Sujeonggwa: Korean Cinnamon-Ginger Punch with Pine Nuts
Inspired by techniques from Serious Eats.
A fragrant, spiced punch made from charred cinnamon, fresh ginger, and dark brown sugar, served warm or chilled.
None of the 14 major EU allergens. Always check the labels of the products you use.
Method
- 1
Char. Using tongs, char 5 cinnamon sticks over a gas flame or in a dry pan for about 30 s until lightly blackened and fragrant.
- 2
Simmer. Put the charred cinnamon, 170 g thinly sliced fresh ginger and 1400 ml water in a large pan, bring to the boil, then lower and simmer 20 min.
- 3
Spice. Stir in 200 g dark brown sugar, 8 whole cloves and 2 star anise and simmer 5 min more until the sugar dissolves.
- 4
Steep. Turn off the heat and steep 10 min.
- 5
Strain. Strain through a fine sieve into a jug, discarding the spices and ginger.
- 6
Serve. Serve warm, or cool and chill at least 2 h, then float a few of the 1 tbsp pine nuts on each serving.

Cat tip
Charring the cinnamon sticks briefly over a flame releases their essential oils and deepens the flavour.
More from the cat
- The drink can be made ahead and chilled; it tastes even better the next day.
Storage
Serve warm immediately, or cool and chill for at least 2 hours before serving cold. Cool leftovers in a shallow container and refrigerate within 2 hours (within 1 hour on a day above 32°C).
Equipment
- gas burner or dry frying pan
- large saucepan
- fine sieve
- jug
- small bowls or glasses
Nutrition per serving (estimated values)
| Per serving | Amount |
|---|---|
| Energy | 140 kcal |
| Protein | 0.3 g |
| Carbohydrate | 33.7 g |
| of which sugars | 32.4 g |
| of which free sugars | 32.3 g |
| Fat | 1.1 g |
| of which saturates | 0.1 g |
| Fibre | 0.4 g |
| Salt | 0.02 g |
Protein per 100 kcal
0.2 g High Protein needs ≥ 10 g
Calculated from USDA FoodData Central ingredient values
