Honeyed Secrets

Dear Yoon-hee,

I found something that feels like a secret wrapped in sugar.

Not a miracle, not a passport—just a small luxury you can hold in your hand and hide in your sleeve. They call it Honeyed Chestnut Patties where I sell them, but between us they are the kind of thing that makes a grown woman hush her gossip and eat with both hands.

The chestnuts came from the stalls that only open after the curfew clock ticks twice—polished, soft, and expensive enough to hush a vendor into a smile. The syrup is borrowed from an old beekeeping friend’s cousin (yes, there are bees in places you wouldn’t expect), and I tucked in a spoon of condensed milk I traded for a jar of kimchi paste. That last part felt illegal in a very good way.

They’re sweet but not childish. Nutty, warm, a little sticky where your fingers meet the glaze. Serve them with bitter tea, or hide them in your coat and offer one to someone you want to trust.

I wrote the recipe below. If you can’t find chestnuts, make them with mashed sweet potato and a handful of toasted sesame instead—still very good. But if you can, try the chestnuts. It’s worth the small risk.

Yours Yeo-won

Honeyed Chestnut Patties (Yeo-won’s Midnight Market Version)

Yields: ~12 small patties

Ingredients

• 300 g cooked chestnuts, mashed (or 350 g boiled mashed sweet potato as substitute)

• 50 g glutinous rice flour (or regular rice flour + 1 egg for binding)

• 40 g crushed roasted sesame seeds (plus extra for dusting)

• 2 tbsp condensed milk (or 1 tbsp sugar + 1 tbsp milk)

• pinch of salt

• oil for shallow frying

Glaze

• 3 tbsp honey (or 2 tbsp malt syrup / corn syrup if honey scarce)

• 1 tbsp soy sauce (a little saltiness balances the sweet)

• 1 tsp vinegar (rice or plain)

• 1 tbsp toasted pine nuts or chopped candied chestnut (optional, luxury)

Method

1. Mash the chestnuts until mostly smooth but keep some texture—this is not a paste. Mix in the rice flour, crushed sesame, condensed milk, and a pinch of salt. The dough should hold when pressed; add a touch more flour if too wet, or a splash of milk if too dry.

2. Shape into small, palm-sized patties, about 1–1.5 cm thick. Dust lightly with sesame.

3. Heat a thin layer of oil in a pan. Fry the patties on medium heat until golden and gently crisp on both sides, about 3–4 minutes per side. Don’t rush—chestnuts need warmth to bloom.

4. For the glaze: warm honey (or syrup) with soy sauce and vinegar in a small pan just until it loosens. Turn off the heat and stir in the pine nuts or candied chestnut if you have them.

5. Brush the hot patties with the glaze, or dip their tops into the syrup—either way, let the glaze set for a minute so the stickiness becomes a lacquer rather than a puddle. Serve warm.

Notes (because I know you):

• If you can get pine nuts—do. They are a small rebellion.

• These keep for a day wrapped in cloth; after that, eat them quickly or share them with someone honest.

Come by the stall Thursday. I’ll save you two under the cloth by the big jar. Bring your patience and a smile. I’ll bring the rest.

With sticky hands and a stubborn heart,
Yeo-won