Jeonggwa

Jeonggwa is a delightful Korean confection celebrated for its crisp, chewy texture, vibrant colors, and translucent appearance. It is crafted by simmering slices of fruits, roots, or seeds in a mixture of honey, mulyeot (a type of rice syrup), or sugar water. Once boiled, these slices are dried and occasionally shaped into ornate forms that resemble flowers. The result is a candied snack with a texture akin to jam, marmalade, or jelly.

Common ingredients for jeonggwa include yuja (a citrus fruit), quinces, apricots, lotus roots, radishes, carrots, ginseng, balloon flower roots, ginger, burdock roots, bamboo shoots, and winter melons. When water is boiled with honey and spices like cinnamon and ginger, and then dried fruit is added, it turns into sujeonggwa, a refreshing cold beverage.

There are numerous varieties of jeonggwa, each named after its main ingredient, such as:

- Aengdu-jeonggwa: Candied Korean cherry

- Boksunga-jeonggwa: Candied peach

- Cheongmae-jeonggwa: Candied green Korean plum

- Cheonmundong-jeonggwa: Candied Chinese asparagus

- Dallae-jeonggwa: Candied Korean wild chive

- Danggeun-jeonggwa: Candied carrot

- Deuljjuk-jeonggwa: Candied bog bilberry

- Donga-jeonggwa: Candied winter melon

- Doraji-jeonggwa: Candied balloon flower root

- Gyul-jeonggwa: Candied citrus fruit

- Haengin-jeonggwa: Candied apricot kernel

- Hyangseolgo: Candied munbae

- Insam-jeonggwa: Candied Korean ginseng

- Juksun-jeonggwa: Candied bamboo shoot

- Meoru-jeonggwa: Candied crimson grapevine berry

- Mogwa-jeonggwa: Candied Chinese quince

- Saenggang-jeonggwa: Candied ginger

- Salgu-jeonggwa: Candied apricot

- Yeongeun-jeonggwa: Candied lotus root

- Yuja-jeonggwa: Candied yuja

Additionally, sujeonggwa, often called "cinnamon punch" is a variant of jeonggwa served cold as a drink. This revitalizing beverage blends the sweet and spicy flavors of honey, cinnamon, and ginger with dried fruit, making it an ideal treat for hot summer days.