Summer 2024 is reaching record high temperatures even in Korea, but fortunately there are traditional Korean drinks that help quench our thirst and fight the excessive heat. Let's find out what these Korean drinks are and how we can prepare it at home.
1. Misu (미숫).
Misu is a traditional Korean drink prepared using misutgaru (미숫가루), a mix of grains and beans that are roasted and then ground into a powder. This mix includes glutinous rice, barley, brown rice, black rice, black beans, corn, white beans, millet, and sesame seeds.
Easy to prepare by adding water, milk, ice and sugar or honey to sweeten it. Misu is a popular drink because of its high nutritional characteristics but low in calories. Thanks to these characteristics, misu is consumed not only to regain energy during hot summer days but also as breakfast for those who are on a diet. The benefits are many: it helps reduce cholesterol and stimulates digestion.
2. Sikhye (식혜)
Another traditional drink is Sikhye, a sweet rice punch, and is prepared using barley malt and rice cooked until the liquid is sweet and served cold. Much consumed after meals, it is a light drink that helps blood circulation and digestion.
3. Sujeonggwa (수정과)
Sujeonggwa is a punch of persimmon, ginger and cinnamon. This drink is usually served cold as a dessert either at the end of family dinners or to celebrate the new year or during a wedding. Similar to sikhye for its beneficial effects on digestion and blood circulation, it definitely has a more intense flavor due to the spices used. Sujeongwa can also be served hot in winter and is a cure-all for coughs and colds due to the presence of ginger.
4. Omijacha (오미자차)
Omijacha, also called five-flavor tea, is perfect as a summer drink because it quenches thirst and helps reduce exhaustion. The berry used for this infusion, called Omija helps reduce blood pressure and has a detox effect. The infusion can be enjoyed also during hot during winter or with the addition of cold water and ice during summer.
5. Oksusucha (옥수수차)
Oksusucha (corn tea), is another popular summer drink in Korea. It is actually an herbal tea prepared from roasted corn kernels. Due to the roasting process, the kernels become sweetened, so there is no need to add more sugar.
6. Maesilcha (매실차)
Plum tea (Maesilcha) is a healthy drink and helps reduce fatigue or stomach ache. Although consumed either cold in summer or hot in winter, summer is when green plums are in season. The fruits are picked while still unripe and then used to make a sweet extract.
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