Egyptian Qatayef Vs Korean Songpyeon

 



As far as I remember, I attended a Songpyeon-making workshop back in 2014, although I'm not sure of the exact date. During the workshop, we were given pre-made rice flour dough and instructed on how the festival is celebrated in Korea. We filled the dough with brown sugar, sesame seeds, or nuts, and folded it into a half-moon shape. While folding it, the shape reminded me of the Egyptian dessert "Qatayef," which is a festive dish during the month of Ramadan. The main difference between the two desserts is the dough ingredients: Songpyeon is made from rice flour and steamed, while Qatayef is made from flour, fried, and dipped in sugar syrup.


I tried Songpyeon just once, but I didn't like it. Its taste was a bit strange for me. I'm not sure why. Maybe it was because back then I used to prefer sweet things, and this wasn't very sweet. Or perhaps I wasn't familiar with Korean food at that time.

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