Korean Acorn Jelly (Dotorimuk Muchim)

Learn how to make delicious seasoned Korean acorn jelly (dotorimuk)! This light and flavorful side dish features a soft and bouncy textured acorn jelly. When you pair it with fresh vegetables and dressing, it makes for a delicious salad that’s hard to resist. It’s addictive!

My Early Adventures in Making Traditional Dotorimuk

When I was a child, I sometimes went hiking in the nearby hills with my mom, dragging my little bicycle alongside. We would pick up acorns that had fallen on the ground. We didn’t hike a lot, but by the time we headed back, the basket on my bicycle was always full of acorns. Upon return, my mom would then shell the acorns, leach the tannins by soaking the inner nuts in cold water for several days (yes, changing the water multiple times in between!), dry them, and grind them into flour. It was quite the project! And now, thinking about it, I realize how fortunate I was to experience this process firsthand and get to share with you here.

Also, back then, I didn’t really appreciate the flavor of dotorimuk, but now, I absolutely love it. I think it’s because I know how much work goes into this dish when you make it the very traditional way.

Why Make it at Home

This Korean appetizer and side dish is particularly popular amongst people who appreciate slightly bitter taste that blends wonderfully with bold and umami rich flavors.

Dotorimuk (도토리묵), made from acorn starch, has a unique gelatin-like consistency and is often referred to as Korean acorn jelly. It has a very mild bitterness and not much flavor on its own, so Koreans love to season it with soy sauce, gochugaru (Korean chili flakes), sesame oil, and green onions to create the delicious dish known as Dotorimuk Muchim.

Dotorimuk Muchim (도토리묵 무침) is also a favorite among mountain hikers, often enjoyed with pajeon (Korean pancake) and makgeolli (Korean rice wine). There are many restaurants that sell these foods at the foot of the famous Korean mountains. It really is such a treat!

So, I highly recommend you give this a try! Enjoy!

Ingredients

Dotorimuk – Korean Acorn Jelly from Scratch

• 1/2 cup acorn starch
• 3 cup water
• 1/2 tsp fine sea salt
• 1/2 tsp perilla oil or sesame oil (If possible, I recommend using perilla oil, as it enhances the flavor of dotorimuk significantly.)

Dotorimuk Muchim – Korean Acorn Jelly Salad

• 420g / 15 ounces Korean acorn jelly (dotorimuk), thinly sliced (1 to 1.5 cm / 0.6 inch thickness), this can be made from scratch or purchased from a Korean grocer or banchan store.
• 55g / 1.9 ounce, cucumber (English or Lebanese), thinly sliced
• 30g / 1.1 ounce, onion (I used half a yellow onion and half a purple onion.)
• 25g / 0.9 ounce, carrot, julienned
• 20g / 0.7 ounce, lettuce leaves, thinly sliced (I used oak leaves lettuce and baby cos lettuce.)

Acorn Jelly Seasoning

• 1.5 Tbsp soy sauce, regular
• 1 tsp dark brown sugar
• 1 tsp sesame oil 
• 1 tsp green onion, finely chopped
• 1/2 tsp Korean chilli flakes (gochugaru)
• 1/2 tsp minced garlic
• 1/4 tsp roasted sesame seeds

* 1 Tbsp = 15 ml, 1 Cup = 250 ml

** If you want to learn more about Korean ingredients, check my essential Korean cooking ingredients list!

How To Make

Dotorimuk

1. In a medium-sized pot, combine the acorn starch with water. Stir continuously while cooking over medium heat.
2. As the mixture begins to thicken (it takes about 3 minutes for induction and 4 minutes 30 seconds for a gas stove), add the salt. Reduce the heat to low and continue stirring for 20 minutes.

3. Incorporate the perilla oil (or sesame oil) and cook for an additional 10 minutes over low heat, continuing to stir.

4. Transfer the acorn jelly into a container and let it cool at room temperature for 1 hour. After cooling, cover with the lid and refrigerate for at least 4 hours before using.

Dotorimuk Muchim

My favorite way to serve acorn jelly is to mix it with salad vegetables and dressing all together in a bowl first. It allows the jelly and vegetables to really soak up the sauce, enhancing the flavors beautifully. But if you don’t want to serve it with vegetables, simply place the sliced acorn jelly on a plate, spread the seasoning over the top using a spoon, and then serve.

1. Combine the seasoning sauce and mix well.

2. Place the salad ingredients (cucumber, onion, carrot, and lettuce) in a mixing bowl. Add half of the seasoning sauce and mix well.

3. Add the acorn jelly and the remaining seasoning sauce. Mix carefully and lightly but thoroughly (if you mix it too hard, the acorn jelly will break.)

4. Serve with a bowl of rice and other Korean side dishes.

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