Sujeonggwa, (cinnamon punch with dried persimmons)

Sujeonggwa (Institute of Traditional Korean Food)

Sujeonggwa is a cinnamon punch made by soaking cinnamon and ginger in water. The liquid is mixed with sugar and boiled, then garnished with dried persimmons and pine nuts. Sujeonggwa means ‘cookies in water.’ To enjoy the real sujeonggwa taste, drink it as you would sweet honey and cold ice.

Ingredients

● 200 g ginger, 10 cups water

● 120 g un-spilt cinnamon, 10 cups water

● 1 cup light brown sugar, 1 1/3 cups sugar

● 5 ea dried persimmons, 10 ea walnut

● 5 g pine nuts

1. Skin the ginger (160 g) and cut it into 0.3 cm pieces. Wash unspilt cinnamon, cut it into half if it is too long.

2. Remove stalks of dried persimmons, slit one side with knife and make it flat strip (185 g).

3. Soak the walnuts in warm water for 5 min, skin (45 g). Put the walnut on the flat dried persimmons and roll it up, cut it into 1 cm-thick. (200 g, 20 pieces).

4. Remove tops of the pine nuts and wipe the nuts.

5. Put water and ginger in the pot, heat it up for 9 minutes on high heat. When it boils, reduce the heat to medium, boil it for 1 hour, strain through a cotton cloth.

6. Put water and cinnamon in the pot, heat it up for 9 minutes on high heat. When it boils, reduce the heat to medium, boil it for 1 hour, strain through a cotton cloth.

7. Pour ginger liquid and cinnamon liquid in the pot, add light brown sugar and white sugar, heat it up for 12 minutes. on high heat. When it boils, reduce the heat to medium, boil it for another 10 min. Cool it down, and top with persimmons and pine nuts.

Tips
● Ginger and cinnamon may be boiled together, but separate boiling will save each taste and smell.

● Un-spilt dried persimmons may be topped, instead of chestnut wrapped in persimmons.

(Adapted from the Institute of Traditional Korean Food)