By Honorary Reporter Denissa Dewi Chandra from Indonesia
Photos = Denissa Dewi Chandra

Muslims around the world from March 12 to April 9 celebrate Ramadan by fasting daily from sunrise to sunset. One activity common during this month-long period in Indonesia is hunting for snacks before breaking fast. For Ramadan this year, I decided to make a Korean snack to share.

On March 20, I thought of hotteok, or a sweet pancake made of dough filled with crushed nuts, cinnamon and brown sugar. I chose this sweet dessert suitable to serve during Ramadan because it gives instant energy and I wanted to introduce it to Indonesians who had never tried it before.

I started making hotteok three hours before the end of fasting. First, I prepared the core ingredients for the dough -- wheat flour, yeast and sugar -- and later gathered roasted nuts, brown sugar and cinnamon powder for the filling.

Next, I put all the main ingredients into a large bowl and kneaded them by hand while adding water and oil until the dough was evenly mixed. After letting the dough rest for 30 minutes, I made the filling. After the dough rose, I divided it into several pieces, added the filling and fried it until it was flat and gold colored.

After cooking the snack, I put them into a basket and gave them free to people on the street. I was happy because it wasn't long until my basket was empty. Everyone who got one was excited to get hotteok, and seeing them made me glad. Some asked me what hotteok was and I explained this to them. 

The experience of sharing this snack made my Ramadan more meaningful. 

msjeon22@korea.kr

*This article is written by a Korea.net Honorary Reporter. Our group of Honorary Reporters are from all around the world, and they share with Korea.net their love and passion for all things Korean.