Barley Puff Brittle (Korean Puffed Barley Walnut Sesame Candy)
Bori-gangjeong is a Korean barley puff brittle made by tossing puffed barley with roughly chopped walnuts and toasted sesame seeds in a syrup of rice malt, sugar, and honey heated to precisely 118 degrees Celsius. Temperature control is the deciding factor: too cool and the brittle stays soft and sticky, too hot and it hardens into something tooth-breakingly rigid. Sesame oil stirred into the syrup at the end adds a subtle nutty fragrance that ties together the toasty barley and the honey sweetness. Scoring the slab while still warm and cutting once fully set yields clean, bite-sized pieces with a satisfying snap.
Adjust Servings
Instructions
- 1
Roughly chop walnuts and toast in a pan for about 2 minutes.
- 2
Heat rice syrup, sugar, and honey over medium-low until about 118°C.
- 3
Reduce heat, add sesame oil, and stir quickly.
- 4
Add puffed barley, walnuts, and sesame seeds; toss fast to coat evenly.
- 5
Transfer to a parchment-lined tray and press to a 1.5 cm slab with a damp spatula.
- 6
Score before fully cool, then cut into bite-size pieces once set.
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