This drink is a great way to cap off a meal. The dried persimmons become plump and soft after macerating in the sweet, spicy tea overnight. Usually the cinnamon and ginger are cooked separately and then combined, but to save time, I cook them together, and I don’t think you can tell the difference. Korean restaurants often serve a ginger and cinnamon tea that they call sujeonggwa, but without the persimmons, it’s just not the real thing. For an elegant presentation, you can freeze some of the sweet punch in a shallow pan or dish, scraping it with a fork or a spoon every 30 minutes until it freezes into granita. Float a spoonful of granita in each serving of punch.
Serves 6
INGREDIENTS:
- 10 cups water
- 1 (3-ounce) piece ginger, peeled and thinly sliced
- 5 cinnamon sticks
- 1 cup sugar
- 6 dried persimmons (got-gam), stems removed and washed
- Pine nuts for sprinkling
INSTRUCTIONS:
- Combine the water, ginger, and cinnamon sticks in a medium heavy pot, cover, and cook over high heat for 25 minutes, or until the ginger and cinnamon flavors are infused and the water has turned light brown. Turn the heat to low and simmer for another 25 minutes.
- Remove from the heat and strain into a heatproof bowl. Add the sugar and stir to dissolve. Let cool to room temperature.
- Pour the punch into a large glass jar. Add the dried persimmons, cover, and refrigerate overnight.
- Place 1 persimmon in each of six dessert bowls. Pour 1½ cups cold punch into each bowl. Sprinkle each bowl with a few pine nuts and serve immediately. (The leftover sujeonggwa can be kept in the fridge for up to 1 week.)
