Menu
Korean-style serving of Five-grain rice

오곡밥 · Five-grain rice

Five-grain rice

오곡밥

What exactly is it?

A mixture of grains and pulses is cooked together, sometimes lightly salted. Sticky rice contrasts with the floury texture of beans and red beans. Served with vegetables, it offers several distinct bites; the five-grain blend varies by household and region.

Main ingredients

Glutinous rice, red beans, sorghum, millet and beans; blends vary

Ordering and serving

Around the first full-moon festival, it may be sold with rehydrated dried vegetables. Cooked beans still retain a distinct bite; this is a textured rice meal rather than a smooth porridge.

Origins and changes

It is associated with Jeongwol Daeboreum, the fifteenth day of the first lunar month, and wishes for a good harvest. Glutinous rice, red beans, sorghum, millet and beans are a familiar combination, though barley or ordinary rice may also be used. Its festival meaning is not a rigid ingredient formula.

Sources checked

Related foods

How do similar dishes compare?

Choose a dish to compare ingredients, flavor and serving style side by side.

Dish to compare

Five-grain rice

오곡밥

Main ingredients
Glutinous rice, red beans, sorghum, millet and beans; blends vary
Flavor and character
A mixture of grains and pulses is cooked together, sometimes lightly salted. Sticky rice contrasts with the floury texture of beans and red beans. Served with vegetables, it offers several distinct bites; the five-grain blend varies by household and region.
How to eat it
Around the first full-moon festival, it may be sold with rehydrated dried vegetables. Cooked beans still retain a distinct bite; this is a textured rice meal rather than a smooth porridge.
Read about this dish →

Ssam-bap

쌈밥

Main ingredients
Rice, lettuce, perilla or cabbage leaves, ssamjang; meat or fish accompaniments
Flavor and character
Leafy vegetables hold small bites of rice, meat or fish and ssamjang. Lettuce and perilla are often raw; cabbage or squash leaves may be steamed. A ssambap set is a complete rice-and-side-dish meal, not just a plate of greens.
How to eat it
Make small wraps that fit in one bite and use ssamjang sparingly. Ask whether more leaves are available. A generous vegetable plate does not make the set vegetarian: meat, fish or fermented seafood may be included.
Read about this dish →
Find nearby food places →

Check the restaurant’s actual menu for the dish you want.