Danja (food)
Introduction '''''Danja''''' () is a variety of steamed ''tteok'' (rice cake) made with glutinous rice flour, sweet fillings, and sweet coatings.
Etymology and related rice cakes ''Dan'' () means "round", and ''ja'' () means ''injeolmi'' (steamed and pounded ''tteok''). ''Danja'' differs from ''injeolmi'' in that steamed glutinous rice flour, not steamed rice, is pounded. ''Danja'' is also smaller than ''injeolmi'' and tends to be globular rather than angulate.Another similar rice cake, ''gyeongdan'', shares the letter ''dan'' (). ''Gyeongdan'', unlike ''danja'', is usually boiled before it is coated. Typical coatings also differ. Japanese ''dango'', which also shares the letter ''dan'', can be either boiled or steamed, and is not necessarily coated.
Preparation and varieties ''Danja'' is made by steaming glutinous rice flour in a ''siru'' (steamer), pounding the steamed ''tteok'', shaping it into chestnut-sized balls with various coatings that are sweetened with honey, and coating the balls with honey followed by powdered or shredded ingredients. Common fillings are finely chopped ''gyulbyeong'' (Mandarin orange boiled in honey), cooked and sieved chestnuts mixed with cinnamon powder and honey, and ''geopipat-so'' (white, dehulled red bean paste) mixed with cinnamon powder and honey. Common coatings are cooked with sieved chestnuts, shredded jujubes, chopped pine nuts, cinnamon powder, and toasted sesame seeds.Common varieties include:* ''bam-danja'' () is filled with a mixture of steamed and sieved chestnuts and finely chopped ''gyulbyeong'' (mandarin orange boiled in honey), and coated with honey followed by steamed and sieved chestnuts. * ''daechu-danja'' () is made from glutinous rice flour steamed with shredded jujubes and coated with honey followed by shredded jujubes and shredded chestnuts. * ''eunhaeng-danja'' () is made from glutinous rice flour steamed with ginkgo powder, and coated with honey followed by chopped pine nuts. * ''geonsi-danja'' () is made by wrapping a mixture of powdered chestnuts, cinnamon powder, and honey with thinly sliced ''gotgam'' (dried persimmon) preserved in honey, and coating it with chopped pine nuts. * ''pat-danja'' () is filled with red bean paste sweetened with honey, and coated with honey followed by steamed and powdered red beans. * ''seogi-danja'' () is made from glutinous rice flour steamed with soaked and minced rock tripe mixed with honey, and coated with honey followed by chopped pine nuts. * ''seunggeomcho-danja'' () is made from glutinous rice flour steamed with angelica powder, filled with red bean paste and coated with honey followed by steamed and powdered red beans. * ''ssuk-danja'' () is made from steamed glutinous rice flour pounded with minced mugwort, filled with honey and chestnuts or yuja-cheong (yuja marmalade) with jujubes, and coated with honey followed by steamed and powdered ''geopipat'' (white, dehulled black adzuki beans). * ''yuja-danja'' () is made from glutinous rice flour steamed with yuja zest, filled with sieved chestnuts and covered with honey followed by steamed and powdered ''geopipat'' (white, dehulled black adzuki beans).
See also * ''Dango''* ''Gyeongdan''
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