Ssuk beomuri is a old-style Korean mugwort rice cake made with rice flour and fresh ssuk, steamed into soft, crumbly tteok in the baekseolgi style. Naturally vegan and gluten free, this unfussy spring dessert highlights the earthy aroma of mugwort and cooks easily in a cloth-lined steamer.

Early spring in Korea always meant ssuk season when we were growing up. Our friends and we would climb the small mountain behind our house to pick the first tender mugwort shoots of the year, stuffing them into little baskets with more enthusiasm than skill. When we brought them home, our mother would patiently sort through the greens, keeping only the real ssuk to make one of our favorite seasonal treats.

That treat was ssuk beomuri (쑥버무리) or beomul, a soft steamed mugwort rice cake made with rice flour and fresh ssuk. As it steamed, the whole kitchen filled with that deep herbal fragrance that only mugwort has. The warm cake came out tender, fluffy, and gently sweet, the kind of unfussy kitchen-made snack that made an afternoon of foraging feel like a real accomplishment.

One thing we love about this recipe is how unfussy it is. Old-style ssuk beomuri uses just a handful of ingredients—rice flour, fresh mugwort, a little sugar, and enough water to moisten the flour. There’s no special mold required either. A basic steamer lined with a kitchen cloth is all you need.

It’s the same straightforward steaming approach used in many old-style Korean rice cakes, including our songpyeon half-moon rice cakes filled with sesame and honey. You’ll find that steaming also works beautifully for making sulppang, a soft Korean bread made with makgeolli.

Steamed ssuk beomuri mugwort rice cake in a cloth-lined steamer in a pot

Freshly steamed ssuk beomuri, soft and crumbly with that earthy mugwort aroma filling the kitchen.

How Ssuk Beomuri Is Different From Mugwort Tteok

Ssuk beomuri is often confused with mugwort tteok (쑥떡), but the two have different textures. Mugwort tteok is typically made with pounded glutinous rice, giving it a chewy, stretchy bite.

Ssuk beomuri, on the other hand, belongs to the baekseolgi family of Korean steamed rice cakes. It is made with rice flour and steamed until soft and fluffy, with a tender crumb rather than a chewy texture.

Other Korean rice cakes have different textures and preparation styles, such as the chewy pounded dough used in injeolmi sweet rice cake coated with soybean powder.

Fresh ssuk (Korean mugwort), the herb that gives this rice cake its spring aroma.

Choosing Fresh Ssuk (Korean Mugwort)

Fresh ssuk (Korean mugwort) has a distinctive aroma. Rub a leaf between your fingers and you’ll notice an earthy, slightly grassy fragrance with a gentle bitterness. That herbal scent is what gives ssuk beomuri its signature spring flavor.

Whenever possible, choose young, tender mugwort. Early spring shoots have soft stems and delicate leaves that blend easily into the rice flour mixture. If the lower stems feel thick or woody, simply trim that portion off and use the tender tops.

Young mugwort usually doesn’t need much preparation. Mix small leaves in whole, and chop longer sprigs so the mugwort distributes evenly through the flour mixture.

If You Can’t Find Fresh Ssuk

Fresh mugwort is seasonal and not always direct to find outside Korea. Many Korean markets carry it for a short time in early spring, but if it’s unavailable where you live, there are a few practical alternatives.

Japanese yomogi
The closest substitute is Japanese yomogi, which is essentially the same plant as Korean ssuk and can be used exactly the same way in this recipe.

Mugwort Powder or Dried Mugwort
If fresh mugwort is unavailable, mugwort powder or dried mugwort is a convenient year-round alternative that still provides the signature flavor.

Matcha powder
Add a small amount of matcha to the rice flour if you mainly want the green color. It won’t replicate the mugwort aroma, but it adds a gentle bitterness and pleasant green hue.

If none of these are available, the recipe can also be made plain in the baekseolgi style without herbs.

Soft and fluffy ssuk beomuri, the kind you can pick up gently with chopsticks.

Key Techniques for Making Ssuk Beomuri

Making ssuk beomuri is unfussy, but a few old-style techniques make the difference between a fluffy rice cake and a dense one. Here are the key things we watch for when preparing this cake.

Moisten the rice flour to a sandy texture by rubbing small amounts of water into the flour. Rub the flour with small amounts of water at a time until it forms tiny sandy clumps. When squeezed in your hand, the mixture should briefly hold together but crumble easily when pressed. This crumb structure is what creates the soft, fluffy texture after steaming.

Sifting keeps the crumb light. Passing the moistened flour through a sieve breaks up the clumps and creates a finer texture. This step helps the rice cake steam into loose crumbs rather than compact pieces.

Coat the mugwort lightly. Fresh ssuk should be slightly damp so the rice flour can cling to the leaves. If the herbs are dripping wet, the flour will clump and the cake may turn sticky. If they are too dry, the flour won’t coat evenly.

the cook’s Tips: We usually rinse the mugwort and shake it well so only a light surface moisture remains. We also find that a large baking sheet works well for tossing the mugwort with the flour mixture.

Layer the mixture loosely. When assembling the cake in the steamer, avoid pressing the mixture down. Loose layers allow steam to circulate, which keeps the cake soft and airy.

Pro Tip: Line your steamer basket with a damp kitchen cloth and sprinkle a little sugar over the cloth. This helps prevent sticking and makes it easier to lift the rice cake out after steaming.

Wrap the steamer lid with a cloth. This old-style trick catches condensation so water doesn’t drip onto the cake while it steams. The finished ssuk beomuri should feel soft and crumbly with a gentle mugwort aroma.

Serving and Storing Mugwort Rice Cake

Enjoy ssuk beomuri warm, when the crumb stays soft and airy and the mugwort aroma is at its peak. Let the cake rest for a minute or two after steaming, then break it gently into loose pieces. It makes an unfussy afternoon snack alongside tea, similar to other lightly sweet Korean treats like our yakshik sweet rice dessert with chestnuts and jujube.

If you have leftovers, let the cake cool completely and store it in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 2 days. To refresh the texture, steam it again for a few minutes until warm. This brings back the soft, tender crumb much better than microwaving.

Yield: 6 people
Prep: 10 minutes
Cook: 15 minutes
Total: 25 minutes

Ingredients

3½ oz (100 g) fresh mugwort (ssuk), see note below
2 cups + 2 tbsp (270 g) rice flour
7 tbsp (105 ml water
4 tbsp (50 g) sugar
½ tsp (3 g) salt

Method

Prepare the mugwort: Rinse the fresh mugwort and shake off excess water. The leaves should be slightly damp but not dripping. If the stems are thick, trim the woody portion. Leave small leaves whole and roughly chop longer sprigs.
Moisten the rice flour : Place the rice flour in a bowl. Sprinkle in the water gradually, rubbing the flour between your hands until it forms small sandy clumps that briefly hold together when squeezed.
Sift and season: Pass the moistened flour through a sieve. Add the sugar and salt and whisk to combine.
Coat the mugwort: Add flour mixture to the mugwort and toss gently until the leaves are lightly coated. A large tray or baking sheet works well for mixing so the herbs distribute evenly.
Prepare the steamer: Line a steamer basket with a damp kitchen cloth and sprinkle a little sugar over the cloth.
Layer the mixture: Transfer the mugwort mixture to the prepared steamer in loose layers, sprinkling a little extra flour mixture between layers if needed. Do not press the mixture down.
Steam the cake: Bring water to a boil in the steamer pot. Place the basket over the pot and cover the lid with a cloth to catch condensation. Steam over medium heat for about 15 minutes, until the cake is fully cooked and fragrant.
Rest and serve. Remove the steamer from heat and let the cake rest for 2–3 minutes. Lift the cloth and gently break the ssuk beomuri into loose pieces. Serve warm.