Hodu-gwaja
Hodu-gwaja, commonly translated as walnut cookies, walnut cakes, and walnut pastries, is a type of cookie originated from Cheonan, South Korea. It is also known by the name hodo-gwaja in and outside Korea.
It is a walnut-shaped baked confection with red bean paste filling, whose outer dough is made of skinned and pounded walnuts and wheat flour. Ones that are made in Cheonan, South Chungcheong Province, are called "Cheonan hodu-gwaja" and are a local specialty.History
Hodu-gwaja was first made in 1934 by Jo Gwigeum and Sim Boksun, who were a married couple living in Cheonan. The method was developed based on those of traditional Korean confectioneries and the influence from Imperial Japan, as the cookie was developed during the period of Japanese forced occupation.
Outside Cheonan, it was popularized in the 1970s, often sold in train stations and inside the train via catering trolleys. Nowadays it is sold in most regions in South Korea including Seoul, and in the cities of other countries, such as Los Angeles and San Diego in the United States.Gallery
