It is a traditional Korean drink made on holidays and special family days, but it is also delicious anytime. You can serve it warm or cold, depending on your personal preferences. You can even make sikhye slushies. Variations can be served with other ingredients that take the punch in new directions.

Sikhye is one of my favorite Korean beverages and I love to drink it at just above freezing any time of year.

Basic Ingredients
8 ounces malted barley four
1 cup sweet rice
1 gallon water + 3/4 cup (for cooking rice)
1/2 cup sugar

Optional Flavorings (choose one or more)
2 teaspoons cinnamon
1 ounce peeled ginger
Korean pear

Optional Garnish
slivered jujube
pine nuts


Directions

Warm three quarts of the water (about 12 cups) and pour into a large bowl, add the barley malt and stir. Set in a warm place (oven set to warm and turned off/warmer on ceramic cooktop/direct sunlight), and let sit for about one hour.
In a rice cooker add the sweet rice and 3/4 cup water (slice the ginger and add now if desired) then press start for standard cook cycle.
When the rice is done add the warm malt water being careful to leave the solids/sediment in the bowl, and stir until rice is loose.
Set the rice cooker on warm/reheat and let heat about four hours.
Add the remaining water to the malt sediment, stir and let stand about four hours.
After four hours check the rice pot to see if there are rice grains floating at or near the liquid surface. If not, continue warming until they do.

Transfer the rice and liquid to a large enough soup or stock pot, pour in the remaining malt water, careful to leave the sediment behind, and bring to a slow boil.
Add the sugar, (Add cinnamon or sliced pear if desired) cover, and boil about ten to 15 minutes.
The sikhye may be served warm at this point by ladling the hot liquid and some rice into cups.
For cold sikhye strain through a fine mesh sieve or cheesecloth to separate the rice from the liquid. Let the liquid cool, then refrigerate. Freeze or refrigerate the rice.

For slushy sikhye refrigerate some of the liquid, then pour cooled liquid into ice trays and freeze. Transfer the cubes into a freezer bag and keep frozen until use.
To make the slushy add some of the cubes to a blender, add some of the refrigerated sikhye, and pulse until desired consistency.