Grain Free Jat-juk And Crying In H Mart

One of my favorite pandemic reads was a memoir, Crying In H Mart, by Michelle Zauner. From Goodreads:

A memoir about growing up Korean American, losing her mother, and forging her own identity. Michelle Zauner tells of growing up one of the few Asian American kids at her school in Eugene, Oregon; of struggling with her mother’s particular, high expectations of her; of a painful adolescence; of treasured months spent in her grandmother’s tiny apartment in Seoul, where she and her mother would bond, late at night, over heaping plates of food.

As she grew up, moving to the East Coast for college, finding work in the restaurant industry, and performing gigs with her fledgling band–and meeting the man who would become her husband–her Koreanness began to feel ever more distant, even as she found the life she wanted to live. It was her mother’s diagnosis of terminal cancer, when Michelle was twenty-five, that forced a reckoning with her identity and brought her to reclaim the gifts of taste, language, and history her mother had given her.

So you can see how this book appealed to me, there was food involved! It also spoke to me as her relationship with her mother was complex and complicated. I highly recommend this book if either of those speak to you, as well. Also, we shop at the H Mart near us regularly so having read the book added another layer when visiting. If you don’t have an H Mart (Korean) near you, a large Asian market would be similar like 99 Ranch Market (Chinese). Both are great for finding foods other than what you find in an standard American grocery store.

One of the recipes in the story is a basic porridge made from rice and pine nuts that the family makes for the mother in her last days when she won’t eat. This brings back my own memories of my grandfather’s last days and it seems to be a common phenomena when our bodies are ready for us to let go. Without giving away too much of the book, the simple meal was what her mother wanted rather than any of the other recipes that Michelle remembered being her mother’s favorites. It would be like a craving for chicken noodle soup when someone wants to give you a fancy dish from your favorite restaurant. The meal fills you up with warmth both physically and emotionally. There are memories attached.

Food was how my mother expressed her love. No matter how critical or cruel she could seem—constantly pushing me to meet her intractable expectations—I could always feel her affection radiating from the lunches she packed and the meals she prepared for me just the way I liked them.

-Michelle Zauner, Crying In H Mart

The porridge is known as Jat-Juk or Pine Nut Porridge and how it was described in the book made me long to try it. Oh, how I love the foresty nuttiness of pine nuts. And maybe it would be perfect as a breakfast for the trail?

Jat-juk has a rich Korean history, one that is often past down through generations. Here is a little snip from a post on My Seoul ND Your Seoul:

Everyone loves Jat-juk (pine nut porridge) because of its velvety texture and fragrant smell. This porridge was once reserved as a restorative food for the sick or elderly, or as breakfast for important guests, not only because of its aromatic and nutty flavor, but also because pine nuts were a rare and expensive ingredient.

If you can eat plain ‘ol white rice (and sometimes I do), I suggest making the dish as is to keep in line with the tradition of the meal. Like many classic dishes, there are many versions on the interweb but the above one seemed to stick with how it was made in the book best. There are really are only four ingredients:

Rice
Pine Nuts
Salt
Water

For the blog, however, I opted to try making it with a grain alternative. Cauliflower was definitely not going to cut it (not creamy enough) so I went with malanga or taro root. The Curious Coconut talks about it as an AIP rice alternative here, you can usually find it at the Asian market near you. I also added some collagen powder for extra protein, you could use your favorite plain protein powder.

The first time I prepared the malanga, I “riced” it in the food processor and steamed it similar to when I process African yam. However, the next few times I just cut it into 1″ cubes since it all gets pureed anyway. If you are in a hurry, ricing would reduce your cook time.

I made my version thicker so it would have less time in the dehydrator, if you are making this for home the traditional way would be for it thinner. If you have any opinions about oatmeal, you know there are those who like it thick as paste and those who enjoy it on the thinner side. It may be the same with Jat-juk but it was meant to be served more like a heavy broth or a warm vichyssoise.

Your first step is to rinse and peel 4-6 small malanga, cutting off the ends. A knife works better than a peeler. Cut it into 1″ chunks and place in water, you want about 4 cups.

Add to a saucepan, cover with water and boil for about 15 minutes until soft and mushes with a fork.

While the malanga is cooking, add 1/4 cup of pine nuts and 1 cup of water to the food processor and pulse until it becomes a slurry. When the malanga is cooked, add it to the slurry along with the 1/4 cup collagen and 1 teaspoon salt. Puree all together until a creamy consistency, this recipe makes about 4 cups of thick porridge.

Spread the puree as thin and even as you can on 4 separate lined trays and dry on the fruit/vegetable setting (135 degrees) for about 12 hours until brittle. You may flip it over part way through to get both sides evenly.

Once completely dry, add it back to the food processor and pulse until it makes a fine powder. There will be some small chunks of pine nut and that is okay. When adding it to individual bags for the trail, you can add more pine nuts and collagen if you would like. A 1/4 cup of dry powder needs 1/2 cup of hot water to rehydrate. You can adjust for your own personal tastes!

This has turned out to be one of my favorite breakfasts the last two years, that creamy texture mixed with the pine nut flavor make it perfect for fueling up on outdoor adventures. And if you have read the book, you will also appreciate each time you enjoy it how a special dish can connect you with some of your favorite memories and people.

Grain Free Jat-Juk

A simple malanga and pine nut porridge in the style of traditional Korean Jat-Juk perfect for dehydrating to eat while backpacking.

Prep Time
10minutes mins

Cook Time
15 minutes

Dehydrating
12 hours

Total Time
12 hours, 25 minutes

Course: Breakfast

Cuisine: Dairy Free, Gluten Free, Paleo, Whole Food

Servings: 8 servings

Ingredients

4-6 small malanga or taro
1/4 cup pine nuts
1/4 cup collagen optional
1 cup water
1 teaspoon sea salt
pine nuts extra to add in after drying

Instructions

Your first step is to rinse and peel 4-6 small malanga, cutting off the ends. A knife works better than a peeler.
Cut it into 1″ chunks and place in water, you want about 4 cups.
Add to a saucepan, cover with water and boil for about 15 minutes until soft and mushes with a fork.
While the malanga is cooking, add 1/4 cup of pine nuts and 1 cup of water to the food processor and pulse until it becomes a slurry.
When the malanga is cooked, add it to the slurry along with the 1/4 cup collagen and 1 teaspoon salt.
Puree all together to make a porridge, this recipe makes 4 cups of thick.
Spread the puree as thin and even as you can on 4 separate lined trays and dry on the fruit/vegetable setting (135 degrees) for about 12 hours until brittle. You may flip it over part way through to get both sides evenly.
Once completely dry, add it back to the food processor and pulse until it makes a fine powder. When adding it to individual bags for the trail, you can add more pine nuts and collagen if you would like.
A 1/4 cup of dry powder needs 1/2 cup of hot water to rehydrate. You can adjust for your own personal tastes!
On The Trail
Pour 1/2 cup hot water into a small container with 1/4 cup of powdered porridge. Let rest 5-10 minutes and stir.