Making of traditional Korean dessert Songpyeon on Chuseok, the thanks giving day

To celebrate the important custom of Chuseok, Korean Cultural Center India organised a special “Songpyeon Making Workshop” on September 13th. Songpyeon is a Korean traditional dessert that is representative of the Chuseok custom and resembles the Indian traditional sweet dish of gujiya, that is popularly eaten during Holi. The songpyeon was prepared in three different colours using natural ingredients.

In Korea, Chuseok is one of the three major seasonal customs, and it celebrates the end of the farming season, and is marked by offering songpyeon made from new rice and fresh fruits. Further, there is a tradition of looking at the brightest full moon of the year on a dark night and making a wish with family members. Some of the customs associated with Chuseok in Korea are similar to those associated with the various harvest festivals in India, such as Baisakhi, Magh Bihu, Pongal, etc.

This is an occasion in which family members from different parts of the country gather usually at the residence of their parents and share close familial bonds. All these festivals celebrate the abundance of harvest and family members and neighbours gather together to share a variety of traditional foods and sweets.

In Korea, it has been a longstanding belief that if a young woman makes beautiful songpyeon, she will meet a good husband, and if a pregnant woman makes beautiful songpyeon, she will give birth to a beautiful daughter. This tradition led to the practice of putting great care and attention into making songpyeon.

This tradition can also be seen in some popular K-dramas. For instance, in “Start-Up,” starring popular singer and actress Suzy and Kim Seon-ho, there is a scene that romantically and modernly depicts this traditional Korean custom. In the drama, Suzy and Kim Seon-ho are shown making songpyeon together.

Although Suzy tries to teach Kim Seon-ho how to make songpyeon, her own songpyeon turns out to be somewhat large and unattractive, leading to humorous moments. In contrast, Kim Seon-ho’s songpyeon is small and beautifully made, highlighting the stark difference between their creations.

Making songpyeon together thus signifies not just making food but also sharing affection and strengthening relationships.

In Korea, during Chuseok, several voting service platforms conduct surveys on the theme, “Which star is likely to make beautiful songpyeon during Chuseok?” In 2020, Kang Daniel from Wanna One ranked first, in 2021, V from BTS took first place, and in 2023, Jin from BTS was voted as the idol with the best skills for making songpyeon. In 2016, BTS also overwhelmingly ranked first among male idols who people wanted to make songpyeon with.

Inspired by Korean dramas, the Korean Cultural Centre India organized a special Chuseok program where participants could make traditional songpyeon. The event held at Korean Cultural Centre India was special as it provided the opportunity to 11 Korean staff members and Korean language instructors along with 80 Korean language students to make songpyeon, in three different colours – orange, white and green.

Songpyeon, a ‘K-dessert’ that is essential to the Chuseok tea table, is similar in its preparation and ingredients to gujiya, and therefore the students who were preparing it for the first time were able to do it with considerable ease.

Songpyeon is prepared by cutting dough into appropriate sizes, adding an element of filling that can be made from a variety of ingredients including red bean paste, toasted sesame seeds, and chestnuts. After this, the dough is moulded into a half-moon shape, which is quite similar to the shape of a gujiya. The only difference is that songpyeon is made by steaming rice flour dough, while gujiya is made by frying the dough.

This event was a great opportunity for local Indian students to learn about the origins of Chuseok and understand the customs related to it. Apart from making three-coloured songpyeon to celebrate Chuseok, the students also got to experience traditional games and take part in other diverse programs that are associated with this Korean seasonal custom.

Mansi Tyagi, a student who made songpyeon for the first time at this event, said, “In India, during the festive occasions such as Holi or Eid, we have a culture of preparing traditional sweets and sharing it with the family. Similarly on the occasion of Chuseok, we learnt how to make songpyeon. It was fairly easy as the ingredients and the method was similar to the way gujiya is prepared during Holi. I would love to take home the colourful songpyeon and share it with my family members.”

Hwang Il Yong, Director of Korean Cultural Centre India said, “At Korean Cultural Centre India, we all celebrated Chuseok together. This is a time for families in Korea to come together and be thankful for the year’s harvest. Chuseok is a harvest celebration, much like the Indian festivals of Baisakhi or Pongal. One important part of the Chuseok tradition is making Songpyeon with family members. It is a special rice cake, similar to the Indian Gujiya made during Holi. I hope you all enjoy the Songpyeon made here by Indian students and Korean staff. Korea and India share a deep cultural bond and many beautiful similarities. We aim to strengthen our connection through shared values, mutual trust, and common cultural goals. I wish you all a very happy Chuseok!”