Sujeonggwa, or semi-dried persimmons with cinnamon in ginger broth

By Kim Yong-ja

New Year's Day is not complete without ``sujeonggwa." Good quality semi-dried persimmons have a slightly thick white skin outside but are soft inside.

Traditionally, the dried persimmons are soaked in a large quantity of syrup, but I changed the ingredients in order to enhance the taste of the persimmons.

You can use any sweet liquor to soak the persimmons. Although you need to start preparing this dessert a week in advance, the process itself is quite easy.

INGREDIENTS (serves 4)

6 whole semi-dried PERSIMMONS (8 oz/ 225 g)

1½ cup PLUM WINE, RUM or GRAND MARNIER

3 cups WATER

2 oz/56 g GINGER, peeled and cut in half

3 heaping tablespoons HONEY

⅓ teaspoons POWDERED CINNAMON

1 heaping tablespoon PINE NUTS

1. Cover the persimmons with sweet liquor (plum wine, rum or Grand Marnier). Keep them in a covered jar for a week. The fruit soaks up the liquor as it softens.

2. Bring the water to a boil in a pot with ginger pieces and gently simmer for 4-5 minutes. Let cool. Discard the ginger pieces and add honey and cinnamon to the broth. You should be able to distinctively taste the ginger and cinnamon.

3. Chill well in the refrigerator for at least 4-5 hours. When ready to serve, gently pour the broth into the individual bowls, being careful to leave behind the sediment that has collected at the bottom of the pot. Add the persimmons to the bowls, either in bite-sized or larger pieces. Sprinkle with pine nuts.

This is an excerpt from “Korean Cuisine: Healthy Food, Full of Flavor” (Yekyong Publishing, 224 pp., 28,000 won). The book is on sale at major bookstores such as Kyobo Bookstore, Youngpoong Bookstore and Bandi & Luni’s. ― ED.