Barley Puff Brittle (Korean Puffed Barley Walnut Sesame Candy)
Quick answer
Bori-gangjeong is a Korean barley puff brittle made by tossing puffed barley and roughly chopped walnuts with toasted sesame seeds in a syrup of rice malt, sugar, and hon...
What makes this special
- Rice malt syrup cooked to 118°C ensures a crisp, non-sticky finish for this Bori-gangjeong barley brittle.
- Syrup must reach 118°C for the brittle to set crisp, not sticky
- Roughly chopped walnuts add chew between puffs of light barley
Key ingredients
Core cooking flow
- 1 Roughly chop 40g walnuts and toast in a dry pan over medium heat for 2 minut...
- 2 Combine 120g corn syrup, 25g sugar, and 20g honey in a pot and cook over med...
- 3 Reduce heat to low, add 8ml sesame oil, and quickly stir into the syrup to h...
Bori-gangjeong is a Korean barley puff brittle made by tossing puffed barley and roughly chopped walnuts with toasted sesame seeds in a syrup of rice malt, sugar, and honey cooked precisely to 118 degrees Celsius. Temperature is the deciding variable: below that threshold the brittle never fully sets and stays soft and sticky even when cool, while above it the result hardens into something that resists the teeth uncomfortably. Once the correct temperature is reached, the mixture must be worked quickly - the syrup sets fast. Sesame oil stirred in at the very end coats the barley in a layer of nutty fragrance that ties the toasty grain, the honey sweetness, and the dense crunch of walnut together. Scoring the slab while it is still pliable is essential: cuts made after the brittle fully sets tend to crack rather than slice cleanly, and the pieces lose their uniform shape. The deep sweetness of the rice malt syrup and the nuttiness of the barley combine into a straightforward but lingering flavor that keeps the hand returning to the plate.
Instructions
Read the steps as a cooking flow: prep, heat, seasoning, doneness control, and finish.
- 1Finish
Roughly chop 40g walnuts and toast in a dry pan over medium heat for 2 minutes until fragrant, then transfer to a plate to cool.
- 2Control
Combine 120g corn syrup, 25g sugar, and 20g honey in a pot and cook over medium-low heat without stirring until the mixture reaches 118C; if no thermometer, a drop in cold water should form a soft, pliable ball.
- 3Control
Reduce heat to low, add 8ml sesame oil, and quickly stir into the syrup to help the bubbling subside before adding the dry ingredients.
- 4Step
Add 180g puffed barley, the toasted walnuts, and 12g toasted sesame seeds all at once, then toss vigorously within 30 seconds so every piece is evenly coated before the syrup begins to set.
- 5Prep
Transfer to a parchment-lined rectangular mold and press firmly with a wet spatula to a uniform 1.5cm thickness so the brittle holds its shape when cut.
- 6Prep
Score the surface into serving-size pieces before it fully cools, then break or cut completely once cool and store in an airtight container.
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