Korean Job's Tears Walnut Latte

Quick answer

Total time: 28 min
Level: Easy
Servings: 2 servings
Ingredients: 7

About this dish

Yulmu-hodu latte is a traditional Korean grain-based beverage prepared by combining job's tears and walnuts with milk to create a thick and consistent texture.

The preparation begins by soaking the job's tears in water for a minimum of two hours. This extended soaking period is necessary to soften the grains thoroughly, ensuring they pulverize completely during the blending process to avoid a gritty or sandy mouthfeel. Once softened, the job's tears are dry-toasted along with the walnuts in a pan. This heat application serves to caramelize the starches within the grains, which effectively removes the scent of raw grain and replaces it with a concentrated, roasted aroma. After the toasted ingredients are blended with milk, the liquid is passed through a fine strainer to achieve a smooth and silky finish. Sweetness is added using honey, accompanied by a small amount of salt to highlight the deep profile of the roasted nuts. A light sprinkle of ground cinnamon is applied to the surface to provide a subtle spice that balances the grounded flavor of the grain base. For cold servings, it is important to dissolve the honey while the liquid is still warm to ensure it distributes thoroughly throughout the drink instead of settling at the bottom of the container. The resulting beverage offers a depth of flavor and a rounded profile that is far more prominent than what is found in mass-produced, packaged versions of similar grain drinks.

Ingredients

servings

IngredientAmountUnit

job's tears70 gg

walnuts35 gg

milk500 mlml

water200 mlml

honey24 gg

salt1 gg

ground cinnamon1 gg

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Instructions

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

6 steps

1

Step

Rinse 70 g job's tears several times until the water runs mostly clear.

Soak them in cold water for at least 2 hours, then drain well in a sieve so excess water does not slow the toasting.
2

Control

Heat a dry pan over medium heat, then add the drained job's tears and 35 g walnuts.

Stir for about 3 minutes until surface moisture disappears and a toasted nutty aroma rises, avoiding any dark scorching.
3

Control

Pour 200 ml water and 250 ml milk into a pot, then add the toasted grains and walnuts.

Simmer over medium-low heat for about 12 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the job's tears feel soft when pressed.
4

Heat

Let the cooked mixture cool until the steam has eased, then transfer it to a blender.

Do not fill the blender tightly while hot, and blend until the grain particles are no longer noticeable.
5

Control

Pass the blended mixture through a fine sieve once to remove coarse skins and fiber.

Stir in the remaining 250 ml milk, then warm it gently over low heat without bringing it to a hard boil.
6

Season

Stir in 24 g honey and 1 g salt until fully dissolved, especially if serving cold later.

Pour into cups, sprinkle with 1 g ground cinnamon, and shake or stir again after chilling to recombine separation.

Practical Cooking Checks

The cues that matter most while cooking.

Key technique: Soaking Job's tears for two hours ensures that this Yulmu-hodu-latte blends into a smooth, nutty drink.
Finish cue: Simmer over medium-low heat for about 12 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the job's tears feel soft when pressed.
Avoid this: Do not fill the blender tightly while hot, and blend until the grain particles are no longer noticeable.
Substitution: For cold servings, it is important to dissolve the honey while the liquid is still warm to ensure it distributes thoroughly throughout the drink instead of settling at the bottom of the container.