Dotori Muk aka Korean Acorn Jelly
What is Acorn Jelly aka Dotori Muk?
Acorn Jelly is made by boiling acorn powder and setting it into jelly. Acorns are harvested then soaked in water then shelled. The nuts are then ground into powder. Acorns are much too high in tannins which are toxic to consume. However tannins are water-soluble so soaking or boiling with water makes it safe to eat.
Rinse and strain the powder until the water runs clear - this is a multi-day process that requires rinsing at least twice a day. It is very possible to forage your own acorns to do this (live off the land!) but it is very labour and time-intensive. You will find bags of acorn powder for sale at the Korean grocery store or online.
However, here are some instructive articles to help you do it from scratch if that’s your thing. Koreans just call it Acorn Powder and refer to it as a starch, but I think it’s more commonly known as a flour in North America. This blog (Hunter Angler Gardener Cook) is run by a James Beard award-winning chef and author. He has a detailed post (with pictures) on how to properly leach acorns and prepare it into flour here. Here’s another one from Tyrant Farms that makes you want to go forage for acorns in a forest near you.
What does Acorn Jelly taste like?
Acorns taste richly nutty, with hints of a bitter aftertaste. Like chestnuts, they are much different in flavour than almonds or walnuts. When prepared as a jelly, it is quite flavourless. Although when comparing it with ChungPo Muk (Jelly made with Mung Bean powder), it’s noticeably nutty. That’s why it goes so well with the very assertive Korean dressing (consisting of soy sauce).
Is Acorn Jelly sweet?
It may look like Jell-O with the colour of velvety chocolate, but sorry to burst your bubble, Dotori Muk is not sweet.
What do Koreans do with Acorns?
Koreans mostly prepare Dotori Muk, a sliced jelly side dish with acorn powder. With the same preparation of boiling acorn powder in water, noodles can be made as well.
Is Dotori Muk vegan?
Dotori Muk is made from acorn powder which are simply acorns (a nut) so it is completely vegan. What you have to watch out for is the dressing- as some soy sauces may contain animal flavour enhancers. Ensuring you buy a minimally processed soy sauce (like Q-Rapha’s traditional Korean soy sauce containing only whole soybeans, salt, water) should make dishes like Dotori Muk Muchim (Seasoned Acorn Jelly) safely vegan mixed with toasted sesame oil (oil from sesame seeds) and gochugaru (Korean red pepper powder).
Does Acorn Jelly have gelatin?
Acorn jelly or Dotori Muk in Korean sets like a very spring-y Jell-O so you may suspect gelatin being involved. However, you’ll be pleased to know that it’s the starch in acorn powder that gives it its bounce. Acorn jelly contains no gelatin at all.
How to make Dotori Muk:
Buy Acorn Powder 도토리 가루 (Acorn Powder)
Add powder to water at a ratio of 1:6 respectively.
Add a bit of salt.
Use a whisk to combine.
Stir with a wooden spoon at a medium-high heat until it begins to thicken.
Add a spoonful of oil.
Lower heat and stir continuously making sure nothing sticks to the bottom (this may take 20-30 minutes- yikes).
When it’s very thick, turn off heat and cover to rest for 10 minutes.
Pour mixture into heat-safe dish.
Smooth out the top if visuals are important to you.
Let it rest on the counter until completely cool. It’s done.
I’m planning on following this video, it’s in Korean, but is pretty self-explanatory.
How to make Dotori Muk Muchim (Seasoned Acorn Jelly):
Slice into bite-sized pieces that look nice to you. Many Koreans cut it with a wavy knife like this, which acts like a potato crinkle cutter to make it nice-looking.
Mix soy sauce, sesame oil and gochugaru (if you want it a bit spicy). Also garlic if you’re feeling it.
Drizzle on acorn jelly slices.
Garnish with toasted sesame seeds and crushed seaweed sheets*. Optional are sliced green onions and/or peppers.
Bulk it up into a real salad by layering this on a healthy serving of greens* of your choice.
Notes:
You can use any dried seaweed sheets. It can be the oiled and salted seaweed snack type or the unseasoned variety- whatever you have is good. It’s best if it’s roasted though (you can easily roast them by giving them a few passes over a hot, dry pan). Sushi nori sheets are fine too. Crush them in your hands or cut them with scissors.
Koreans usually use lettuce and perilla leaves.
Dotori Muk is a refreshing side dish at the table, especially if a meal is meat-heavy. It’s also a good alternative if you’re feeling like something light. In Korea, it’s a popular diet food as it’s low in calories and relatively low in carbs as well.
It has also recently been recognized as being a superfood for those suffering from diabetes. So much so that this article was written: “Humans are gobbling up acorns, driving squirrels nuts” by the Wall Street Journal. You may get a bit of a laugh (like I did at first) but it’s a serious issue for the squirrels😥!
I made a Youtube video making Dotori Muk, go on, go check it out.