Japan & Korea
Ancient grains of longevity — from zakkokumai to japgokbap
Countries: Japan, South Korea
Overview
Before rice became the dominant grain of East Asia, millets sustained the peoples of Japan and Korea for thousands of years. Japan's Jomon period (14,000-300 BCE) saw the cultivation of foxtail millet (awa/粟), proso millet (kibi/黍), and barnyard millet (hie/稗), grains collectively known as zakkoku (miscellaneous grains). In mountainous and northern regions where rice paddies were impractical, millets remained staples well into the 20th century. Korea developed a parallel millet tradition: japgokbap (mixed five-grain rice) reflects the Korean philosophy that dietary diversity is the foundation of health. On Jeju Island, millet cultivation persisted longer than almost anywhere else in East Asia, and the island's unique millet varieties are now being revived as cultural heritage crops.
Key Fact
The 4,000-year-old kibi dango tradition links proso millet to one of Japan's most famous folk heroes, Momotaro — and Okayama prefecture still produces the dumplings as its signature regional delicacy.
Primary Millets
Iconic Foods
Zakkokumai (雑穀米)
A blend of white rice with multiple ancient grains including awa (foxtail millet), kibi (proso millet), hie (barnyard millet), and amaranth. Zakkokumai has experienced a major revival in Japan since the early 2000s as part of the "healthy Japanese diet" movement, with pre-mixed packets available in every supermarket.
Kibi Dango (黍団子)
Sweet dumplings made from proso millet flour, famously associated with the folk hero Momotaro (Peach Boy), who used them to recruit animal companions on his quest to defeat oni (demons). Kibi dango from Okayama prefecture, where the Momotaro legend is centred, are a beloved regional speciality and popular omiyage (souvenir gift).
Awa Okoshi (粟おこし)
Puffed foxtail millet crisps bound with sugar syrup, a traditional confection from Osaka dating to the Edo period. The name "okoshi" means "to rise up" and the sweets are considered good-luck gifts associated with prosperity and success.
Japgokbap (잡곡밥)
Five-grain rice combining white rice with foxtail millet, proso millet, sorghum, black beans, and barley. Japgokbap is traditionally eaten on Daeboreum (the first full moon of the lunar new year) to ensure good health throughout the year. It is also a cornerstone of Korean Buddhist temple cuisine (sachal eumsik).
Jeju Omegitteok (오메기떡)
Chewy millet rice cakes unique to Jeju Island, made from glutinous millet flour, coated in red bean powder. Omegitteok is a traditional Jeju ceremonial food served at ancestral rites (jesa) and wedding celebrations. Jeju's volcanic soil and wind-swept terrain made millet cultivation more practical than wet-rice farming.
Historical Highlights
Jomon period millet cultivation
Archaeological evidence from middle-to-late Jomon sites across Honshu shows that foxtail and barnyard millet were among Japan's earliest cultivated crops, predating rice paddy agriculture by over a millennium. These grains allowed Jomon communities to transition from pure foraging to semi-agricultural lifestyles.
Momotaro and kibi dango legend
The tale of Momotaro — the peach-born boy who defeated demons with the help of a dog, monkey, and pheasant recruited through gifts of kibi dango — became one of Japan's most beloved folktales. The story is linked to the ancient province of Kibi (modern Okayama), named for its proso millet production, and reflects the grain's historical importance.
Korean Daeboreum millet tradition
The custom of eating japgokbap (five-grain rice) on Daeboreum (the 15th day of the first lunar month) was codified during the Goryeo and Joseon dynasties as part of Korea's seasonal dietary philosophy. Sharing five-grain rice with neighbours symbolised community prosperity and mutual support.
Jeju Island millet heritage
Jeju Island's volcanic soil and typhoon-prone climate made it unsuitable for wet-rice cultivation, and millet remained the primary grain well into the 20th century. The island's unique millet varieties and associated food traditions — including omegitteok and millet makgeolli — are now protected as Jeju Intangible Cultural Heritage.
Cultural Significance
In Japan, millets carry a bittersweet cultural memory: they are simultaneously revered as the grains that sustained the nation for millennia and associated with rural poverty and wartime scarcity (during WWII, millet replaced rice in many households). The modern zakkokumai movement deliberately reclaims this heritage, reframing ancient grains as health foods rather than poverty foods. In Korea, the concept of "yak sik dong won" (food and medicine share the same origin) underpins the tradition of eating mixed grains — Koreans believe that consuming multiple grain types creates balance in the body. Buddhist temple cuisine (sachal eumsik), which avoids meat and emphasises whole grains, has kept millet dishes alive in Korean food culture. The Jeju haenyeo (women divers) traditionally ate millet porridge before their cold-water dives, believing it provided sustained energy and warmth.
Modern Status
Japan's zakkokumai market has grown significantly since the early 2000s, driven by health trends and the government's "Shokuiku" (food education) programme that promotes traditional dietary patterns. Japanese millet production, however, remains small (around 5,000-8,000 tonnes annually), with most consumption relying on imports from China and India. In South Korea, the government's "Korean Traditional Food Globalisation" initiative includes millet dishes, and japgokbap is served in school lunch programmes as part of nutritional education. Jeju Island has established millet heritage farms and festivals, and omegitteok has gained popularity on the mainland as a speciality food. Both countries are also researching millet's potential for managing lifestyle diseases — Japanese studies have shown that mixed-grain rice consumption correlates with lower rates of type 2 diabetes.
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