''Baesuk'' () is a variety of ''

hwachae ''Hwachae'' () is a general term for traditional Korean punches, made with various fruits or edible flower petals. The fruits and flowers are soaked in honeyed water or honeyed magnolia berry juice. In modern South Korea, carbonated drinks and ...

'',

Korea Korea ( ko, 한국, or , ) is a peninsular region in East Asia. Since 1945, it has been divided at or near the 38th parallel, with North Korea (Democratic People's Republic of Korea) comprising its northern half and South Korea (Republic o ...

n traditional

fruit punch The term punch refers to a wide assortment of drinks, both non-alcoholic and alcoholic, generally containing fruits or fruit juice. The drink was introduced from the Indian subcontinent to England by employees of the East India Company in the ...

made with ''

bae BAE Systems plc (BAE) is a British multinational arms, security, and aerospace company based in London, England. It is the largest defence contractor in Europe, and ranked the seventh-largest in the world based on applicable 2021 revenues. ...

'' (배:

Korean pear ''Pyrus pyrifolia'' is a species of pear tree native to East Asia. The tree's edible fruit is known by many names, including: Asian pear, Japanese pear, Chinese pear, Korean pear, Taiwanese pear, apple pear, zodiac pear, three-halves pear, pa ...

black pepper Black pepper (''Piper nigrum'') is a flowering vine in the family Piperaceae, cultivated for its fruit, known as a peppercorn, which is usually dried and used as a spice and seasoning. The fruit is a drupe (stonefruit) which is about in dia ...

corns, ginger,

honey Honey is a sweet and viscous substance made by several bees, the best-known of which are honey bees. Honey is made and stored to nourish bee colonies. Bees produce honey by gathering and then refining the sugary secretions of plants (primar ...

or sugar, and water.

History

Originally, ''baesuk'' was served in

Korean royal court cuisine Korean royal court cuisine (''Joseon Wangjo Gungjung yori'') was the style of cookery within Korean cuisine traditionally consumed at the court of the Joseon Dynasty, which ruled Korea from 1392 to 1910. There has been a revival of this cookery ...

, so that it was not spread to the public until the mid-20th century. ''Baesuk'' is also called ''isuk'', and both terms literally mean "cooked pear" in

Korean Korean may refer to: People and culture * Koreans, ethnic group originating in the Korean Peninsula * Korean cuisine * Korean culture * Korean language **Korean alphabet, known as Hangul or Chosŏn'gŭl **Korean dialects and the Jeju language ** ...

. A peeled pear is cut into several pieces easily to be eaten or prepared as a whole and then generally three

corns are stuck onto the surface of each piece. In case of cooking Korean pear a whole pear without slicing, it is called ''hyangseolgo'' (향설고, ) and sour and hard ''munbae'' (문배,

Pyrus ussuriensis ''Pyrus ussuriensis'', also known as the Ussurian pear, Harbin pear, and Manchurian pear, is a species of flowering plant in the family Rosaceae. It is native to Korea, Japan, and the Ussuri River area of far eastern Russia. It has flowers in ...

var.seoulensis) is used.

Recipe

The pieces are poached by

simmering Simmering is a food preparation technique by which foods are cooked in hot liquids kept just below the boiling point of water (lower than ) and above poaching temperature (higher than ). To create a steady simmer, a liquid is brought to a boil, ...

with sliced ginger and sugar or honey over low heat until tender. After removing from the heat, gingers are discarded and the mixture is chilled in a cold place. The ''baesuk'' is poured into a glass bowl for ''hwachae'' and is garnished with ground

pine nut Pine nuts, also called piñón (), pinoli (), pignoli or chilgoza (), are the edible seeds of pines (family Pinaceae, genus ''Pinus''). According to the Food and Agriculture Organization, only 29 species provide edible nuts, while 20 are trad ...

s. It can be served with a dash of '' yujajeub'' (유자즙,

yuzu Yuzu (''Citrus junos'', from Japanese or ) is a citrus fruit and plant in the family Rutaceae of East Asian origin. Yuzu has been cultivated mainly in East Asia, though recently also in New Zealand, Australia, Spain, Italy, and France. I ...

juice) mixed together. ''Baesuk'' is a seasonal food usually drunken cold just like other ''hwachae'' varieties but can be served hot. ''Baesuk'' is usually prepared and drunk in the summer or for

Chuseok ''Chuseok'' (; , literally "autumn evening"), also known as ''Hangawi'' (Hangul: ; ; from archaic Korean for "the great middle (of autumn)"), is a major mid-autumn harvest festival and a three-day holiday in South Korea celebrated on the 15th ...

(Korean Mid-Autumn Festival). Together with '' sujeonggwa'' (

persimmon The persimmon is the edible fruit of a number of species of trees in the genus '' Diospyros''. The most widely cultivated of these is the Oriental persimmon, ''Diospyros kaki'' ''Diospyros'' is in the family Ebenaceae, and a number of non-per ...

punch), ''baesuk'' is considered a representative Korean beverage. Due to the similar recipes of the two beverages, ''baesuk'' is sometimes called "''baesujeonggwa''" (배수정과). ''Baesuk'' is usually served as dessert and also considered a good remedy for the common cold. The beverage is widely popular in

South Korea South Korea, officially the Republic of Korea (ROK), is a country in East Asia, constituting the southern part of the Korean Peninsula and sharing a land border with North Korea. Its western border is formed by the Yellow Sea, while its eas ...

because of the moderate sweet flavor and easy recipe.

References

{{Reflist

External links

Baesuk recipe
from Changwon City website
Baesuk recipe
Hwachae Non-alcoholic drinks Korean royal court cuisine

History

Recipe

See also

References

External links