Icy Cinnamon Ginger "Sujeonggwa"
by Dylan Sabuco
Photo by Wirestock Creators/Shutterstock.com
prep time
5 minutes
cook time
20 minutes
makes
4-6 servings
Icy Cinnamon Ginger "Sujeonggwa"
"Sujeonggwa" (soo-chahng-gwah) is a Korean dessert beverage that’s often served after a big meal as both cinnamon and ginger are believed to aid digestion.
Happy & Healthy Cooking,
Chef Erin, Food-Geek-in-Chief
Fun-Da-Mentals Kitchen Skills
- measure :
to calculate the specific amount of an ingredient required using a measuring tool (like measuring cups or spoons).
- pour :
to cause liquid, granules, or powder to stream from one container into another.
- simmer :
to cook a food gently, usually in a liquid, until softened.
Equipment Checklist
- Large pot
- Liquid measuring cup
- Dry measuring cups
- Wooden spoon
- Tongs (or slotted spatula) to remove spices
scale
1X
2X
3X
4X
5X
6X
7X
Ingredients
Icy Cinnamon Ginger "Sujeonggwa"
- 4 C water
- 1/2 inch piece ginger root
- 2 cinnamon sticks
- 1/2 C granulated sugar or brown sugar
Instructions
Icy Cinnamon Ginger "Sujeonggwa"
1.
intro
"Sujeonggwa" (soo-chahng-gwah) is a traditional Korean cinnamon ginger punch made by steeping cinnamon sticks and ginger root in boiling water with sugar, in which dried persimmon is often soaked. It is then served cold as a dessert.
2.
measure + simmer
Measure and combine the following ingredients in a large pot: 4 cups water, 1/2 inch piece of ginger root, 2 cinnamon sticks, and 1/2 cup sugar. Bring the mixture to a simmer of medium-low heat for 10 minutes (or more).
3.
cool + pour
Cool the drink off the heat for at least another 10 minutes. Remove the cinnamon sticks and ginger root and discard. Pour the drink over ice. The sweet and spicy flavors should make your tongues tingle. "Geonbae!" (Kon-bay) "Cheers" in Korean!
Photo by kostrez/Shutterstock.com
Hi! I’m Ginger!
"My name is Ginger, and I'm happy to make your acquaintance! You may have tasted me in lots of sweet foods and drinks, like gingerbread, ginger snap cookies, pumpkin pie, and ginger ale. But, I also add my unique flavor to savory dishes, like stir-fries and potstickers! If you use my fresh rhizome or root in a recipe, delicately peel my beige, papery skin (the back of a metal spoon works great!) and grate my juicy flesh into the food! I also come in a dried and ground form and as crystallized ginger. As a bonus, I might even make your tummy ache feel better!"
History
- Ginger is a native plant of India and China and is a common cooking spice used throughout the world.
- Ginger is one of the oldest plants used for medicine.
- Which spices do you think are most commonly found on kitchen tables around the world? If you said salt and pepper, you'd be right! It truly depends on where you are in the world. In the ninth century, Europeans placed powdered ginger on the table alongside salt and pepper.
- A long, long time ago, ginger was used to preserve food and keep it from getting rotten.
- Greeks used to eat ginger wrapped in bread to treat digestive problems. After a while, they added ginger to bread dough to create the first recipe for gingerbread!
- Ginger grows in many tropical countries, including the Caribbean islands. However, ginger from Jamaica is considered by many to be the best! Do you know where your ginger originated?
- Ginger is also grown in Florida, Hawaii, and along the eastern coast of Texas.
Anatomy & Etymology
- Related to cardamom and turmeric, the ginger plant is part of the Zingiberaceae or Ginger family. We use the "rhizome" part of the plant, which are underground stems. Sometimes we can eat the rhizome part of a plant, and sometimes we can't! For example, bamboo plants are rooted underground by rhizomes, but the rhizome is not the part of the plant we eat—instead, we eat the bamboo shoots that come up out of the ground. But we do eat the rhizomes of plants such as ginger, turmeric, and arrowroot!
- Rhizomes are also the storage compartment of the plant. What do rhizomes store? Starches, proteins, and other nutrients—that's why we eat this part of the plant (because it's nutritious!).
- Ginger Root is characterized by its aroma: it smells strong, sweet, and woodsy. Its skin is not something we eat—we peel the skin to reveal ginger's coarse, stringy, aromatic flesh.
- The ginger plant looks like a reed and has been used in the kitchen and as medicine for the past 5,000 years. A ginger plant can reach three to four feet tall.
- The word "ginger" comes from late Old English "gingifer," from medieval Latin "gingiber," from Greek "zingiberis," and from Pali, a Middle Indo-Aryan language "siṅgivera."
How to Pick, Buy, & Eat
- Fresh ginger is available year-round, where you can find it in the grocery store produce section.
- When selecting fresh ginger, choose robust, firm roots that feel heavy, and have a spicy fragrance and smooth skin.
- Ginger root length is a sign of age, and mature rhizomes will be spicier and more fibrous than younger roots.
- Ginger should not be cracked or withered—these are signs of aged ginger past its prime.
- To store ginger root, wrap it in a paper towel or plastic wrap or put it in a plastic bag before placing it in the refrigerator for two to three weeks. You can also freeze it for up to three months.
- According to many chefs and cooks, fresh ginger is best and can be added to sauces, soups, and stews. Dried and powdered ginger has a more spicy, intense flavor and is often used in baked desserts like gingerbread, gingersnaps, and ginger cake.
- Ginger can be sliced, minced, grated, or left whole to steep in recipes (minced ginger has the most intense flavor). It can also be dried, pickled, crystallized, candied, or preserved.
- Ginger tastes sweet, spicy, and pungent and increases flavor in a range of dishes, from stir-fried beef or tofu to ginger tea.
Nutrition
- Ginger continues to be used to treat nausea and to prevent seasickness.
- Ginger may also have anti-inflammatory properties and increase digestive function.
- Despite its natural properties, any medicinal use of ginger should be discussed with a doctor. Limiting the amount you take will help avoid heartburn. It may also interfere with anticoagulant medicine.
Let's Learn About South Korea!
Photo by JEONGHYEON NOH/Shutterstock.com
- South Korea is officially named the Republic of Korea. It is a separate country from North Korea. This is because North and South Korea were divided into two countries during the Korean War in the 1950s.
- South Korea has a day dedicated to celebrating their children: May 5th. A children's book author started it because he wanted Korean children to have a sense of independence and national pride. It was designated a national holiday in 1975. On this day, cities and towns celebrate with parades, and children receive free admission to many movies, zoos, and theme parks.
- Literacy is high—98 percent of Korean adults can read! The alphabet of the Korean language is called Hangul. King Sejong the Great created it in 1443 to increase literacy. Korea's previous alphabet was Hanja or Han Chinese Characters. Today, Hangul is considered one of the most efficient alphabets in the world.
- Seoul, the capital city, has a population of about 10 million, densely packed into a small area. Many people live in high-rise apartments.
- Koreans have two New Year's Days. In addition to January 1st, Koreans also celebrate the Lunar New Year in February.
- The Korean martial art taekwondo is the national sport. Unsurprisingly, Koreans have won the most Olympic gold medals in taekwondo.
- Korean babies are considered one year old on the day they are born, then add another year on New Year's Day. Historically, Koreans have not celebrated their birthdays on the day they were born; instead, they celebrate turning one year older collectively on New Year's Day.
- Parents hold a party on a baby's first birthday and place several objects on a table to let the child pick their favorite. Whatever the child chooses is believed to predict their future or a dominant personality trait. For example, if the child picks up a book, they are destined to be smart; if the child picks up money, they will be wealthy; if the child picks up food, they will not be hungry; and if the child picks up the thread, they will live a long life.
- Koreans are very in tune with their bodies, eat the right amount of food, and focus on nutrition. The temperature of their food matters to them. Koreans follow Eastern Asian medicine principles: on the hottest days of the summer, it's traditional to eat boiling chicken ginseng soup! The rationale behind it? There shouldn't be a sharp contrast between a person's body temperature and one's food—or else, your stomach will get upset.
- Kimchi, the nation's favorite dish eaten at almost every meal, is made by fermenting vegetables, fruit, and even oysters. It is said to help prevent the flu. Kimchi becomes more sour and potent the longer it sits. There are 250 different kinds of kimchi!
- During autumn, Korean families come together to make enough kimchi to last several months, sharing with neighbors, friends, and family. This holiday is called Kimjang.
- Korean adults eat seaweed soup on their birthdays for good luck, long life, and to honor their mothers. Women who have just given birth also have the soup as it is rich in minerals and nutrients.
What's It Like to Be a Kid in South Korea?
- South Koreans treasure children, and family is very important. They teach kids to respect parents and elders. It is a custom for kids and adults to take their shoes off when they enter the home.
- Many parents have high expectations for their kids' education. Middle and high school kids have long days at school that last from 8 am until 5 pm, and then they may have extra school, tutoring, and homework until 10 pm or later.
- Computer games are extremely popular with South Korean kids. However, they may also play some traditional games. One game is "gonggi" (KON-chee). It is similar to "jacks" but played with small genuine or plastic stones. One of the tricks is to land the stone on the back of your hand after picking it up and throwing it in the air. Another game is "jegichagi," played alone or with other players by kicking a paper "jegi" (like a badminton shuttlecock) in the air and trying to keep it aloft.
- Some of the sports kids participate in are football (soccer), baseball, golf, skiing, ice skating, and taekwondo, a martial art. In addition, they like music, especially K-pop music (Korean pop).
- Children learn "nunchi" (noon-chee) by three years old. The literal translation is "eye-measure" and could also be called emotional intelligence. Kids learn to be aware of their environment, observe people and situations, quickly discern another person's mood, read a situation correctly, and respond accordingly. Nunchi helps a person navigate their world in a caring and intelligent way throughout their life.
- Kids have rice with just about every meal. They will eat it with eggs, fish, or another protein for breakfast. They may have "ramyeon," which is like "ramen," a Japanese noodle soup, or more rice and protein for lunch. Desserts made with sweet rice or red beans are popular. For example, kids may have "bingsu," shaved ice often topped with sweet red beans and sweetened condensed milk, or "bungeo-ppang," a fish-shaped pastry filled with sweetened red bean paste, pastry cream, or chocolate and cooked like a waffle.
THYME for a Laugh
I named my dog Cinnamon!
He's a lot of bark!
The Yolk's On You
What do vegetables like to drink?
Ginger ale!
That's Berry Funny
What is the noisiest spice?
Ginger Snap!
