Yuja hwachae
Encyclopedia
Yuja hwachae is a variety of hwachae
, Korean traditional fruit punch
made with finely shredded yuja
(yuzu
), bae (배, Korean pear) and honey
or sugar. In Korea, yuja are largely cultivated in the southern part of the Korean peninsula
such as Goheung and Wando, Geoje
, and Namhae
. Therefore, yuja hwachae has been a local specialty of the Jeolla Province and Gyeongsang Province.
to carefully keep the inner flesh intact. The peeled fruit is divided into its segments from which the endocarp, central column and seeds are taken out. Each piece of the rinds is placed on a cutting board and the zest
is finely shredded after the white membrane
are removed. A peeled Korean pear is thinly shredded and placed alongside the array of the zest. The yuja flesh is squeezed to produce the juice that is mixed with prepared and chilled syrup made of water and sugar.
The shredded zest and pear are arranged in a large glass bowl for hwachae by the yellow and white array. After the sugar water is poured over them, the punch is placed for about 30 minutes to allow the yujas flavor and scent to emerge. Several pomegranate
aril
s and pine nut
s are place on the center of the yuja hwachae as garnishes. The prepared hwachae is served in a small indiviual bowl.
during the Joseon Dynasty
. It is considered not only good for thirst quenching but also known for its decoration. Yuja hwachae is traditionally drunk in autumn, and is closely related to the Korean traditional festival called Junggu (중구 重九) or Juyangjeol (중양절). It falls on every 9th day of September in the lunar calendar
and is said that two yang
(positive cosmic forces) is overlapped on the date. It was a custom for Korea people to eat yuja hwachae along with gukhwajeon
(국화전), flower pancake
made with chrysanthemum
and gukhwaju (국화주), rice wine
made with the flower on the date.
Hwachae
Hwachae is a general term for Korean traditional punches made with various fruits or edible flower petals soaked in omija or honeyed juice.-Types:...
, Korean traditional fruit punch
Punch (drink)
Punch is the term for a wide assortment of drinks, both non-alcoholic and alcoholic, generally containing fruit or fruit juice. The drink was introduced from India to England in the early seventeenth century; from there its use spread to other countries...
made with finely shredded yuja
Yuzu
The yuzu is a citrus fruit and plant originating in East Asia. It is believed to be a hybrid of sour mandarin and Ichang papeda...
(yuzu
Yuzu
The yuzu is a citrus fruit and plant originating in East Asia. It is believed to be a hybrid of sour mandarin and Ichang papeda...
), bae (배, Korean pear) and honey
Honey
Honey is a sweet food made by bees using nectar from flowers. The variety produced by honey bees is the one most commonly referred to and is the type of honey collected by beekeepers and consumed by humans...
or sugar. In Korea, yuja are largely cultivated in the southern part of the Korean peninsula
Korean Peninsula
The Korean Peninsula is a peninsula in East Asia. It extends southwards for about 684 miles from continental Asia into the Pacific Ocean and is surrounded by the Sea of Japan to the south, and the Yellow Sea to the west, the Korea Strait connecting the first two bodies of water.Until the end of...
such as Goheung and Wando, Geoje
Geoje
Geoje is a city located in South Gyeongsang province, just off the coast of the port city of Busan, South Korea. Daewoo Shipbuilding & Marine Engineering in Okpo and Samsung Heavy Industries in Gohyeon are both located on Geoje Island. The city also offers a wide range of tourist sights...
, and Namhae
Namhae
Namhae County is a county in South Gyeongsang Province, South Korea.- Geography :Namhae county covers an area of 357 km², covering the main islands of Namhae and Changseon, the smaller islands of Jodo, Hodo and Nodo, and 65 other uninhabited islets.Namhae county also features several peaks; Mangun...
. Therefore, yuja hwachae has been a local specialty of the Jeolla Province and Gyeongsang Province.
Preparation
One yuja is slit down into a quarter to peel off its rindPeel (fruit)
Peel, also known as rind or skin, is the outer protective layer of a fruit or vegetable which could be peeled off. The rind is usually the botanical exocarp, but the term exocarp does also include the hard cases of nuts, which are not named peels since they are not peeled off by hand or peeler, but...
to carefully keep the inner flesh intact. The peeled fruit is divided into its segments from which the endocarp, central column and seeds are taken out. Each piece of the rinds is placed on a cutting board and the zest
Zest (ingredient)
Zest is a food ingredient that is prepared by scraping or cutting from the outer, colorful skin of citrus fruits such as lemon, orange, citron, and lime. Zest is used to add flavor to foods....
is finely shredded after the white membrane
Biological membrane
A biological membrane or biomembrane is an enclosing or separatingmembrane that acts as a selective barrier, within or around a cell. It consists of a lipid bilayer with embedded proteins that may constitute close to 50% of membrane content...
are removed. A peeled Korean pear is thinly shredded and placed alongside the array of the zest. The yuja flesh is squeezed to produce the juice that is mixed with prepared and chilled syrup made of water and sugar.
The shredded zest and pear are arranged in a large glass bowl for hwachae by the yellow and white array. After the sugar water is poured over them, the punch is placed for about 30 minutes to allow the yujas flavor and scent to emerge. Several pomegranate
Pomegranate
The pomegranate , Punica granatum, is a fruit-bearing deciduous shrub or small tree growing between five and eight meters tall.Native to the area of modern day Iran, the pomegranate has been cultivated in the Caucasus since ancient times. From there it spread to Asian areas such as the Caucasus as...
aril
Aril
An aril is any specialized outgrowth from the funiculus that covers or is attached to the seed. It is sometimes applied to any appendage or thickening of the seed coat in flowering plants, such as the edible parts of the mangosteen and pomegranate fruit, the mace of the nutmeg seed, or the...
s and pine nut
Pine nut
Pine nuts are the edible seeds of pines . About 20 species of pine produce seeds large enough to be worth harvesting; in other pines the seeds are also edible, but are too small to be of great value as a human food....
s are place on the center of the yuja hwachae as garnishes. The prepared hwachae is served in a small indiviual bowl.
In Korean culture
Yuja hwachae was served a lot in Korean royal court cuisineKorean royal court cuisine
Korean royal court cuisine 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 style in the 21st century...
during the Joseon Dynasty
Joseon Dynasty
Joseon , was a Korean state founded by Taejo Yi Seong-gye that lasted for approximately five centuries. It was founded in the aftermath of the overthrow of the Goryeo at what is today the city of Kaesong. Early on, Korea was retitled and the capital was relocated to modern-day Seoul...
. It is considered not only good for thirst quenching but also known for its decoration. Yuja hwachae is traditionally drunk in autumn, and is closely related to the Korean traditional festival called Junggu (중구 重九) or Juyangjeol (중양절). It falls on every 9th day of September in the lunar calendar
Lunar calendar
A lunar calendar is a calendar that is based on cycles of the lunar phase. A common purely lunar calendar is the Islamic calendar or Hijri calendar. A feature of the Islamic calendar is that a year is always 12 months, so the months are not linked with the seasons and drift each solar year by 11 to...
and is said that two yang
Yin and yang
In Asian philosophy, the concept of yin yang , which is often referred to in the West as "yin and yang", is used to describe how polar opposites or seemingly contrary forces are interconnected and interdependent in the natural world, and how they give rise to each other in turn. Opposites thus only...
(positive cosmic forces) is overlapped on the date. It was a custom for Korea people to eat yuja hwachae along with gukhwajeon
Hwajeon
Hwajeon is a small, sweet pancake or tteok made of any edible flower petals such as azalea or chrysanthemum and glutinous rice flour, and sugar in Korean cuisine...
(국화전), flower pancake
Pancake
A pancake is a thin, flat, round cake prepared from a batter, and cooked on a hot griddle or frying pan. Most pancakes are quick breads; some use a yeast-raised or fermented batter. Most pancakes are cooked one side on a griddle and flipped partway through to cook the other side...
made with chrysanthemum
Chrysanthemum
Chrysanthemums, often called mums or chrysanths, are of the genus constituting approximately 30 species of perennial flowering plants in the family Asteraceae which is native to Asia and northeastern Europe.-Etymology:...
and gukhwaju (국화주), rice wine
Rice wine
Rice wine is an alcoholic beverage made from rice. Unlike wine, which is made by fermentation of naturally sweet grapes and other fruit, rice "wine" results from the fermentation of rice starch converted to sugars...
made with the flower on the date.
