You can still see the old way I used to do it in my old video for this recipe from 2011.
I really like creamy jatjuk, it goes down smoothly. It looks soupy, but I recommend spooning it instead of drinking it, because I want you to enjoy the aftertaste. 1 spoon after, pause! And close your eyes just as I did in the video, to savor the taste. Oh yummy oh yummy. Do you taste a bit of the pine tree aroma there? Then start another spoon!
Ingredients
Serves 2
- ½ cup short grain rice (aka sushi rice) soaked in cold water for 1 hour
- ¼ cup pine nuts, rinsed and drained
- 3 cups water
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- 2 large jujubes and several pine nuts for garnish (optional)
Directions
- Drain the soaked rice and add it to your blender. Add the pine nuts and water. Blend for 1 to 2 minutes until smooth and milky.
- Transfer it to a medium heavy pot on the stove. Turn on the heat to medium high heat.
- Cook for about 5 minutes, stirring with a wooden spoon, until bubbles pop up and it gets thick.
- Add the salt and keep stirring for about 1 minute, until the porridge gets thinner and semi-translucent.
- Transfer it to a bowl and add the jujube garnish (if used) to the top of the porridge. Serve immediately, while it’s hot.
How to make a jujube garnish
- Put a jujube on your cutting board and press the blade of your knife into the jujube until you can feel it touching the seed.
- Pick up the jujube and use your knife to separate the fruit from the seed, turning the jujube around as you work.
- Flatten the jujube fruit onto your cutting board, sticky side up.
- Put some pine nuts into the jujube and press them in. Roll the jujube around the nuts.
- Squeeze it tightly in your fist a few times so it holds together.
- Cut the rolled up jujube crosswise into slices, to make little flowers.
I have a question:
Can I use glutinuous rice flour instead of rice? If so, how do I use it?
Thanks in advance!
Maangchi! Thank you for this recipe and your very clear instructions. I have been thinking about this dish since I first watched your video, and I finally made it last night. I used walnuts instead of pine nuts — would I call that “hodujuk”? — so it wasn’t the beautiful creamy color yours was, but the flavor and texture was very good. I will definitely make this again.
Sounds like you invented a new Korean dish!
I’m eating juk right now as I type this. I used your recipe, but modified it a little using my rice pudding recipe (because I didn’t have pine nuts). I followed your instructions, but rather than adding salt, I added three tablespoons of sugar, a 1/2 teaspoon of vanilla extract, and a teaspoon of cinnamon. And rather than 2 cups of water, I used 1 1/2 cups of water and 1/2 cup of cream. After the juk thickened up (anyone that tries this recipe, be patient, it does thicken quite nicely). I put in a bowl and garnished it with raisins, slivered almonds, and another dash of cinnamon. I’m in heaven right now! Thank you for this recipe. I plan to experiment more with it!
Maangchi, thank you so much for this site!! I had to comment when I saw this recipe for jatjuk. A few months ago, I watched a Korean drama called Jewel in the Palace/Dae Jang Geum (Korean: 대장금) and that really got me interested in Korean cuisine. There is a part in the show where the main character, Jang-Geum, is in a competition to see who can thread the most pine needles and pine nuts in the dark. This video made me think of that! I hope I can try out one of your recipes very soon. I just need to pick one and get the ingredients. Thank you for sharing your talents with us!
You are so ready to start Korean cooking now!
Good luck with your Korean cooking! Let me know how it goes.
Hi Maangchi,
Why do you remove the tips?
It looks better that way. You can leave them in if you want to.
Hi, for the Rice, can i use normal or even calrose rice (sushi rice)?
short grain rice is the same as sushi rice.
Very tasty! I added some honey in my plate and it was even better :)
I think this porridge can taste funny with some chocolate or vanille.
Loved it!
Thank you, Maangchi! :)
Great! ^^
This was AMAZING! Perfect flavor and consistency!
I have been using this recipe for many years. I can make jatjuk very easily. I’m glad to hear that you enjoyed this recipe, too! Happy cooking!
I just made this after a really bad day, and it is so good and calming! That you, Maanchi. :) It was also a really good arm work out – I will have biceps in no time if I make this regularly! Mine came out a little thick – I made two servings, so maybe I measured out too much rice! The taste is great, though. I now have a substitute for kongguksu when it gets cold outside. :) (I eat your kongguksu recipe every day! I love it so much, and I never get tired of it!) I am so glad you share your recipes with the world!
Thank you for your update! Check out the step 7 in this recipe please.
“It’ll get thicker in about 3 minutes. Add ½ ts of kosher salt, lower the heat to medium low, and stir for 5 more minutes. The porridge will get thinner and a little soupy.”
Hey, this look really good and easy. Reminds me of a rice soup my mom used to make long time ago. She makes it with rice, milk, water, salt. You add the milk after the rice has cooked, about 30 minutes and then you add the milk. It is also served for people who are sick with an upset stomach, children and babies. Ahhh, brings back memories. ☺
I made this using long grain rice and Italian pine nuts. I had a hard time finding pine nuts, by the way. I eventually found some at a Food Emporium on the Upper West Side.
Anyway, I wanted a thicker porridge so I didn’t grind the rice and pine nuts too fine. I ended up with a porridge the consistency of rice pudding. It was also a little beige, but that might be because I used long grain instead of short grain rice.
Thanks a bunch, Maangchi!
Next time if you make it again, use short grain rice. It will be more delicious.
안녕하세요.. Hi maangchi.. Thank you for creating this blog.. I found your blog yesterday and I almost read everything in this blog since then,,haha.. I think I’ll try one that easier to make this weekend,,wish me luck.. :)
Sure, I wish you tons of luck! : )
Could you use milk in this instead of water? How much would you use?
Adding milk instead of water? Good thinking! But I can’t give you the answer because I have never used milk in jatjuk. Leave your question on the forum. https://www.maangchi.com/talk/forum/general-discussion
You can probably do it with the same amount – tarakjuk is an old Royal porridge made very much like jatjuk but it uses milk instead of water
I guess I need a real blender. All of the shredded rice was left at the bottom. And the water wouldn’t thicken, just evaporate.
It was also very salty, but that was probably because it was mostly water with some starch probably. Thank you for the recipe though.
Hi! I was wondering should i add more pine nuts if it’s a little to small? Oh, and also wondering do i decrease all the ingredients portion size if i don’t need to much?
Maangchi,
Will this soup taste good a few hours later, if it’s kept in a thermos?
Thanks,
Anna
Anna, yes, you can keep it hot in a thermos and eat it in a few hours. It will still be delicious.