| Tarak-juk | |
| Alternate Name: | Uyu-juk, milk porridge |
| Country: | Korea |
| National Cuisine: | Korean cuisine |
| Type: | Juk |
| Served: | Warm |
| Main Ingredient: | Milk, ground rice |
| Korean name | |
| Hangul: | 타락죽 |
| Hanja: | 駝酪粥 |
| Rr: | tarak-juk |
| Mr: | t'arak-chuk |
| Koreanipa: | pronounced as /ko/ |
| Hangul1: | 우유죽 |
| Hanja1: | 牛乳粥 |
| Rr1: | uyu-juk |
| Mr1: | uyu-juk |
| Koreanipa1: | pronounced as /ko/ |
Tarak-juk (ko|타락죽), also called uyu-juk (ko|우유죽) or milk porridge, is a juk, or Korean porridge, made with milk and rice (glutinous japonica variety).[1] It was a part of the Korean royal court cuisine and was also patronized by yangban (scholarly-officials).[2]
The Korean word (Korean: 타락죽, pronounced as /ko/) is a compound consisting of (Korean: 타락, pronounced as /ko/) meaning "dairy" and (Korean: 죽, pronounced as /ko/) meaning "porridge".
The word is derived from the Korean transliteration of the Mongolian word (Mongolian: ᠲ᠋ᠠ᠊ᠷᠠ᠊ᠬ) or Old Turkic .[3] [4] [5] Cognates include modern Mongolian (Mongolian: тараг) and Kurdish Kurdish: toraq, both meaning "cheese". As suggested by its etymology, traditional Korean tarak was heavily influenced by the customs of Central Asian—especially Mongolian— fermented milk products.
The history of tarak-juk dates back to the consumption of milk in Korean history. The Kingdom of Goryeo (918–1392) kept Yuu-so (dairy cow office), and nobles consumed nakso (cheese). However, dairy cattle were rare and usually milk was available only after a cow gave birth.[6] Moreover, the freshness of milk was a vital factor as it could not be delivered over long distances. Therefore, milk was considered a supplementary food for special occasions or a recovery food after illness.
During the Joseon era (1392–1897), the dairy cow office was relocated to a royal court ranch on Mount Naksan east of Seoul. It was renamed Tarak-saek (dairy department). Royal physicians took charge of gathering milk and making tarak-juk to present to the king.[7] From the tenth lunar month to the first month of the next lunar year, they offered tarak-juk to the royal court. The Hall of Senior Officials also offered tarak-juk to elderly officials. Recipes for tarak-juk are recorded in the Joseon books such as Revised and Augmented Farm Management and the Women's Encyclopedia.[8] [9]
Pre-soaked glutinous rice is ground by millstone, sieved, and left to settle. The deposits of ground rice, called muri, are boiled, and milk is added slowly on a gentle simmer over a low flame with constant stirring. Salt is then added, to sweeten the porridge, honey can be added. The ratio between milk and muri recorded in the Women's Encyclopedia is 1:0.8, with adjustments allowed according to taste. However, the book advises the amount of muri should not exceed that of milk.