Korean Cinnamon Persimmon Punch
Quick answer
Sujeonggwa is a Korean cinnamon-ginger punch made by simmering cinnamon sticks and sliced ginger in water for 25 minutes, then straining and sweetening the clear liquid w...
What makes this special
- Sujeonggwa creates layered spice depth by simmering cinnamon sticks and fresh ginger for twenty-five minutes.
- Cinnamon stick and ginger simmered 25 minutes build layered spice depth
- Dried persimmon slowly absorbs the liquid, softening as you drink
Key ingredients
Core cooking flow
- 1 Peel 30 grams of fresh ginger and slice it thinly so its heat extracts evenly.
- 2 Put 1200 milliliters of water, 20 grams of cinnamon sticks, and the sliced ginger in a pot.
- 3 When the liquid reaches a full boil, immediately lower the heat to low and cover the pot.
Sujeonggwa is a Korean cinnamon-ginger punch made by simmering cinnamon sticks and sliced ginger in water for 25 minutes, then straining and sweetening the clear liquid with dark brown sugar. The warm, slightly sweet spice of cinnamon and the sharp rising heat of ginger meet the molasses-toned depth of the sugar, building a flavor that is spicy, sweet, and aromatic in equal measure. Quartered dried persimmon slices are added to the chilled punch, where they slowly absorb the liquid and soften into a jam-like texture over time, while floating pine nuts contribute a gentle nuttiness to each sip. Overnight refrigeration in a sealed container melds the individual flavors into something more unified, making the punch cleaner and more rounded when served cold. Sujeonggwa has long been served at Korean holiday tables during Lunar New Year and ancestral rite ceremonies, and its spiced warmth is also considered a natural digestive aid after heavy meals.
Instructions
Read the steps as a cooking flow: prep, heat, seasoning, doneness control, and finish.
- 1Prep
Peel 30 grams of fresh ginger and slice it thinly so its heat extracts evenly.
Remove the stems and seeds from 2 dried persimmons, then cut each one into quarters for serving later.
- 2Control
Put 1200 milliliters of water, 20 grams of cinnamon sticks, and the sliced ginger in a pot.
Heat over high heat until bubbles rise from the edges and the spice aroma becomes clear.
- 3Control
When the liquid reaches a full boil, immediately lower the heat to low and cover the pot.
Simmer gently for 25 minutes so the cinnamon and ginger infuse without becoming harsh.
- 4Season
Turn off the heat and strain the liquid through a fine sieve, keeping only the clear spiced tea.
While it is still hot, add 80 grams of dark brown sugar and stir until no grains remain.
- 5Season
Let the punch lose its steam at room temperature, then transfer it to a sealed container and refrigerate.
Chill overnight when possible, which helps the cinnamon, ginger, and sugar taste more settled.
- 6Finish
Pour the cold Sujeonggwa into serving cups or bowls.
Float the dried persimmon pieces and 1 tablespoon of pine nuts on top, then serve once the persimmon starts to soften slightly.
After the steps
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Continue with shared ingredients, meal pairings, or a similar method.
Recipes That Go Well With This
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Cinnamon Persimmon Ice (Korean Spiced Punch Scraped Ice Dessert)
Sujeonggwa granita converts the traditional Korean cinnamon-ginger punch into a flaky frozen dessert by sweetening the steeped liquid with dark brown sugar and then breaking it into coarse crystals through repeated scraping. Cinnamon sticks and fresh ginger are simmered in water for at least twenty minutes to draw out the full depth of both spices before being strained. The sweetened liquid is poured into a shallow metal tray, which chills more quickly and freezes more evenly than deep containers. Every hour for three to four rounds a fork is dragged through the solidifying surface, breaking up any sheets of ice and encouraging the formation of separate, granular crystals. Scraping more frequently and starting promptly after the first hour produces a finer, more uniform texture, while leaving it too long between sessions allows solid blocks to form that are harder to break up. The spice compounds concentrate into each ice shard as the water freezes around them, so the granita delivers a cold but intensely flavored mouthful at every bite. Thin strips of dried persimmon and pine nuts placed on top before serving add the same garnishes used in traditional sujeonggwa: the persimmon brings a sticky chewiness and concentrated sweetness, while the pine nuts contribute a mild, buttery richness that contrasts with the crunchy, crystalline ice beneath.
Korean Dried Persimmon Cinnamon Tea
Gotgam-gyepi-cha is a traditional Korean winter tea made by slowly simmering dried persimmon, a cinnamon stick, fresh ginger, and jujubes in water for close to thirty minutes. Cinnamon, ginger, and jujube are added first and simmered for twenty minutes to establish the spiced backbone of the drink, building a deeply aromatic and gently sweet base before the persimmon is introduced. Quartered dried persimmons and dark brown sugar are then added for another eight to ten minutes, during which the fruit softens and its dense, concentrated fructose dissolves into the broth, giving the liquid a slight viscosity along with a rich, jammy sweetness. Because dried persimmons vary considerably in sugar content, the amount of dark brown sugar should be adjusted or omitted entirely when the fruit is particularly sweet, to prevent the drink from becoming cloying. Once strained through a fine mesh and poured into cups, the tea is a clear, reddish-amber color. A whole walnut is placed on top -- its firm crunch and toasted nuttiness contrast sharply with the warm, fragrant liquid and serve as a visual as well as textural counterpoint. The warming combination of ginger and cinnamon makes this tea well suited to cold weather, and it often appears alongside sikhye and sujeonggwa on holiday tables.
Gotgam Cream Cheese Roll (Dried Persimmon Rolls)
Gotgam cream cheese roll is a no-cook Korean dessert that requires nothing more than a knife, a bowl, and a refrigerator. Dried persimmons are slit open and flattened into thin sheets, each one acting as the outer wrapper. The filling is cream cheese mixed with honey and fresh lemon juice to balance its natural richness with acidity, and finely chopped walnuts are folded in throughout to add a crunchy, nutty element to every bite. The filling is spread across the opened persimmon, which is then rolled tightly and wrapped in plastic wrap. Twenty minutes in the refrigerator firms the roll enough to slice cleanly. Dipping the knife in warm water and wiping it dry before each cut produces the smoothest cross-sections. The finished slices reveal clearly defined layers: the chewy, caramel-sweet dried persimmon on the outside, the tangy cream cheese in the middle, and flecks of walnut distributed throughout. The combination makes it a natural pairing with wine or a polished addition to a traditional holiday table.
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Gukhwa-ppang is a Korean winter street pastry baked in a chrysanthemum flower-shaped cast-iron mold, filled with sweet red bean paste at the center. The batter of flour, baking powder, sugar, milk, egg, and melted butter is stirred together with minimal mixing to keep gluten development low, then poured to fill only one-third of the mold before a spoonful of bean paste is placed in the middle and covered with more batter, ensuring the filling sits centered in the finished pastry. Cooking over medium-low heat for three to four minutes on each side produces a golden crust with sharply defined flower-petal ridges pressed into the surface, while the bean paste inside stays soft and flows when the pastry is broken apart. It is often grouped with bungeoppang as a sibling street food, but the dough ratio is heavier and the shell is noticeably thicker, giving it a stronger bread-forward flavor and a slightly smaller proportion of filling to outer crust. The pastry is best eaten immediately after cooking, while the exterior is still crisp and the paste still hot. In recent years vendors have begun filling gukhwa-ppang with cream, chocolate, and sweet potato paste as alternatives to the traditional red bean filling.
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Korean Cinnamon Tea (Spiced Jujube Ginger Honey Brew)
Gyepi-cha is a traditional Korean cinnamon tea made by simmering whole cinnamon sticks and fresh ginger in water over low heat for at least twenty-five minutes. The long, gentle simmer is what separates gyepi-cha from an infusion: the bold, sweet-spicy aroma of the cinnamon builds gradually, saturating the liquid rather than merely scenting it. Ginger contributes a sharp, deeply warming bite that stays present long after each sip, creating a slow, spreading heat in the chest. Six jujubes are cooked alongside the spices; their flesh softens and eventually breaks down, lending the broth a faint fruitiness and a slight natural body. Dark brown sugar and honey are both used to construct a sweetness that is layered rather than flat, with the molasses depth of the sugar underpinning the floral brightness of the honey. Before serving, a few pine nuts are floated on the surface, where their oily richness drifts down to complement the spice. This is a drink associated with cold weather and recovering health, often prepared during winter or whenever warmth is needed from the inside out.
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