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Misutgaru (multigrain powder drink)
미숫가루: roasted barley, rice, beans and sesame powder shaken with cold milk and honey into a creamy, nutty summer drink
Misutgaru began as travellers' food, a powder of roasted grains that kept for weeks and could be stirred into water on the road. Today it is the drink of Korean summer: mothers shake it with cold milk for breakfast before school, office workers buy it as misutgaru latte from cafés, and farmers drink it at midday in the fields of July. The powder is a mix of roasted barley, glutinous and brown rice, black and yellow soybeans, and sesame, and it tastes of toasted cereal and peanut, lightly sweet, with a thick, creamy body that fills you up like a light meal. The common mistake is tipping the powder into a full glass of milk and stirring: it floats, clumps into dry balls and never fully mixes. Shake it in a jar with a little liquid first, or blend it, then add the rest. It is ready when the drink is smooth, beige and frothy with no dry flecks, and slightly thickened after a minute's rest. Use water or soy milk for a dairy-free version, and note that the barley means it is not gluten free. Chef's tip: a pinch of salt makes the grain flavour taste rounder and less flat.
- Total time
- 5 min
- Difficulty
- easy
- Serves
- 1
Ingredients
For the drink
- 1 oz misutgaru powderabout 3 heaped tbsp; from Korean shops
- 1 cup cold milkor water or soy milk
- 1 tbsp honeyor sugar
- 1 pinch salt (optional)
To serve
- 4 ice cubes (optional)
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Method
0/3 doneStep 1: Put 1 oz misutgaru powder and 1 tbsp honey in a jar with a lid, add about 50 ml of the 3 ½ tbsp cold milk and shake hard for 15 seconds, until it forms a smooth paste with no dry lumps.
1 minStep 3: Pour over 4 ice cubes and let stand a minute; it thickens slightly. Stir before each sip, since the powder settles.
2 min
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 330 kcal
- Protein
- 12 g
- Carbs
- 51 g
- Fat
- 10 g
- Fibre
- 3 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does misutgaru (multigrain powder drink) take?
- About 5 minutes in total.
- How many people does it serve?
- 1 as written. Change the servings above the ingredients and every amount scales to match.
- Is it vegetarian?
- Yes. It has no meat or fish.
- What can I use instead of cold milk?
- Oat, soy or almond milk, same amount (use unsweetened for savoury dishes).
- What can I use instead of honey?
- Maple syrup or golden syrup, same amount.
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