作法
- 麵粉與鹽過篩。用指尖將麻油搓入麵粉中，搓成均勻的粗砂狀。
- 米酒、蜂蜜與溫水混合。分次加入麵粉中，揉 5 分鐘成光滑略黏的麵團。蓋好靜置 30 分鐘。
- 製作糖漿：蜂蜜、水、拍碎的薑、肉桂棒與黑胡椒粉於小鍋中文火煮 10 分鐘至微稠。撈除薑與肉桂，放涼。
- 麵團擀成 1 公分厚。用藥菓專用模具或餅乾模壓出形狀—傳統造型有花朵、魚或幾何圖形。表面以刀輕劃花紋。
- 油加熱至 100°C（低溫是關鍵）。藥菓炸 10 分鐘，應呈淡金黃色，不能炸到深褐。再將油溫升至 130°C 續炸 5 分鐘以增加酥脆度。
- 撈起置於網架上瀝油。趁溫熱時放入溫熱蜜糖漿中浸泡至少 1 小時，最好放隔夜，讓藥菓徹底吸飽糖漿。撒上松子裝飾。室溫搭配綠茶享用。
Common questions
Can 藥菓（Yakgwa） be made ahead?
藥菓（Yakgwa） is best made and eaten the same day, but the components can be prepped earlier — chop and measure the ingredients up to a day ahead, refrigerated separately. Final cooking takes about 30 minutes.
Is 藥菓（Yakgwa） spicy?
藥菓（Yakgwa） as written is mild to mildly warming — the heat comes from aromatics rather than chili. Add fresh sliced chili or chili oil at the end if you'd like to push it spicier.
Is 藥菓（Yakgwa） vegetarian or gluten-free?
This recipe is suitable for most diets. If you have specific restrictions, the substitutions section in each ingredient note covers the most common swaps.
How hard is 藥菓（Yakgwa） to make at home?
藥菓（Yakgwa） sits at intermediate difficulty — total time about 90 minutes. The ingredients are not unusual but the timing requires attention.
Can 藥菓（Yakgwa） be scaled up or down?
This recipe is written for 8 servings. To scale, multiply each ingredient proportionally; the cooking times stay the same up to about double the volume. Beyond that, expect to cook in batches because of pan size and heat distribution.
文化背景
藥菓是韓式宮廷甜點—名字意為「藥膳甜點」，反映歷史上韓國將蜂蜜、薑與麻油視為藥用食材的傳統。這道甜點曾出現於朝鮮宮廷宴會上，至今仍是韓國最具地位的傳統甜點。北韓宮廷傳統將藥菓的製法保留得最接近原樣；南韓則將其更商業化。現代藥菓造型有花朵、蝴蝶與星形；傳統造型則由代代相傳的木雕模具親手刻出。
