Chestnut Sweet Jelly (Korean Agar-Set Chestnut White Bean Confection)
Quick answer
- Total time
- 35 min
- Level
- Medium
- Servings
- 2 servings
- Ingredients
- 7
About this dish
Bam yanggaeng is built from three components: chestnut puree, white bean paste, and agar powder.
Read more
Boiled chestnuts are mashed fine and combined with the bean paste, then dissolved agar, sugar, and honey are stirred into the mixture before it is brought to a brief boil. Poured into a mold and left to cool at room temperature, the agar sets the block into firm, clean-slicing slabs - a texture that comes from agar's sharp recrystallization as it cools, which produces a harder and more abrupt snap than gelatin-based confections. The starchy density of chestnuts gives the cross-section a smooth, fine-grained quality that plain bean paste lacks. A small amount of salt is critical: it draws the sweetness into focus rather than muting it. Skimming air bubbles before pouring ensures a flat, even surface. Prepared as a holiday gift in Korean households for generations, the finished block keeps in the refrigerator for about a week without losing texture.
Instructions
Read the steps as a cooking flow: prep, heat, seasoning, doneness control, and finish.
- 1Heat
Press 180g cooked chestnuts through a sieve to form a smooth puree, then mix with 220g white bean paste until completely lump-free and uniform in texture.
- 2Step
Pour 200ml water into a pot, sprinkle in 4g agar powder, and whisk constantly for 2 minutes until the agar is fully dissolved with no visible granules remaining.
- 3Control
Add 35g sugar and 1g salt and bring to a simmer over low heat, stirring continuously until the liquid turns completely clear and the agar is fully activated.
- 4Control
Add the chestnut-bean paste mixture all at once and stir without stopping for 4 to 5 minutes over low heat until fully incorporated into the agar base and the mixture thickens slightly.
- 5Prep
Turn off heat, stir in 12g honey, then quickly pour into the mold, level the surface, and pop any air bubbles with a toothpick before the mixture begins to set.
- 6Finish
Cool completely at room temperature until the agar begins to set naturally, then refrigerate for at least 1 hour until firm, and cut into bite-sized pieces to serve.
Practical Cooking Checks
The cues that matter most while cooking.
- Key technique
- Agar provides a firm, clean-cut texture to Bam Yanggaeng, a traditional chestnut and white bean jelly.
- Finish cue
- Cool completely at room temperature until the agar begins to set naturally, then refrigerate for at least 1 hour until firm, and cut into bite-sized pieces to serve.
- Storage and reheating
- Prepared as a holiday gift in Korean households for generations, the finished block keeps in the refrigerator for about a week without losing texture.
Cooking decision evidence
Calculated Charim data and applicable official food safety guidance.
This recipe
35min, 7 ingredients
Category median
50min, 7 ingredients
Based on 119 recipes
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