What is "ogokbap"

Ogokbap or five-grains rice is a kind of Korean food made of a bowl of steamed rice mixed with grains including barley, foxtail millet, millet and soy beans. Ogokbap usually served during the end of winter, especially on the first full moon of the year (jeongwol daeboreum). In the past, many Koreans ate foods lacking nutritional value during the long winter because such foods were scarce. Anticipating these problems, they dried the grains before the coming of the winter to fulfill the winter’s meals. On the night of jeongwol daeboreum, people would eat ogokbap with ingredients such as walnuts, chestnuts, pine nuts, and beans to provide them with adequate energy. Today, the concept of making ogokbap has been changing. Koreans make ogokbap with many different kinds of grains that do not necessarily mirror those traditionally used in the past. Ogokbap continues to be enjoyed by Koreans for its nutritious and healthful benefits.