Negotiating the Boundaries of Healing and the Home: Madam Yi’s Yakgwa

Background & Introduction

Written in the early nineteenth-century (c.1809) by Yi Pinghŏgak (henceforth Madam Yi), a member of the yangban elite, the Kyuhap ch’ongsŏ (규합총서, The Encyclopedia of women’s daily lives) sought to provide women of the late Chosŏn period (1392-1910), specifically those within her family, with a variety of essential information that would aid in successful household management. The diverse contents of the Kyuhap ch’ongsŏ are organized into five volumes and range from recipes for food and beverages to instructions for keeping a (spiritually) clean household spiritually [1]. Despite its myriad contents, however, the text is united by a common aim: preserving health.

Madam Yi, asserts that “the main gist of this book” is “to attend to one’s health” and the health of their family [2]. In fact it is this drive to attend to health that seemingly excuses what Madam Yi identifies as the transgressive nature of her text. According to Madam Yi, “for the most part, womenfolk’s activities do not leave the inner rooms. Even if one has more talent than others and intelligence to understand the things of old and new, it is not righteous for a woman to embrace this and not keep her beauty inside” [3]. She goes on to say that her writing is a result of “stupid foolishness,” but that it might be excused because of its focus on health and its dedication to providing “important methods for managing a household which will be truly useful and is something women should study” [4]. Overall, this text reveals much about the responsibilities of women during the late Chosǒn period, including the fact that medical knowledge was a primary requirement of effective household management and thus a critical base of knowledge for women to posses. With this in mind, it is clear that the Kyuhap ch’ongsŏ is poised as both a critical text for understanding conceptions of health and medicine during the late Chosŏn period.

Given these observations, through our reconstruction, we endeavored to explore how medicine, health, and food are presented within a recipe for yakgwa the Kyuhap ch’ongsŏ. By reconstructing Madam Yi’s recipe for yakgwa, we are able to gain insight not only into Madam Yi, but also into the social environment within which Madam Yi is writing, the social discourses and beliefs which Madam Yi draws upon, challenges, and/or perpetuates.

Figure 1. Yakgwa produced within the present trial. Shape: round. Decoration: pine nuts

Deconstructing Madam Yi’s Yakgwa Recipe

Madam Yi’s Recipe for Medicine Cookies (Yakkwa) [5]

The reason yumilgwa are called medicine cookies is because flour is a resource for the vital energy (氣) from the four seasons, honey is the best of the medicines, and oil kills insects and detoxifies as well.

To make one mal (18 liters) of yakkwa, three toe (5.4 liters) of oil and honey each are needed and a lot of soaking syrup (chŭpch’ŏng) as well.

Put two toe (3.6 liters) of honey, one-half toe (0.9 liters) of oil, a little less than one small bowl ( posigi) of soju in a bowl and knead quite a bit until it is well mixed.

Put the dough on a tray, roll it out with a wooden roller, make shapes of yakkwa or tasikkwa as one likes, put oil on them, and spread them out one by one with space between the pieces.

Fry them over a charcoal fire but make sure not to burn them by turning over with a spoon [frequently]. If the cookie floats, press it down with the spoon until it is cooked thoroughly.

When the top cracks open take it out and drench it in soaking syrup mixed with cinnamon powder, black pepper powder, dried ginger powder, and ginger juice. Remove it only when the syrup has thoroughly soaked the inside of the confection.

Dry by exposing to air; sprinkle with chopped pinenuts and serve.

Figure 2. Annotated recipe. Personal annotations include initial calculations and estimations, and general questions.

In order to begin baking, I first had to annotate Madam Yi’s recipe for yakgwa. Through these annotations, I was able to isolate a number of “problems” that had to be addressed through the experiment. These challenges and my methods for overcoming them are outlined below.

Challenges

Lack of specificity

Indeterminate measurements / quantities
Unspecified substance types (oil, flour)
lack of instruction on spacing, number of cookies

Addressing the Challenges

Strategies for Addressing the Challenges

Focused External Research
- identification of (likely) flour type
- identification of soaking syrup ingredients
Reliance Upon Tacit Knowledge & Trusting Personal Judgement
Trial by Fire: Testing Strategies during the bake

Making Yakgwa, Attending to One’s Health

The Finalized Recipe

Ingredients (for 1/18 of original recipe, or 1L of yakgwa)

Total Ingredients:

*Note: ingredients lacking specific measurements were determined using tacit knowledge (and influenced by personal preference). These measurements are written in color.

Oil: 5.4L / 18 = 0.3L = 1.27 cups
Honey: 5.4L / 18 = 0.3L = 1.27 cups
Flour: 2 cups
Water: 1 tbsp
Rice Syrup (jocheong): 0.42 cups
Black Pepper Powder: 1/8 tsp
Cinnamon Powder: 1/2 tsp
Ginger juice: 1/4 tsp
Ginger Powder: 1/2 tsp

Ingredients by Part:

Dough
- Oil: 0.9L / 18 = 0.05L = 0.21 cups
- Honey: 3.6L / 18 = 0.2L = 0.85 cups
Soaking Syrup / Jeupcheong
- Honey: 1.27 cups - 0.85 cups = 0.42 cups
- Water: 1 tbsp
- Rice syrup (jocheong): 0.42 cups
- Black Pepper Powder: 1/8 tsp
- Cinnamon Powder: 1/2 tsp
- Ginger juice: 1/4 tsp
- Ginger Powder: 1/2 tsp
Frying
- Oil: 1.27 cups - 0.21 cups = 1.06 cups

The Process of Recreation (In Images)

I. Preparing the Dough:

II. Shaping the Yakgwa:

Figure 4. Creating the right shape (round yakgwa)

III. Making the soaking syrup (chǔpch’ǒng):

IV. Cooking (Frying) the Yakgwa:

V. Adding Finishing Touches:

Figure 7. Adding finishing touches to the yakgwa; soaking and decoration

VI. Taste Testing

Figure 8. Tasting the yakgwa and checking the bake

The Process of Recreation (In Words)

The process of recreation was truly daunting. Before even beginning the process, I decided that I would limit the amount of external research that would influence my bake. Specifically, I only allowed myself to consult the internet to identify what was meant by soaking syrup or chǔpch’ǒng and instead relied on previously acquired knowledge, specifically tacit knowledge acquired through years of baking with my family, to help guide my experiment. This decision was carefully calculated and was intended to force me to gain a greater intimacy with the text and generally allow me to better experience the text as a “consumer” and practitioner.

After deciding that I would limit my scope to Madam Yi’s recipe, I had to decide how I could most effectively set out with my reconstruction. It seemed to me that the most logical first step was to carefully read and annotate the recipe (see figure 2). Truthfully, I read the recipe a few times before I even put pen to paper, as I found its lack of apparent specificity a bit challenging. Thus, my annotations were primarily aimed at identifying and highlighting pressing questions to consider before and during the bake, and also at tracking the use of ingredients (and, where possible, their amounts) across the component parts (dough, soaking syrup, baking, etc.). While the method of annotating the recipe was incredibly helpful as a start, it could not answer all questions. For example, only oil and honey had specific, numerical measurements that allowed me to come to precise measurements of these ingredients at various parts of the process (in the dough, in the soaking syrup and in frying). All other ingredients had to be estimated using my judgement and tacit knowledge. For example, when making the soaking syrup, I thought that the ration of honey to rice syrup would be 1:1, so I decided to use 0.42 cups for both. Then, using my knowledge of backing and the consistency of the syrup, I felt that water, while unmentioned in the recipe, would need to be added. To be safe, I began with 1 tablespoon, and planned to reevaluate after mixing was complete (though I ended up staying at this amount). Then, I had to decide the amounts of black pepper powder, cinnamon powder, ginger juice, and ginger powder. These decisions were made primarily in accordance with my personal taste. While there were many estimations occurring, the most difficult (by far) was determining the amount of flour to use. I began with 1 cup and planned to incrementally add more, once mixing began and I could see the consistency of the dough. I ended up adding a total of 2 cups of flour to the dough, in addition to the flour applied to the dough while flattening and shaping it. Upon retrospect, I think more than 2 cups of flour would have improved the bake, though I believe that my results were largely successful.

Once the initial measurements were determined, I set out making the dough. I utilized my experience to ensure that the right consistency was achieved and, as mentioned, adjusted the amount of flour to do so. Once the dough was completed, I moved on to shaping the dough. While I was unsure of how large to make the circular yakgwa, I opted for a smaller circumference, since I knew that they would later expand. I used a tea bowl as a press to achieve the desired size and shape. Once I had each of my yakgwa formed, I set them aside and began the next steps. First, I began heating the oil in a stainless steal pan for frying. While I was waiting for the oil to come to temperature, I prepared the soaking sauce next. This step was relatively straightforward and my initial or proposed measurements held. After the sauce was prepared and the oil was ready, I placed four of my yakgwa into the oil with spacing between them. I must note here that, rather than using a thermometer to take the temperature of the oil, I opted for a simpler technique, one that I felt would be more “authentic” by placing a small amount of excess dough into the oil and looking for bubbles to form.

Once the yakgwa were in the oil, things became quite difficult, admittedly. Because I was not sure when to flip the yakgwa, trial by error took over at this point. My first attempt at flipping the yakgwa ended in disaster, with the cookie immediately falling apart. My second and third were slightly better, though I still flipped them too early. This was evident from the fact that a small part of the yakgwa separated upon flipping. After the first three failures, I became too conservative with the last remaining yakgwa from the first attempt, leading to it burning. While the first batch were unsuccessful, only yielding two, marginally successful yakgwa, the subsequent trials proved better and better. I quickly learned when to flip the yakgwa to avoid any mishap. After four rounds of frying (and 13 successful products), I then moved on to “drenching” the yakgwa in the soaking syrup. To complete this step, I submerged the entirety of the yalgwa into the bowl with the syrup, pressed down with a spoon, and then turned the yakgwa and repeated the process. I felt that this method would allow for the syrup to “soak the inside of the confection,” per Madam Yi’s instructions. After this, I applied the pine nuts and left them out to cool and set. However, I put one of the yakgwa into the refrigerator to expedite the process, so that I could taste test the yakgwa earlier and determine next steps. Based on yakgwa that I have had before, my recreation mirrored the consistency, but was perhaps a bit on the sweeter side.

Reflection

Commentary on the Experience

Throughout the process of reconstruction, great pains were taken to ensure the authenticity of the experience and accuracy of the recreation. For example, as previously mentioned, I did not utilize any external sources (except in identifying soaking syrup or chǔpch’ǒng) that might impact the baking process. I felt that ensuring that my knowledge was isolated to Madam Yi was particularly important to the experiment and, in the end, I feel that this decision was incredibly beneficial. In my rejection of modern recipes and techniques on making yakgwa, I effectively placed myself in the position of a “historical” reader, who would not have had such access. Furthermore, I situated myself in a prime position to be able to determine whether Madam Yi’s proved successful in one of her critical goals, as established in her preface: “to write broadly and explain in detail in each category so the meaning is clear and nuanced. If once this book is open and read, the meaning should be understood and easily followed” [6]. Additionally, I took efforts to ensure that, to the extent possible, all ingredients and methods were as close as possible to the original. For example, I mixed all ingredients by hand and I utilized alternative methods to gauge the temperature/readiness of the oil, rather than using a cooking thermometer.

Key Takeaways

By isolating my experience with yakgwa to Madam Yi’s recipe, I was forced to rely on only Madam Yi’s instructions and my own tacit knowledge to complete the recipe. By doing this, I achieved a greater intimacy with and understanding of the text which led to greater insights, a few of which I share here.

While conducting this experiment, there were a number of major takeaways that I felt presented themselves through the experience. These insights related both to Madam Yi and the Kyuhap ch’ongsŏ, but also to yakgwa.

Madam Yi

The recipe is particularly notable for its impersonal tone. While other entries in the Kyuhap ch’ongsŏ, including her recipe for making a sulfur bowl, include her own experiences and insights and unique voice, the recipe for yakgwa is distinctly devoid of such characteristics. The characteristics of these notes are of particular note in the articles of Ro Sang-ho, as cited below. This divergence in articulation is particularly thought provoking as it seems to suggest, at least to me, a strong likelihood that Madam Yi did not have personal experience with the recipe and was thus unable to write the recipe with the same level of familiarity and command over the material as in other entries.
The recipe for yakgwa is also notable for its utilization of medical language, which is more explicit here. While many of Madam Yi’s recipes are noted for boasting health benefits, the yakgwa recipe is unusually specific in noting the sources of these health benefits (oil, honey, and flour). To help further envision this point, we should consider that while honey is a recurring ingredient throughout the text, its medicinal uses or purposes are most explicitly articulated here.

Yakgwa

The recipe for yakgwa followed here boasts undeniable health benefits, as mentioned above, and is also clearly positioned, due to its observed use of rare ingredients (such as wheat flour) and large serving size, as an elite desert. The fact that the recipe was originally intended to produce 18L, an incredibly large amount, nods towards its preparation for a banquet setting, and also likely for religious observance. The effort to highlight the medical benefit of the yakgwa is notable because it further cements Madam Yi’s guiding beliefs that food is medicine and religion, duty, medicine and food are explicitly intertwined, especially in the daily life of yangban women.

Next Steps

Were I (or future students) to continue the exercise in historical reconstruction begun here, there are many promising avenues that one could take. Here, I will provide two specific avenues that I envision as being particularly noteworthy.

First, while I did not look at the trials of a previous student, Brooklyn Hollander, who also attempted to recreate Madam Yi’s yakgwa recipe before completion, I did read her post at the conclusion of my efforts. This gave me an idea for future practices. Specifically, while Brooklyn referred to Madam Chang and the Ŭmsik timibang (Recipes for tasty food) to help determine ingredients and measurements, I would challenge myself (or another student) to do further and compare yakgwa recipes. Similar to this, I also think it would be beneficial to compare Madam Yi’s yakgwa recipe with the recipe included in Seo Yu-gu’s Imwon Gyeongjeji. These comparisons would be particularly fascinating as scholars note that Madam Yi was doubtlessly influenced by previous works, including Seo Yu-gu’s [7]. Thus, finding points of convergence and divergence in ingredients and methodology, as well as in tone and delivery would be endlessly fascinating.

Second, given the explicit extension of yakgwa as medicine, it might be beneficial to conduct an experiment around trying Madam Yi’s various recipes that utilize honey, and to a lesser extent, oil and flour. It might also be beneficial to utilize Madam Yi’s source texts, especially Hŏ Chun’s Tongŭi pogam, to gain a better understanding of where Madam Yi’s knowledge of the medicinal benefits of different ingredients is coming from.

Works Cited

References

[1] Pettid, Michael J., and Kil Cha. “Translators’ Introduction.” In The Encyclopedia of Daily Life: A Woman’s Guide to Living in Late-Chosŏn Korea, pp. 5, 20.

[2] Pettid, Michael J., and Kil Cha. “Preface.” In The Encyclopedia of Daily Life: A Woman’s Guide to Living in Late-Chosŏn Korea, p. 38.

[3] Pettid, “Preface,” p. 38.

[4] Pettid, “Preface,” p. 38.

[5] Pettid, Michael J., and Kil Cha. “Volume 1, Liquor and Food, Part 2.” In The Encyclopedia of Daily Life: A Woman’s Guide to Living in Late-Chosŏn Korea, pp. 113-14.

[6] Pettid, “Preface,” p. 38.

[7] Pettid, “Preface,” p.8.

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Han, Hee-Sook. “Women’s Life during the Chosŏn Dynasty.” International Journal of Korean History 6 (12), 2004. https://ijkh.khistory.org/upload/pdf/6_05.pdf.

Kim, Seong-su. “From Woohwang Cheongsimwon (牛黃淸心元)* to Ginseng (人蔘) - the History of Medicine Use in the Joseon Era -**.” Korean Journal of Medical History 26 (2), 2017: 147–80. https://doi.org/10.13081/kjmh.2017.26.147.

Kim, Youngmin, and Michael J. Pettid. Women and Confucianism in Chosǒn Korea : New Perspectives. Albany: SUNY Press, 2011. https://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=e000xna&AN=408721&site=ehost-live&scope=site.

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Pettid, Michael J., and Kil Cha. “Preface.” In The Encyclopedia of Daily Life: A Woman’s Guide to Living in Late-Chosŏn Korea, 11:37–38. University of Hawai’i Press, 2021. https://doi.org/10.2307/j.ctv1bn9jks.6.

Pettid, Michael J., and Kil Cha. “Volume 1, Liquor and Food, Part 1.” In The Encyclopedia of Daily Life: A Woman’s Guide to Living in Late-Chosŏn Korea, 11:39–91. University of Hawai’i Press, 2021. https://doi.org/10.2307/j.ctv1bn9jks.7.

Pettid, Michael J., and Kil Cha. “Volume 1, Liquor and Food, Part 2.” In The Encyclopedia of Daily Life: A Woman’s Guide to Living in Late-Chosŏn Korea, 11:92–135. University of Hawai’i Press, 2021. https://doi.org/10.2307/j.ctv1bn9jks.8.

Pettid, Michael J., and Kil Cha. “Volume 4, Pregnancy and First Aid.” In The Encyclopedia of Daily Life: A Woman’s Guide to Living in Late-Chosŏn Korea, 11:136–204. University of Hawai’i Press, 2021. https://doi.org/10.2307/j.ctv1bn9jks.9.

Ro, Sang-ho. “Cookbooks and Female Writers in Late Chosŏn Korea.” Seoul Journal of Korean Studies 29 (1), 2016: 133–57. https://doi.org/10.1353/seo.2016.0000.

Ro, Sang-ho. “Daoist Alchemy and Female Empirical Knowledge.” Routledge, 2020. 91–115. https://doi.org/10.4324/9781003007586-5.