Created by Jo Gwigeum, Sim Boksun | Invented 1934 | |
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Alternative names Hodo-gwaja, walnut cookies, walnut cakes, walnut pastries Similar Bungeo‑ppang, Gukhwa‑ppang, Hotteok, Gyeran‑ppang, Hoppang | ||
Korean food 31 hodu gwaja
Hodu-gwaja (호두과자; "walnut cookie") is a type of cookie originated from Cheonan, South Korea. It is also known by the name hodo-gwaja (호도과자; which is not the Standard Korean spelling but the name used by Hakhwa walnut cookies, the company that first produced the confection.) in and outside Korea, and is commonly translated as walnut cookies, walnut cakes, and walnut pastries in English.
Contents
It is a walnut-shaped baked confection with red bean paste filling, and the outer dough made of skinned and pounded walnuts and wheat flour. Ones that are made in Cheonan, South Chungcheong Province, are called Cheonan hodu-gwaja, being a local specialty.
History
Hodu-gwaja was first made in 1934 by Jo Gwigeum and Sim Boksun, who were married couple living in Cheonan. The method was developed based on those of traditional Korean confectioneries and the influence from Imperial Japan, as the cookie was developed during the period of Japanese forced occupation (1910–1945).
Outside Cheonan, it was popularized in the 1970s, often sold in train stations and inside the train via catering trolleys. Nowadays it is sold in most regions in South Korea including Seoul, and also in the cities of other countries, such as Los Angeles and San Diego in the United States.