Apple Sujeonggwa (Korean Cinnamon-Ginger Punch) Recipe

A traditional Korean ginger-cinnamon digestif gets an apple spin.

By
Sunny Lee
Sunny Lee

Sunny Lee is a Brooklyn-based chef who has worked at Blue Hill, Eleven Madison Park, Estela, Battersby, and Insa. When she isn't contributing to Serious Eats, she moonlights as a freelance private chef. Sunny attended the Culinary Institute of America.

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Published Nov. 05, 2020
20201015-banchan-thanksgiving-cinnamon-apple-tea-vicky-wasik-1-2
Vicky Wasik

Why It Works

  • Lightly charring the cinnamon sticks lends them a pleasant, warm bitterness that balances the sweetness of the punch.
  • Steeping the apple chips in the punch off heat prevents them from breaking down and muddying the punch's ginger aroma.

There comes a point toward the end of every great meal when the table is covered with dirty plates, rumpled napkins, and the tablecloth has turned into a Rorschach inkblot of wine and sauce stains. When belts are loosened and eyelids begin to droop, it’s time for sujeonggwa. Sujeonggwa is a non-alcoholic Korean digestif made by simmering ginger, cinnamon, sugar, and water to make a warm, spiced, aromatic cross between a tea and punch. Traditionally, it's finished with dried persimmons and pine nuts for peak fall vibes. The restorative, warm heat of fresh ginger balanced by the molasses sweetness of brown sugar makes the perfect pre-dessert pick-me-up after a big meal.

For this version, dried apple chips replace hard-to-find dried persimmons, which gives this sujeonggwa a mulled apple cider feel, and to compensate for the loss of the gingerbread and dried apricot notes persimmons typically provide, cinnamon sticks are lightly charred over an open flame and then combined with water, brown sugar, sliced ginger, cloves, and star anise to form the base for the drink. The mixture is simmered until intensely aromatic, removed from the heat, and a heaping handful of dried apple chips are added to the pot. The sujeonggwa is then set aside to steep for twenty minutes, strained, gently reheated, and served in mugs with a sprinkling of pine nuts—it's like an apple pie in tea form.

Recipe Facts

Active: 5 mins
Total: 45 mins
Serves: 4 to 6 servings

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Ingredients

  • 5 cinnamon sticks

  • 6 cups (1.4L) water

  • 7 ounces dark brown sugar (about 1 cup, packed; 200g)

  • 8 whole cloves

  • 2 star anise pods

  • 6 ounces fresh ginger (about three 3-inch pieces; 170g), peeled and thinly sliced

  • 3 ounces dried apple chips (about 1 1/2 cups; 85g)

  • 3 tablespoons (30g) pine nuts

Directions

  1. Using tongs and working one at a time, lightly char cinnamon sticks by holding them over open flame of a gas burner or kitchen torch until lightly singed on both sides, 15 to 30 seconds each. Alternatively, if you don't have a gas burner, char cinnamon sticks in a dry cast iron skillet over high heat, about 10 minutes.

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  2. In a 3-quart saucepan, combine charred cinnamon sticks, water, brown sugar, cloves, star anise, and ginger. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat, stirring occasionally with a rubber spatula to help brown sugar dissolve, then reduce heat to a gentle simmer. Simmer, stirring occasionally, until mixture is intensely aromatic and sugar is fully dissolved, about 20 minutes. Remove from heat, stir in apple chips, cover, and set aside to steep for 20 minutes.

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  3. Strain punch through a fine-mesh strainer, gently pressing on solids to extract as much liquid as possible; discard solids. If serving right away, return punch to saucepan and reheat over low heat until warmed through. Divide punch between individual mugs, sprinkle with pine nuts, and serve. If making tea in advance, allow to cool to room temperature, then refrigerate in an airtight container for up to 3 days; reheat over low heat before serving.

Special equipment

3-quart stainless steel saucier, fine-mesh strainer

Make-Ahead and Storage

The sujeonggwa can be made in advance and refrigerated in an airtight container for up to 3 days. Reheat over low heat before serving.

This Recipe Appears In

Nutrition Facts (per serving)
168 Calories
3g Fat
35g Carbs
1g Protein
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Nutrition Facts
Servings: 4 to 6
Amount per serving
Calories 168
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 3g 4%
Saturated Fat 0g 1%
Cholesterol 0mg 0%
Sodium 21mg 1%
Total Carbohydrate 35g 13%
Dietary Fiber 1g 2%
Total Sugars 34g
Protein 1g
Vitamin C 0mg 1%
Calcium 40mg 3%
Iron 1mg 3%
Potassium 98mg 2%
*The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.
(Nutrition information is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered an estimate.)

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