Barley Puff Brittle (Korean Puffed Barley Walnut Sesame Candy)

Quick answer

Total time: 35 min
Level: Medium
Servings: 4 servings
Ingredients: 7

About this dish

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.

Ingredients

servings

IngredientAmountUnit

puffed barley180 gg

rice syrup120 gg

sugar25 gg

honey20 gg

sesame oil8 mlml

toasted sesame seeds12 gg

walnuts40 gg

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Instructions

Read the steps as a cooking flow: prep, heat, seasoning, doneness control, and finish.

6 steps

1

Finish

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.
2

Control

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.
3

Control

Reduce heat to low, add 8ml sesame oil, and quickly stir into the syrup to help the bubbling subside before adding the dry ingredients.
4

Step

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.
5

Control

Transfer the mixture to a square pan lined with parchment, cover it with a second sheet, and press firmly with a spatula to a thickness of 1.5 cm.
6

Prep

Score the surface into serving-size pieces before it fully cools, then break or cut completely once cool and store in an airtight container.

Practical Cooking Checks

The cues that matter most while cooking.

Key technique: Rice malt syrup cooked to 118°C ensures a crisp, non-sticky finish for this Bori-gangjeong barley brittle.
Finish cue: 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.
Storage and reheating: Score the surface into serving-size pieces before it fully cools, then break or cut completely once cool and store in an airtight container.