The Korean word – Hobak (호박) is a generic term for pumpkin, squash (US) and zucchini. But when we refer to Hobakjuk (호박죽), it is usually made with danhobak (단호박), which is known as kabocha squash, Japanese pumpkin, and Kent pumpkin in some English speaking countries.
Among other benefits, pumpkin porridge is known for reducing swelling after surgery in Korea. So it’s a popular get well gift.
The porridge is often seasoned with sugar, but as kabocha squash is naturally sweet, you can reduce it or even skip it per your preference.
Bingsu / Bingsoo (빙수) is probably the most sought after summer dessert in Korea. Bingsu means Korean shaved ice dessert.
When I was little, I only knew one kind of bingsu and that’s patbingsu. But nowadays you can see many varieties of bingsu (e.g. oreo bingsu, mango bingsu and green tea bingsu) depending on the toppings used, and the list seems keep expanding.
Now let’s put a spotlight on our topic, patbingsu today. Patbingsu / Patbingsoo / Pat bing soo (팥빙수) means Korean shaved ice with red beans.
These red beans are boiled, mashed then sweetened, so it’s soft and sweet. It goes very well in dessert. (Check out some of my red bean paste snack recipes from here: Korean donut balls and Korean style taiyaki.
While you can make this red bean paste from scratch at home, you can buy the sweetened red bean paste from a Korean / Asian grocery store. This makes the patbingsu making so much easier and quicker! (This is my favorite red paste brand.)
All about Korean Cuisine 