Korean Heotgae Tea (Oriental Raisin Tree Hangover Herbal Brew)

Quick answer

Total time: 40 min
Level: Easy
Servings: 4 servings
Ingredients: 6

About this dish

Heotgae-cha is a traditional Korean herbal tea made by simmering dried oriental raisin tree fruit with jujubes, ginger, and cinnamon over low heat for thirty-five minutes.

The dried heotgae fruit, small and knobby in appearance, is astringent and muted in raw form, but prolonged simmering draws out a deep, earthy sweetness that gradually fills the water. Jujubes add natural sweetness and a faint fruity note, ginger contributes a sharp warmth that lingers at the tip of the tongue, and cinnamon layers in a gentle, aromatic sweetness, building a multi-layered flavor that develops slowly over the long cooking time. Honey is stirred in at the end to adjust sweetness to taste. In Korean traditional medicine, the oriental raisin tree has long been associated with supporting liver function and alleviating hangover symptoms, which is why the tea has been consumed as a morning-after drink for generations. Among Korean office workers accustomed to frequent after-work drinking gatherings, heotgae-cha remains one of the most commonly reached-for hangover remedies.

Ingredients

servings

IngredientAmountUnit

dried oriental raisin tree fruit25 gg

water1.2 LL

jujube4 piecepiece

ginger10 gg

cinnamon stick1 piecepiece

honey2 tbsptbsp

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Instructions

Read the steps as a cooking flow: prep, heat, seasoning, doneness control, and finish.

6 steps

1

Step

Gently rinse 25g of dried oriental raisin tree fruit under cold running water to remove any surface dust or impurities before the brewing process.
2

Prep

Place 1.2L of water, rinsed heotgae fruit, 4 jujubes, 10g of sliced ginger, and one cinnamon stick into a large pot for flavor infusion.
3

Control

Bring to a boil over medium-high heat, then reduce to low and simmer for 25 minutes until the liquid transforms into a deep brown color.
4

Step

Turn off the heat and keep the lid closed for 5 minutes to steep, allowing the unique nutty herbal aroma to stabilize and strengthen.
5

Step

Filter the tea through a fine sieve to remove solids, then stir in 2tbsp of honey until it is completely dissolved to your desired sweetness.
6

Finish

Serve the finished tea warm in a ceramic cup, or cool it down and store in the refrigerator for a refreshing cold herbal drink.

Practical Cooking Checks

The cues that matter most while cooking.

Key technique: Dried oriental raisin tree fruit develops a roasted nutty sweetness in this Heotgae-cha brew.
Finish cue: Serve the finished tea warm in a ceramic cup, or cool it down and store in the refrigerator for a refreshing cold herbal drink.
Avoid this: Do not discard the first boil; it carries most of the aroma.