Sujeonggwa: Cinnamon-Ginger Punch with Dried Persimmon

Cinnamon sticks and sliced ginger are simmered separately in 4 cups of water each, combined, sweetened with brown sugar and poured over 4 dried persimmons. A warm-natured Fire drink for winter, 4 servings in about 50 minutes plus chilling.

Elements	Fire
Good in	winter
Suits	a cold-running constitution
Serves	4 · 50 min

Cinnamon, ginger and the Fire phase

Cinnamon and ginger are both on the app's short list of warm foods, and warmth is the quality the tradition gives to Fire. Cinnamon bark is red-brown, close to Fire's red, so here both spices are tagged Fire and the whole drink is read as a Fire dish.

Fire produces Earth (火生土), and the brown sugar and the sweet flesh of the dried persimmons carry that sweetness, the taste of Earth. The persimmons, orange-red and sweet, sit between the two phases. Pine nuts, pale and floating on top, are a small Metal accent.

Season and body type

Sujeonggwa is a traditional drink of the Lunar New Year and deep winter, when dried persimmons are ready. It is usually served chilled, yet the tradition still reads it as warm, because the nature belongs to the cinnamon and ginger, not to the serving temperature.

Being warm, it is read as suiting a constitution with more cold, 찬 기운이 많은 체질. Read as the tradition's way of pairing food and temperament, not as medical advice.

Ingredients and their elements

Two Fire spices, an Earth sweetener, a fruit that bridges Fire and Earth, and a Metal garnish.

Sujeonggwa, 4 servings, 50 minutes
Ingredient	Amount	Element	Swap
Cinnamon sticks	30 g	Fire	-
Fresh ginger	50 g	Fire	-
Brown sugar	0.5 cup	Earth	Honey, 4 tbsp
Dried persimmons (gotgam)	4	Fire + Earth	-
Pine nuts	1 tbsp	Metal	-

Ingredients

Cinnamon sticks 30 g (Fire)
Red-brown bark with a warm nature: Fire energy.
Fresh ginger 50 g (Fire)
Its warm nature supports the cinnamon's Fire.
Brown sugar 0.5 cup (Earth)
Fire produces Earth (火生土), carried on into sweetness.
Dried persimmons (gotgam) 4 (Fire, Earth)
Orange-red (Fire) and sweet (Earth) at once.
Pine nuts 1 tbsp (Metal)
White pine nuts floated on top to finish.

How to make it

Slice the ginger thinly and simmer it in 4 cups of water for 30 minutes.
Rinse the cinnamon sticks and simmer them in another pot with 4 cups of water for 30 minutes.
Combine and strain both liquids, add the brown sugar, simmer 10 minutes more, then let it cool.
Remove the stems and seeds from the persimmons, soak them in the punch until soft, and serve with pine nuts floating on top.

Questions

Why boil the cinnamon and ginger separately?

Each keeps a cleaner flavour; boiled together the ginger can overpower the cinnamon.

Is it served hot or cold?

Traditionally chilled. The warm reading comes from the spices, not the temperature.

Can I use honey instead of brown sugar?

Yes, about 4 tbsp. The colour will be lighter; the sweetness is still read as Earth.

Solar terms in this season

Start of Winter Minor Snow Major Snow Winter Solstice Minor Cold Major Cold

Ginger and Jujube Chicken Soup for Cold MonthsChicken soup with ginger, 6 jujubes and 5 garlic cloves, simmered 45 minutes. A warm Fire and Earth dish the tradition sets for autumn and winter.Sweet Red Bean Porridge (Danpatjuk) for WinterSweet red bean porridge: 1 cup red beans simmered 40 minutes, thickened with glutinous rice flour. A warm Fire and Earth bowl for winter and autumn.Chestnut Rice (Bam-bap): an Autumn Earth BowlKorean chestnut rice for 2 in 50 minutes: 10 peeled chestnuts and 3 jujubes on soaked rice. Why the tradition reads it as Earth.Winter Solstice (冬至, Dongzhi): Red Bean Porridge DayThe winter solstice (冬至) falls on 22 December 2026 at 05:50 KST, the longest night. Learn why yang is said to return and why Koreans eat red bean porridge.The Generating and Controlling Cycles of the Five ElementsHow the five elements feed one another in the generating cycle and keep one another in check in the controlling cycle, with two real days worked out.

See it for your chart → Open Haru

Traditional Four Pillars (myeongni) and yin-yang five-element interpretation. Not a medical diagnosis or advice.