Sujeonggwa facts for kids

Sujeonggwa
Quick facts for kids Korean name
Hangul	수정과
Hanja	水正果
Revised Romanization	sujeonggwa
McCune–Reischauer	sujŏnggwa

Sujeonggwa is a special traditional drink from Korea. It's a type of punch that tastes like cinnamon. This drink has a dark reddish-brown color. It is mostly made from cinnamon, ginger, sugar, and water.

People often serve Sujeonggwa with gotgam (dried persimmon). It is also usually topped with pine nuts. To make it, cinnamon sticks and ginger are slowly boiled in water. Then, the solid pieces are taken out. This makes the liquid clear. After that, the liquid is boiled again. This time, honey or brown sugar is added to make it sweet.

Dried persimmons are cut into pieces. They are added to the drink after it has cooled down completely. This helps the persimmons get soft. It's best to add them a few hours before serving. If they soak for too long, the clear drink might become cloudy. Sujeonggwa is usually served cold. It is a popular dessert drink because it is sweet. You can also find it in cans in stores.

History of Sujeonggwa

The first time Sujeonggwa was mentioned was in a book from 1849. The book is called Dongguksesigi. It was written by a scholar named Hong Seok-mo. This book talked about Korean customs for different seasons. The recipe in the book described Sujeonggwa as a drink made from dried persimmons. It also had ginger and pine nuts.

Another book, Haedongjukji, written in 1921, shared more history. It said that palace women in the Goryeo era made Sujeonggwa. They made it for New Year's Day. They would boil ginger and add persimmons to the drink. Back then, it was called baekjeho. This name means "white milky beverage." It got this name because the persimmons were coated in white sugar. Today, Sujeonggwa is a popular traditional drink. People enjoy it all year round.

The way Sujeonggwa is made has changed over time. Early recipes did not always use ginger. Cinnamon was first added in a book called The Recipes of Joseon. Sometimes, other ingredients were also used. These included pear, liquorice, mandarin peels, and black pepper. Honey was first used to sweeten the drink. Later, sugar became more common.

Different Kinds of Sujeonggwa

Cinnamon Punch with Dried Persimmon

This is the original type of Sujeonggwa. It uses ginger and cinnamon as the main flavors. Honey or sugar is added to make it sweet. People usually put pine nuts or gotgam (dried persimmon) on top.

Lotus Cinnamon Punch

This special Sujeonggwa uses schisandra as a main ingredient. It is sweetened with honey or sugar. It also has lotus flower petals in the water. The lotus leaves are boiled and coated with starch powder.

Cinnamon Punch with Mixed Fruits

This version of Sujeonggwa has chopped citron or pear added to the sweet drink. It is very similar to another Korean drink called Hwachae.

Cinnamon Punch with Pear

This type uses pear instead of dried persimmon. In the past, some pears were very hard to eat raw. So, people boiled them and made them into a cinnamon punch. This made the pears easier to enjoy.

Cinnamon Punch with Pumpkin

This variant adds pumpkin to the traditional recipe. People in Gangwon-do especially enjoy this kind of Sujeonggwa.

How to Make Sujeonggwa

Ingredients You Need

• Ginger
• Whole cinnamon sticks
• Brown sugar
• White sugar
• Dried persimmon (gotgam)
• Walnuts
• Pine nuts

Steps to Make It

1. Put ginger pieces in a large pot with water. Heat it on high for about 10 minutes. Once it boils, turn the heat to medium and let it boil for one hour. Use a cotton cloth to strain the liquid. This removes the ginger pieces.
2. In another pot, put whole cinnamon sticks with water. Heat it on high for about 10 minutes. When it boils, lower the heat to medium and boil for one hour. Strain this liquid with a cotton cloth too.
3. Pour the ginger water and cinnamon water into one pot. Add brown sugar and white sugar. Boil it on high heat for 11 minutes. As it boils, turn the heat down to medium and boil for another 10 minutes. Let the liquid cool completely after boiling.
4. Before serving, add dried persimmon pieces and pine nuts as a garnish.

Helpful Tips

• It's a good idea to boil the ginger and cinnamon separately. This helps to get the best smell and taste from each ingredient.
• You can use whole dried persimmons (Gotgam) instead of cut pieces.

See also

In Spanish: Sujeonggwa para niños