What is Acorn Jelly Powder (Dotorimuk Garu) ?
Acorn (Dotori 도토리) is the fruit of the oak tree Quercus dentata which is a species that grow in Korea, Japan and China. In Korean, it's called 떡갈나무 Tteok-Gal-Namu. The acorns from this tree is used to make acorn jelly Dotorimuk (도토리묵) or acorn noodles or Dotoriguksu (도토리국수). It has been one of the local delicacies of mountainous regions.
Because acorns are quite bitter and astringent, the acorns need to be dried, soaked, ground, then rinsed several times and then the sediment is then collected and dried again to make powder. To see how you can make jelly from the powder, you can read How to make Dotorimuk post here.
Not To Be Confused With
Cheongpo Muk powder or 청포묵 가루 - this is a creamy white (very very light blue) jelly made from mung beans.
Where and What To Buy
You can buy Dotorimuk powder from most Korean Grocery stores and online. Look for powders that are 100% acorn powder and not have other ingredients. Which then you can make a Gluten-Free jelly. You may be able to also collect fresh acorns in the wild and make your own powder but it's a long process.
How to Use/Cook
You can make Dotorimuk (acorn jelly) using the powder. I have a full recipe and video HERE.
Raw acorns have tanins which are poisonous so be sure to process it properly into powder form before consuming it. The acorn powder needs to be rinsed in water many times to remove the tanins so please learn how to do it before trying to make the powder yourself.
How to Clean/Store
Acorn jelly powder are fully dried so it can be stored in the pantry for a long time - months to years.
Nutrition/Health Info
- Dotorimuk is a great low calorie food. It has no sugar, no cholesterol and little bit of protein and fiber. Also very low sodium and carb.
- A single serving of 10g of Dotorimuk powder has only about 40 kcal so it's definitely a great diet food. But of course, the seasoning sauce will add more calories and sodium.
