Baesuk is a variety of hwachae, or Korean fruit punch, that’s sweet and flavorful, with ginger and peppercorns giving it an unexpected spicy kick. Koreans enjoy this invigorating punch as a snack or dessert throughout the year, but especially during the Korean harvest festival day of Chuseok, when pears are in season and at their peak. These days Asian (Korean) pears are available all year round in Korean grocery stores, so you can enjoy this punch anytime. If you can’t find Asian pears, you can substitute Anjou, and the result will be just as delicious as the traditional version. You can make this ahead and store it in the fridge. Here’s a tip: Put some of the punch in a shallow pan and freeze it. When it’s showtime, shave the frozen punch into the chilled punch to make it bracingly cold and refreshing.
Serves 4
INGREDIENTS:
- 7 cups plus ¼ cup water
- ½ cup sugar
- 1 large Asian pear or 2 large Anjou pears (about 1⅓ pounds)
- 24 black peppercorns
- 1 (1-inch) piece ginger, peeled and thinly sliced
- Pine nuts for sprinkling
INSTRUCTIONS:
- Combine ¼ cup of the water and ¼ cup of the sugar in a medium pot and stir with a wooden spoon to dissolve the sugar.
- Peel the Asian pear and cut lengthwise in half, then cut each half lengthwise into quarters, so that you have 8 pieces; or peel and quarter each Anjou pear. Remove the core and seeds. Push 3 black peppercorns into each piece of pear—be sure to push them in deeply so they won’t come out.
- Add the 7 cups water, the pear pieces, and ginger to the pot, cover, and cook over low heat until the pears are translucent and tender, about 1½ hours. Remove from the heat and stir in the remaining ¼ cup sugar. Let cool.
- Transfer the punch to a glass pitcher or jar. Cover and refrigerate for at least 6 hours, and up to 1 week.
- Ladle the cold punch into small ceramic or glass bowls, adding 2 pieces of pear per bowl. Sprinkle with pine nuts and serve with spoons.
