Misu (미수)

I don’t trust Asian sweets to satisfy my sweet tooth. Sure, there is boba tea and shaved ice, and I enjoy them along with a small subset of Asian desserts, but when it comes to old school traditional sweets (especially pastries with beans in them), I’m usually skeptical. So, when a friend in Korea made me try misu (미수), a drink made from a variety of ground grains, I had low expectations.

Misu met my expectations, sadly. I’m not sure why they bother with this stuff. Its texture is grainy and gritty. The grounds settle to the bottom, so it feels like I’m drinking coffee with the coffee grounds. Someone needs to teach them about filters. It’s not like I drink soy milk with the ground soybeans, so why would I want ground grains in this drink?

If you let the misu settle and sip the top without disturbing the sediment below, it’s actually quite creamy and delicious. It reminds me of almond milk. The drink can be consumed hot or cold, and it’s touted for its healthiness. I get that; I like to be healthy. It’s definitely healthier than boba tea. But usually when I want dessert, I’m a drug addict looking for a high. The extra fiber (i.e., the ground grains) mellows out that glycemic high, which defeats the point of a dessert.

Perhaps, this partially explains why Asians live longer. Asian desserts tend to include extra fiber. We love our red bean paste. We love our beans and seeds in our desserts. I guess it’s not the worst compromise. Lose a little on texture but prevent diabetic shock. I just wish they would smooth out the texture more…