Sikhye (rice punch) is a traditional sweet Korean drink made of fermented malt and rice. As the rice ferments, the grains turn white and become spongy, releasing their starch into the liquid, which turns light amber. The punch is never fermented long enough to become alcoholic, and it’s often served as a dessert in Korean restaurants. It has a pleasantly malty aftertaste.
It’s also sold in cans at Korean grocery stores, but the homemade version has a more intense malt flavor than anything you can get in a can. Sikhye is usually served cold, but when you make it at home, you can enjoy it right after boiling it, or even freeze it into slush!
This recipe uses a rice cooker to ferment the barley malt powder water and rice, but if you don’t have one you can do it in a pot on the stove. Just keep the temperature between 122°F and 150°F (50°C to 65°C) for 4 hours, until some of the rice is floating. This is the traditional method I show in the larger batch of sikhye in my first cookbook. The point is to keep it at a warm temperature without cooking it, so the enzyme amalyse can help the starch from the rice turn into sugar.
Ingredients
- 18 cups cold water
- 8 ounces yeotgireum-garu (barley malt powder)
- 1 cup rice (210 grams)
- 1 cup sugar (optional)
Garnish (optional)
You will need a 10 cup rice cooker with a “warming” setting.
Directions
- Combine the barley malt powder and 14 cups cold water in a large bowl. Stir well with a whisk or a wooden spoon.
- Let it sit for 2 to 3 hours until the powder settles on the bottom.
Make rice with a rice cooker:
- Wash the rice, changing the water a couple of times and finally draining as much water as you can.
- Add ¾ cup water to the rice, put it in the rice cooker, turn it on and start cooking.
Add the barley malt water to the rice & let it ferment:
- When the rice is done, add the clear malt water from the bowl by gently pouring it in. Be careful in moving the bowl and pouring, so you don’t disturb the dregs on the bottom.
- Stir the rice with a wooden spoon and break it up a bit.
- Set the rice cooker to warm. Let it sit and ferment.
- Stir the rest of the 4 cups of water into the leftover barley malt sediment. Leave it to sit and settle while the rice ferments in the rice cooker.
Check the rice:
- Open the rice cooker after 4 hours and check to see if some of the rice grains are floating.
- About dozens grains should be floating. If not floating yet, let it ferment for another hour.
Make sikhye:
- Pour the hot sikhye out of the rice cooker into a large pot.
- Gently pour in the clear malt water that has been separating while the sikhye ferments and discard the sediment. You will get about 3 cups of clear malty water.
- Cover the pot and bring it to a boil for 10 minutes. Add 1 cup sugar (if used) and mix well.
Serve hot:
- Ladle about 1½ cup of sikhye into a small bowl or cup and serve it with a spoon. You can drink it like tea or just drink the liquid and eat the rice with a spoon.
Serve cold:
- Pour the hot sikhye though a strainer over a large bowl to gather all the rice. Rinse the rice under cold running water and transfer it to an airtight container with some cold water. Cover and refrigerate.
- Cool the hot sikhye water and transfer to a glass jar. Refrigerate it.
- When you want to serve, ladle about 1½ cup cold sikhye water to a small bowl and gently stir in about 2 tablespoons rice.
- Garnish with pine nuts and jujube pieces if you use. Serve with a spoon.
How to make slush:
- Freeze the rice punch until it’s half frozen (8 cups of sikhye usually takes 5 to 6 hours).
- Or make granita by adding some clear sikhye water into an airtight container and freezing it solid.
- To serve, ladle out icy cold sikhye slushy and/or scrape frozen sikhye with a fork, and stir in about 2 tablespoons rice. Add garnish (if you use) and serve with a spoon.
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Is there a difference between Pearl Barley Powder and Malt Barley Powder?
Yes, because pearl barley powder has a different taste than malt barley powder. You need that malt flavor from the malt barley powder/flour. It’s a MUST to have the correct ingredients and to follow Maangchi’s recipe exactly because that’s how I successfully made mine. Good luck!
Hi Maangchi,
I tried using the whole package of the barley flour and used 13 cups of water. When I looked at it, it didn’t look like the color in your video. It had an orangeish color.
You did not follow the recipe! : )
As you see in the recipe, about 24- 30 cups of water is needed. Don’t give up making good shikhye. If you like to use 13 cups water, use about 1/3 amount barley malt powder.
I tried again and used 1/2 of the barley malt powder and 12 cups but it still had the same color.
Thank you so much, mine came out well, i only fermented it for 3 hours. but liek after iput it in the fridge and overnight there was like a little bit of powdery residue on the bottom should i leave that out of my drink or shake it?
No problem!
When you serve it, stir it with a ladle before scooping it into a serving bowl.
If I were to cut the recipe in half, would the times differ? I don’t want to make a HUGE amount and have it go to waste because I’m making this really for myself. Definitely do not think I can drink ALL of it within 7 days. =/ Thanks! Looking forward to trying the recipe out!
I think it will still take that time because it needs to ferment.
hi maangchi
for this recipe, are we suppose to use malt flour or malt powder? I’m planning to buy it online but I’m not sure which one to buy.
on line Korean store? Then you can buy either one. Check the ingredient:
https://www.maangchi.com/ingredients/barley-malt-powder
im doing a project on north korea for my school. im so glad i found your recipe. i googled north korean dishes but i couldnt find much of anything that was not a good easyish recipe. thanks.
Good luck with your project on N.Korea!
Hi I am 12 years old and me and my boyfriend was making this for our mothers it turn out pretty good but it was sour in the begging and sweet in the end of the taste,, is that suppose to happen?? WE woke up around 6am and we got done around 3 or 4 Y does it take so long to make it. Can we buy this desert anywhere? in San Francisco.
When you ferment it too long, it goes sour. Follow the recipe exactly. You can buy canned shikhye at a Korean store.
Dear maanchi onni,
Thanks for your recipes again and today I am making jangjorim, oiji muchim and shikhye.
I am still waiting for my barley malted power to sink down in the water and then I will ferment it with rice in the cooker.
Can’t wait to taste it.
Jangjorim and oiji were successful.
Thank you so much again.
From singapre
Kay
wow,jangjorim and oiji muchim with rice, then shikhye for dessert, perfect! You made oijangajji! Cool! Email me the photos of them if you can. I would like to see them. : )
Let me know how your shikhye turns out. Thank you!
Jangjorim:
https://www.maangchi.com/recipe/jangjorim
oijangajji:
https://www.maangchi.com/recipe/oijangajji
shikhye:
https://www.maangchi.com/recipe/sikhye
Dear Maangchi onni,
I tried my Shikhye with brown sugar as I do not use any white sugar and it seems the taste is not exactly same as what I expected. Also, I did have a problem with fermenting it as my rice cooker is a medium sized one ( max 5 cups of rice) so I could not transfer all the barley mated powder water into the rice cooker but I had to leave quite a bit in a sauce pan. After the fermenting process, I poured the fermented liquid into this remainder and boiled it with some sugar.
I only used 400g which was my original package.
Rice was nice and fluffy and I reduced the quantity as well. I really enjoyed the burnt rice! I have not had it for a long time and it was just perfect!
I will try it next time and will post it again.
Thank you!
Kind regards
Kay
P.S.where can I attach my photos please?
Kay, You made extra efforts to make shikhye without a large size rice cooker! I’m happy for your successful shikhye making. The burnt rice is called nooroongji in Korean. : )
You could email me the photo directly at maangchi@gmail.com or post it directly if you have flickr account. http://www.flickr.com/groups/maangchi/
Maangchi ssi,
You are a GENIUS!!! OF COURSE! Sikhye water for crushed ice! EXCELLENT!!!!
I noticed that this is how ALL the good jjim jil bangs (Korean bath houses) in Korea prepare and serve their shikhye. The sikhye ice is so delicious, refreshing, and very flat, just the way you made your ice.
Thank you for this very important and detailed tip!
Jane
Hi Maangchi-ssi,
It’s Jane again! Guess what? My mom and I made sikhye 2x this month with our similar recipes. It is so delicious, and definitely aids in digestion as you mentioned :-)
We also made yakshik last night with raisins, pine nuts, jujubes, and chestnuts. I didn’t see yakshik in your list – is it something you are going to post later on? I think it would be great!
Filming yakshik with a camera may be a little hard just because of all the heavy steaming and lifting though. Hahaha…hope to see how you make your yakshik so we can compare notes ^_^
Jane
sure, my yakshik recipe will be included in the list of my upcoming recipes. Thank you!
maanchi,
was curious to know where you bought the rectangula pitchers
never mind. lady from e2se.org already told me where to buy those pitchers(bed bath & beyond). made your shikhye and e2se’s homemade soymilk. both with great results. i just wanted to store the drinks in glass pitchers.
I’m glad to hear that you know where to buy the glass pitchers. My friend gave me the glass pitchers.
I just discovered your channel on YouTube by chance and I’m very glad I did! I haven’t tried the recipes yet but from all the wonderful comments, I can tell they will be yummy! Thanks for posting all of these recipes! I’m not Korean so I don’t have the opportunity to learn Korean recipes from my family. I have wondered how to make sikhae since I had the stuff in the can. THANK YOU!!
Welcome to my website!
dear maangchi. i love your website :) i just want to know about shikye storage. how long can you keep the shikye in the refrigerator. does it have a time limit?
thanks
Shikye won’t go bad but it will become sour over time because it will keep fermenting in the refrigerator. I think it will be ok up to 7 days if you keep it in the refrigerator.
Hi Maangchi,
Thanks so much for this site. My mom tried to teach me to make Korean food but I just had a hard time learning from her. I just didn’t get it because she doesn’t use measurements. But thanks to the way you break it down, you make it look so easy.
Wondering about the 식혜’s rice. My mom uses 찹쌀(sweet rice). Does the recipe change if I use that instead? Thanks!
yes, sweet rice could be used for shikhye, too. The recipe is the same even though you use sweet rice!
Thank you!
Dear Maangchi,
I forgot to put sugar into the warm pot with the barley malt liquid for the fermenting process. Is the rice still usable? Can I add sugar into the liquid while boilin????? Thank you so much for the recipe. You are the best cook :D.
Sorry about late reply! I was very busy yesterday afternoon. I hope you did not throw it away. Of course it’s ok without sugar. You can add sugar anytime.
omg i luv this recipe XXD but 1 thing i find difficult how do u cook rice on a pot instead of a rice cooker till its fluffy??o.o btw thnx again for the vid!=D
yeah, as I posted in the video, make rice this way using a pot.
How to make rice using a pot:
* Wash 2 cups of short grain rice. Drain and put in a pot with thick bottom.
* Pour 1.5 cups of water into the pot. Soak it for an hour and close the lid.
* Bring the pot to a boil over medium heat for 10 minutes.
* Open the lid and turn the rice over with a rice scoop or spoon.
* Simmer it over low heat for another 10 minutes! You will have nice fluffy rice!
Hi Maangchi,
Thank you so much for all these recipes. The videos really help a lot. Is it OK to store the rice and the drink together in the same container?
Thanks again!
Yes, it will be ok if you eat it in a few days. However, be aware that rice keeps fermenting when it’s not separated from the juice. So the color of your rice punch will change and might not be clear and grayish.
Maangchi,
Thank you so much for all your hard work on this website! It is such a fantastic resource. I just finished making sikhye for my parents and it tastes delicious. I’m excited to try your other recipes!
Thanks,
ES
I’m very glad to hear that your parents like the shikhye you made! Good news!
Greetings from Ottawa. My girlfriend and I always use your site to cook something new and exciting. My friends and colleagues think that I am the best cook ever! Please keep it up! JS
haha, you are the best cook, why not! Thank you very much!
hi Maangchi,
Wow this dessert looks so oriental and special,too. I have a question. I’ve never seen barley malt in the market, but only had a glimpse of whole grain barley once. Does there exist any difference between them? Or may I substitute this simply with ground barley? I wonder how it might turn out. Thank you so much for reading this.
best regards from Cecile
You can get barley malt powder or crushed barley malt at a Korean grocery store. Barley malt and barley are totally different. https://www.maangchi.com/ingredients/barley-malt-powder
hi maangchi,
i always follow your recipes, n cant wait for more. i want to try this sikhye recipes. it looks tasty and refreshing the hot day. but I’m curious about one thing, for it’s being fermented, does it contain alcohol (i dont consume alcohol)? thanks maangchi! btw, is there any chance you will visit singapore or indonesia and do meet up? i would love to meet you there.
I hope to do my meetup there someday! Shikhye doesn’t contain alcohol. Don’t worry.
hi maangchi,
just wanted to thank you for taking the time to post all these wonderful recipes!
i made your sikhye and followed your directions to the tee. for me the rice started floated to the top a little after 2 hours which is alot less than the 4-5 hour you said. does that mean it’s done? and i should take it out? i don’t want to cook too long either.
I don’t know the answer because I have never seen that rice was floating after 2 hours. Rice fermentation usually starts at least 4 hours after. how did you like it? Did it turn out delicious? Did you use your rice cooker? If the taste is ok, it will be ok. That’s all I can say.
Greetings from Germany, Maangchi!
Ok, 3 questions:
Can I use maltose instead of malt powder?
If yes, then how about the amount?
Can I use a “thermo pot” for the fermentation process?
It(the pot) is huge and just screaming “I can do the job!”. ^o^
We only use that pot for keeping soups hot,so I think it would be at least 60°C?
Actually I’m Chinese. Not that they sell thermo pots in Germany °o°
Thanks for all your recipes!
Carmen,
Leave your question on the forum. I don’t know the answer.
https://www.maangchi.com/talk/forum/general-discussion
I hope someone else may give you answer.
hi maangchi! i just bought 엿기름, but it’s different from the one you used.. yours is 엿기름가루, like powder, while mine is like, husk? can i still use it with your recipe?
yes, no problem! I sometimes use it to make shikye, too.
How big is your rice cooker and what kind is it? I would like to eventually get one to make sikhye. Any response would be great.
Any rice cooker will be ok to make shikhye as long as it has warm function. If you buy a rice cooker to make shikhye, larger size (more than 10 cups) will be better. https://www.maangchi.com/wp-content/uploads/2008/11/ricecooker.jpg
Hello Maangchi,
I stumbled across your kimchi recipe on You Tube and thought you were a great teacher. Asian cuisine has always been a love of mine and it is so fun trying new techniques and ingredients. From You Tube I found this site and I bookmarked it immediately. Kimchi has never appealed to me in the past because I am a spice wimp but now that I am older and tastes have changed I want to try your recipe. Thank you so much for sharing yourself with all of us. I am a cook also, writing a vegan cookbook, and know how much work it is to do what you are doing. You have a great camera personality, too! Keep up the great work, I can’t wait to try everything I can :D
Dominique
I wanted to thank you for this recipe. It brought back bitter sweet memories of my mom. My mom was a great cook who did not write down her recipes. So finding this recipe and making the drink brought back memories of my childhood. More importantly, my daughter and I were able to share fond memories of my mom.
Your message is touching my heart!
Thank you for posting these recipes and videos! I can’t wait to go try it now. :)
Hi Maangchi
Thanks its was good and my friend enjoy it as well,her little one keep asking for more..
thanks
I love shikhae!! ^^ I can’t wait to try this recipe~ it looks so delicious~~
Hi Maangchi,
I am trying to mack it to day hope its come out good as your
thanks for teaching..i just love your recipe,i have try more than one of your recipe they all came out good.keep up the good work.
Good luck with making shikhye! My fingers are crossed!
I forgot to ask if I don’t use my fermented rice in my drink, could I reuseuse the fermented rice next time when I make the rice drink? Thanks.
no, new rice for new sikhye!
Thank you so much for teaching us how to make the rice drink. This is what I have been looking for for 14 years. When I was pregnant, I felt nauseous all the time and one day, my husband took me to a Korean restaurant that gave me a glass of this rice drink and I could drink it just fine. I felt so good drinking it that it made an impression on me. Later on I did some research trying to learn how to make this drink but could not. I had a Korean friend that kind understood what I describe and made some for me after I deliver my baby. It tasted good but not quite as the same. May be it did not have enough of the delicate sour taste like I remembered. I am tryiing to make today but thought that may be I should drop a note to let you know how grateful I am. I have a thermal cooker, so, I will try to keep it in my thermal cooker and see if it works as well. Thank you for letting us know the temperature should be around 60C.
Kim,
Your mother must be good at cooking!
Yes, you can use brown rice, too.
Maangchi my mother use to serve this drink when I was a little child.I never got the chance to learn any of the Korean recipes from her so this means alot to me, Thank you soooo much for the chance to learn them. Her name is Chong, I was wondering can you use brown rice instead of white rice? You are wonderful and I love your recipes. Keep up the good work and I hope good fortune and blessings for you. Kim
Flower,
Interesting! The one made with pineapple juice sounds good to me, too! : )