Sikhye 식혜

Combine barley malt powder with 14 c. water in a large bowl, whisking to dissolve. Let sit 3 hours, allowing the solids to settle.

Cook rice with 3/4 c. water in the rice cooker.

Slowly poor the malt water into the cooked rice, taking care not to disturb the sediment. Stir gently to break up the rice.

Set rice cooker to warm and cook. Stir the remaining 4 c. water into the leftover barley malt sediment and let sit and settle again while the rice ferments.

After 4 hours, open the rice cooker. About a dozen rice grains should be floating on top. If not, let ferment for another hour.

Pour the hot sikhye into a large pot. Gently pour in the malt water, discarding sediment. Cover pot and boil for 10 minutes. Add sugar and mix to dissolve.

Serve hot immediately. If serving cold, drain the liquid into a container and refrigerate. Rinse and drain the rice and store in a separate container. Before serving, combine 1 1/2 c. sikhye water with 2 Tbsp. rice.