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Park Hyatt Seoul cafe serves immune-boosting drinks amid MERS outbreak

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By Kim Se-jeong
  • Published KST
  • Updated KST

Jujube ade is one of the four flavors offered by Park Hyatt Seoul. / Courtesy of Park Hyatt Seoul

Amid the Middle East Respiratory Syndrome (MERS) outbreak, immune system boosters are on everyone’s minds. Park Hyatt Seoul’s café offers great-tasting beverages that not only keep you cool but also boosts your energy and immune system.

The café, The Lounge, offers four such drinks ― jujube, quince, ginger and raspberry. Each drink is made with sugar-marinated fruit chunks mixed with water and a couple of ice cubes and garnish.

Jujube, also known as red date, is known for its high levels of vitamins A, B6 and C and minerals, calcium, iron, magnesium and manganese. The fruit and seeds are used in traditional medicine and are believed to alleviate stress. It has also been shown to relieve constipation.

Quince also contains a significant amount of vitamin C, along with vitamin B6, calcium, iron and potassium. It is used for medicinal purposes in many parts of the world, especially in the East. In the sub-continental Indo-Pakistan region, for example, its seeds are used to eliminate mucus and rashes.

Ginger has a lot of vitamin B6, manganese, iron and magnesium. It is known to slow tumor cell growth and believed to cure nausea caused by seasickness and morning sickness.

Raspberry also contains a lot of vitamin C and manganese and is used widely for baking.

Doctors and nutritionists recommended taking vitamin C, an antioxidant to help protect oneself from a variety of illnesses.

The deadly MERS virus has killed more than a dozen people in Korea since the first case was confirmed on May 20. The MERS is spreading quickly as some of the first people who contracted the disease weren’t screened properly in the beginning, thereby exposing even more people to the virus.

The MERS outbreak is negatively affecting the economy, especially the tourism industry. Travelers are cancelling their trips to the country, hitting airlines, hotel and related businesses hard.