Baesuk (Korean Poached Pear Punch)

Name: Baesuk (Korean Poached Pear Punch)
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 35 min
Yield: 4 servings
Cuisine: Korean
Ingredients: Korean pear 2 ea; water 1200 ml; fresh ginger 25 g; whole black peppercorns 10 ea; jujubes 6 ea; honey 3 tbsp; pine nuts 1 tbsp

Quick answer

Active time: 50 min
Waiting: See the steps
Level: Easy
Servings: 4 servings
Ingredients: 7

About this dish

Ginger and black peppercorns steep first and are strained out, and the pear poaches in that liquid, so the punch carries their warmth without a single peppercorn in the cup.

Before any honey goes in, the sweetness comes from the pear itself. It can be drunk warm right away, but for a chilled holiday table it is made the day before and rested overnight in the fridge, with pine nuts floated on just before serving.

Ingredients

servings

IngredientAmount

Korean pear2 ea

whole black peppercorns10 ea

jujubes6 ea

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Instructions

6 steps

1

Peel 2 Korean pears, remove the cores, and cut the flesh into large 2 to 3 cm pieces so they hold their shape.

Slice 25 g fresh ginger thinly to help its aroma infuse evenly.
2

Put 1200 ml water, the sliced ginger, and 10 whole black peppercorns in a pot over medium heat.

Once it starts bubbling, lower to medium low and simmer 15 minutes until the liquid smells clearly of ginger.
3

Strain out the ginger and peppercorns, then return only the aromatic liquid to the pot.

Add the pear pieces and 6 jujubes, keep the heat low, and let the surface bubble gently instead of boiling hard.
4

Simmer about 15 minutes, until the pear turns slightly translucent and a chopstick slides in with gentle resistance.

Stir only once or twice, because frequent stirring can break the softened pear pieces.
5

Turn off the heat, and when the liquid cools below 70C, stir in all 3 tablespoons honey.

Stir only once or twice so the pear pieces do not break.
6

For warm service, ladle the punch while it is pleasantly hot and float 1 tablespoon pine nuts on top.

For cold service, cool it completely, refrigerate overnight, and serve chilled after the ginger and pear flavors settle.