Gomul refers to a number of powdered coatings, toppings, fillings, or dips in Korean cuisine.
Uses
Gomul is used to improve the appearance and taste of tteok, including injeolmi, danja, and gyeongdan, as well as between-layer fillings for siru-tteok. It helps with even cooking of steamed rice cakes, being the less dense layer through which steam passes more easily. Gomul is also used for toppingbingsu. Sometimes, soybeangomul is served with grilled samgyeopsal, with meat dipped in the soybean powder when eaten.
or mung beangomul is used in winter, while soybean or sesamegomul, which don't spoil as fast, are preferred in summer. Common varieties and their preparation are:
Bam-gomul – chestnuts are shelled and sliced into thin strands or flakes. Alternatively, they can be cooked, shelled, mashed, and sieved through a coarse strainer into powder.
Daechu-gomul – jujubes are peeled, and the skin part is sliced into thin strands or flakes.
Dongbu-gomul – the whitegomul is made with cowpeas.
* Geopipat-gomul – to make the white gomul, red beans are ground in a millstone, soaked in lukewarm water for five to six hours, husked, and steamed in siru. When properly cooked, the beans are salted, mashed, sieved, and pan-fried without oil over a low heat.
Kkae-gomul – sesame is washed, husked, pan-fried without oil, and used whole or coarsely ground with mortar and pestle.
* Heugimja-gomul – black sesame is prepared in the same way as for sesame.
Kong-gomul – the yellowgomul is made by washing, draining, and roasting soybeans, then mashing them with ginger, garlic, and salt. It is then sieved to desired fineness: coarse kong-gomul usually used to coat injeolmi, and coarse kong-gomul to fill and topsiru-tteok.
Nokdu-gomul – the pale yellow gomul is made with mung beans in the same way that geopipat-gomul is made.
Pat-gomul – to make the dark redgomul, unhusked red beans are boiled in three parts water, drained when 80% cooked, and let steam for a long time. When properly cooked without excess moisture, it is salted and mashed.
Seogi-gomul – rock tripe is sliced into thin strands or flakes.
