Sujeonggwa is a Korean traditional cinnamon punch. Dark reddish brown in color, it is made from dried persimmons, cinnamon, and ginger and is often garnished with pine nuts. The punch is made by brewing first the cinnamon and ginger at a slow boil. The solids are then removed for clarification and the remaining liquid is boiled again after adding either honey or brown sugar. The dried persimmons are cut into portions and are added to soak and soften after the brew has completely cooled. This is usually done several hours before serving, as extensive soaking of the fruit may thicken the clear liquid to a murky appearance.
Sujeonggwa is served cold and commonly as a dessert, much like sikhye, due to its sweet taste. It is also widely available in canned form.photo
Video Sujeonggwa
History
The earliest mention of sujeonggwa dates back to 1849 in the book Dongguksesigi (?????, ?????), a book of seasonal customs written by scholar Hong Seok Mo (???). The sujeonggwa recipe mentioned in the book is a dried persimmon brew with added ginger and pine nuts.
In the book Haedongjukji(????, ????) written in 1921, sujeonggwa is known to have been prepared in the Goryeo era by palace women on New Year's Day. Then they were boiling ginger and adding persimmons to the brew. Its former name was baekjeho (???), literally meaning "white milky beverage", and was named after the white appearance of sugar-coated persimmons. Nowadays sujeonggwa is a popular traditional beverage drank year-round.
The recipe of sujeonggwa has changed by time, as seen in records.. The recipe of sujeonggwa is first mentioned in Sujaguigwe(????,????). Ginger was not used in Gunhakoedeung(????, ????), and cinnamon was first used in The Recipes of Joseon(?????, ?????). Pear was used in The New Making of Joseon Food(??????????, ??????????) and liquorice, mandarin peels, whole black pepper was also sometimes added. Honey was orginally used for sweetening but it was replaced with sugar after The Recipes of Joseon.
Maps Sujeonggwa
Kinds
Geonsisujeonggwa(Cinnamon Punch with Dried Persimmon)
It is an original kind of sujeonggwa. Use ginger and cinnamon as main ingredients, and usually add honey or sugar to taste sweet. Garnish with pine nut or dried persimmon on last.
Galyeonsujeonggwa(Lotus Cinnamon Punch)
Use schisandra as main ingredients, and add honey or sugar to keep sweet. Add the inside flower petal of lotus in the water. The leaves must have boiled and coated by starch powder.
Jabgwasujeonggwa(Cinnamon Punch with Miscellaneous Fruits)
Add chopped citron or pear in the sweet water. It is very similar to Hwachae.
Cinnamon Punch with Pear
Add pears in the cinnamon punch. As you can see at the name of this kind, it uses pear instead of dried persimmon. In the past, people ate boiled pears (it is an another name of Cinnamon Punch with Pear, In Korean, it called Insug) because most of the high quality of pear is so stiff to eat. They made a kinds of cinnamon punch to eat pears easily.
Cinnamon Punch with Pumpkin
Add the pumpkin in the original one. It is usually enjoyed in Gangwon-do.
Recipe
Ingredients
Ginger, Whole cinnamon, Brown sugar, White sugar, Dried persimmon (Gotgam), Walnut, Pine nut
Process
- Put some gingers and pour water in a big pot. Heat it up about 10 minutes on high heat. When it boils, lower to medium heat and boil for an hour. Filter the liquid with cotton cloths.
- Put some whole cinnamons and pour some water in a pot. Heat it up about 10 minutes on high heat. When it boils, lower to medium heat and boil for an hour. Filter it with cotton cloths.
- Pour ginger water and cinnamon water in a pot and add brown sugar and white sugar. Boil it on high heat for 11 minutes. As it boils, lower the heat level to medium and boil for 10 minutes. Cool the liquid after boiling.
- Garnish with dried persimmon ssam and pine nuts before serving.
Tip
- It is recommended to boil ginger and whole cinnamon separately in order to maximize the fragrance and flavor.
- Whole dried persimmon(Gotgam) could be used instead of dried persimmon ssam.
Efficacies
Ginger and cinnamon, the main ingredients of Korean cinnamon punch, are spicy but sweet; it makes you feel warm, protects the intestines; your digestion would be faster if you drink it after meal. And, gotgam (dried persimmon) is rich of iron and vitamin C; it prevents you from catching a cold and anemia. Some people put jat(pine nut), which is rich of unsaturated fat such as oleic acid, linoleic acid; it can make your skin beautiful, and it is effective for declining cholesterol and preventing hypertension. Additionally, it is rich of minerals like calcium and magnesium; it stabilizes your nerves and prevents various heart disease. Also, they are rich of vitamin A and beta-carotene.
Cinnamons
The genus Cinnamomum comprises of about 300 species, of which four species are used to obtain the spice 'cinnamon'. 'Ceylon/True' cinnamon (Cinnamomum zeylancium) and Chinese Cassia cinnamon (Cinnamomum aromaticum) are the most widely available varieties. Studies have demonstrated many beneficial health effects of cinnamon, such as anti-inflammatory properties, anti-microbial activity, blood glucose control, reducing cardiovascular disease, boosting cognitive function and reducing risk of colonic cancer. Also, there is a study about cinnamon can be a pharmaceutical agent in diabetes.
Ginger
Ginger has been used for medicinal purposes since antiquity. In particular, it has been an important plant for the traditional Chinese and Korean pharmacopoeia. One of its indications has always been the treatment of nausea and vomiting. The aromatic, spasmolytic carminative and absorbent properties of ginger suggest that it has direct effects on the gastrointestinal tract. Ginger may be effective for nausea and vomiting. Animal experiments suggest that ginger has antiemetic activity when nausea is induced by cisplatin or cyclophosphamide. Studies in healthy human volunteers suggest that ginger reduces experimentally induced nausea.
See also
- Korean cuisine
- List of Korean beverages
- Persimmon
- List of Korea-related topics
- Jallab (Arab cuisine)
- Gamju
- Hwachae
References
External links
- Sujeonggwa - Official Seoul City Tourism
- History and Recipe
Source of the article : Wikipedia