Fragrant Traditional Sujeonggwa: The Perfect Recipe for Chuseok, Easily Made by Simmering!
Fragrant Traditional Sujeonggwa: The Perfect Recipe for Chuseok, Easily Made by Simmering!
Make your Chuseok holiday even more special with this easy Sujeonggwa recipe, ready in just one simmer!
As the cooler breezes of autumn begin to blow, the desire for a warm, comforting drink arises. Today, I’m sharing Sujeonggwa, a traditional Korean drink that warms you from the inside out. The delightful aroma of cinnamon and ginger, combined with a subtle sweetness, makes it perfect for the changing seasons. With Chuseok just around the corner, why not make this special Korean punch at home? It’s delicious enjoyed either warm or chilled.
Sujeonggwa Ingredients- 2L Water
- 80g Cinnamon sticks
- 30g Ginger
- 60g Jujubes (dried dates)
- 10g Whole black peppercorns
- 1 cup Brown sugar (standard measuring cup)
- A few pine nuts (for garnish)
Cooking Instructions
Step 1
1. Prepare the Ingredients: First, get all your ingredients ready for the Sujeonggwa. Rinse the cinnamon sticks, ginger, and jujubes under water and pat them dry. Peel the ginger and slice it thinly into rounds. Measure out the whole black peppercorns and brown sugar.
Step 2
2. Infuse the Spices: In a pot, combine the prepared ginger, cinnamon sticks, whole black peppercorns, and all but about 3 jujubes that will be used for garnish. Pour in 2L of clean water. Bring to a boil over high heat. Once boiling, reduce the heat to medium-low, cover the pot, and simmer for 30 minutes. This allows the flavors and aromas of the spices to fully infuse into the water.
Step 3
3. Create Beautiful Jujube Flowers: Let’s make some pretty jujube garnishes for the top of the Sujeonggwa. First, trim off the top and bottom ends of the jujubes. Then, using a knife, carefully peel thinly around the pit, avoiding cutting into the pit itself. (The key is to peel thinly without hitting the pit.)
Step 4
4. Shape the Jujube Flowers: Tightly roll up the thinly peeled jujube slices. Once rolled, slice them into about 1cm thick pieces, similar to how you would slice a sushi roll. This will create beautiful, natural-looking flower shapes.
Step 5
5. Add Sweetness: To the infused spice liquid, add 1 cup of brown sugar. Continue to simmer for about 10 more minutes, stirring until the sugar is completely dissolved and the flavors meld together. Using brown sugar will give the Sujeonggwa a richer color and deeper flavor.
Step 6
6. Delicious Sujeonggwa is Ready!: The Sujeonggwa, which has been simmering with brown sugar for 10 minutes, is now bubbling and smells wonderful. It’s almost ready!
Step 7
7. Strain and Store: Pour the simmered Sujeonggwa through a fine-mesh sieve to remove all the solid ingredients. This strained Sujeonggwa can be stored in bottles in the refrigerator for a refreshing drink. If you prefer it warm, as I do sometimes, you can serve it directly from the pot into bowls.
Step 8
8. Final Garnish: Gently place the prepared jujube flowers and pine nuts on top of the finished Sujeonggwa. Your beautiful, traditional Sujeonggwa is complete! Enjoy its fragrant and refreshing (or warm) taste!
