Gyulpicha to shake off the cold

Not even winter’s joy like snow makes one season oneself to cold. But as they say, if you can’t avoid it, enjoy it.

Tangerines are in season these days. The refreshing fragrance of the citrus fruit awakens the stiffened bodies during the frosty weather. Here’s an acidulous drink that’ll thaw your flushed cheeks and fight off the raging flu.

Gyulpicha (tangerine peel tea) alleviates stress, feeling of knot in the stomach, perspiration, headache, flu, diarrhea, constipation and indigestion. Improves liver function.

Ingredients

Serves 1

100ml water

1/4 teaspoon ground dried tangerine peel (check the tip below)

1 teaspoon honey

Directions

1. Place pot with water over high heat. Bring to a boil.

2. Turn off heat and cool the water for 2 minutes. Put ground tangerine peel.

3. Discard peel bits with a tea strainer, after about 3 minutes. Serve with honey.

* Tip: How to make ground dried tangerine peel

1. Wash organic tangerine with salt water.

2. Slice the peel and dry in the sun for about 3 days.

3. Coarsely grind the dried peel and roast it in low heat for about 2 minutes.

4. Keep the ground peel in a paper bag or airtight container.

Summer Special: Boricha (roasted barley tea)

Fever reducer

Steaming hot summer has arrived. There’s nothing like boricha (roasted barley tea) to quench the burning thirst. The beverage is Korean’s favorite, it’s consumed during meals, snack or tea time. Boricha is refrigerated or frozen throughout the warmer season in Korea. Barley helps you keep temperatures down. So stay cool in the heat of the day with boricha.

Ingredients

Serves 1

150ml water

1/4 teaspoon roasted barley (I use organic dry roasted barley)

Directions

1. Place pot with water over high heat. Bring to a boil.

2. Drop in roasted barley and simmer for about 3 minutes over low heat.

3. Use a tea strainer to discard barley bits. Serve cold during summer and warm in colder temperatures.

Date & Tea: The Flavorful Union

Alleviates stress, insomnia, depression, anxiety & strengthens the digestive system.

Jujube, aka Korean date, is the cacao of the east. It has a comforting flavor that relaxes your mind. In Korea, there’s a saying that you age faster if you don’t have the fruit when you spot a jujube tree. Truth be told, I think it’s a story made to save one from embarrassment after devouring the irresistible delicacy.

Daechu (jujube in Korean) is consumed throughout the year as an ingredient in a number of recipes including samgyetang (Korean chicken soup with ginseng) and medicinal tea. The simplest recipe with Korean dates is probably daechucha (jujube tea). It warms up the body and soul.

Ingredients

Serves 1

400ml water

50ml sliced dried dates

1 teaspoon finely sliced dried dates

3 teaspoons honey

Directions

1. Place dried date slices and water in a pot. Boil for about 15 minutes over high heat.

2. Use a strainer to discard mushy date slices.

3. Pour daechucha in a cup and add honey. Garnish with finely sliced dried dates.

Culmul (Honey Water)

Hangover Reliever & Energy Booster

Culmul (honey water) is the most popular after drink beverage in Korea. It’s a great thirst quencher and hangover reliever. Consume right after having a drink and the morning after. Serve icy cold to relieve hangovers and warm to boost energy. Watch my YouTube video recipe. It’s also available in French and Spanish.

Cheso Chamchi Juk (Vegetable Tuna Lactose-Free Korean Risotto)

Juk is a porridge-like dish which is easy to digest. It has a creamy consistency and it’s often consumed to recover from an illness as it’s soft and mild. I simplified the cooking process. Follow this link to watch the video recipe http://youtu.be/idKZGs9_LGI. It’s also available in Spanish (http://youtu.be/iMZcrV7KFQ8). Visit my non-commercial YouTube channel (http://www.youtube.com/user/5minuterecipes) for more.

Baekkuljjim (Steamed Pear with Honey)

Fever reducer & Remedy for Respiratory Ailment

I’ve a mild fever and I’m feeling a slight prickling sensation in my throat. So, I made baekkuljjim (steamed Korean pear with honey), a traditional Korean folk antifebrile and treatment for respiratory problems.

According to “Dongeuibogam,” the bible of Korean traditional medicine written in the early 17th century, the stone cells of pear in particular are natural thirst quenchers, hangover relievers, mouth cleansers and good for your skin. The polyphenol content of the fruit increases when it’s heated, for that reason pears are often cooked. Baekkuljjim is also a favorite febrifuge during pregnancy however it should be taken in moderation.

The most familiar baekkuljjim recipe involves one whole cored and hollowed Korean pear with filling (honey, dried dates and flesh), but as always, I made a simpler version using smaller slices and the microwave.

Ingredients

Serves 1

100ml sliced pear (preferably Korean pear; 0.5 cm (about 0.2 inch) thick bite size pieces)

2 teaspoon honey

1/5 teaspoon dried Korean date squares (optional)

Directions

1. Put pear in a bowl and place in the microwave on high power for about 45 seconds or until the slices are translucent.

2. Pour honey over the pear slices. Decorate with dried date squares.

* I rolled and sliced the pulp of a dried Korean date, instead of cutting it into squares.

Samgyetang (Korean Chicken Soup with Ginseng)

Energizer & Stress-Reliever  

Samgyetang is the most popular yakseonyori (medicinal food) in Korea. It basically consists of a bowlful of one whole chicken stuffed with insam (Korean ginseng), dried Korean dates, garlic and chapssal (sticky rice). In particular, insam is an essential ingredient which has an energizing effect; improves digestive and respiratory systems; boosts brain function. The soup is a typical summer food as it energizes the body in the midst of a sweltering summer heat. It’s also a comfort food and a stress-reliever which is enjoyed throughout the year.

I created a lighter version with chicken breast and hongsam (Korean red ginseng) extract. Red ginseng originates from Korea and dates back more than a thousand years. To make hongsam, one has to repeat the steaming and drying process of fresh insam for about eight times. I’ve made hongsam this way quite a while ago. It requires a great deal of care and time. 

If you want, add dates (about 3 dried dates) to the soup like the traditional recipe. Add about a bowl of rice in the soup to consume.

* Oimuchim (cucumber salad) was photographed along with samgyetang in the image. You’ll find a recipe for the cucumber dish in the following post.

Ingredients

Serves 1

1 chicken breast half

50ml onion

25ml spring onion plus 1/2 teaspoon sliced spring onion for garnish

1/2 teaspoon sliced garlic

1 tablespoon rice wine

600ml water

1/3 teaspoon soy sauce

1 pinch ground pepper

Directions

1. Place chicken breast, onion, spring onion (25ml), garlic, rice wine and water in a pot. Boil for about 15 minutes over medium high heat or until chicken is fully cooked.

2. Set aside chicken to cool, in a bowl. Boil the rest of ingredients for an additional 5 minutes.

3. Use a strainer to discard the ingredients. Pour soup in a bowl and season with soy sauce and ground pepper.

4. Shred chicken breast and put in the soup bowl. Sprinkle sliced spring onion (1/2 teaspoon).

Homemade Instant Sujeonggwa (Korean Cinnamon & Ginger Punch)

Raises Body Heat & Improves Digestion

It’s freezing in Korea. The mercury dropped to 24 °C (75.2 ℉) below zero in Gangwon Province and 16 °C below freezing in Seoul, earlier this month. So, I’m going to introduce some recipes to raise body temperature.

Sujeonggwa (cinnamon & ginger punch) is a traditional beverage which helps to increase body heat. It warms up the lower abdomen and also improves blood circulation. The brown-colored punch is a great refreshment for any meal as it promotes digestion.

Persimmons are one of the main ingredients of sujeonggwa. There're the crispy kind (dangam) and the creamy ones (hongsi). In Korea, the beloved fruit is available all year round, as it's frozen (hongsi & semi-dried bangeonsi) or dried (gotgam).

The white powder (sisang) on the surface of gotgam or bangeonsi is a treatment for bronchial tubes related diseases and it’s also used as a natural Viagra along with hongsam (Korean red ginseng). You’ll be able to spot traces of sisang in the image at the top.

Sujeonggwa is a festive beverage and winter’s favorite as well. The traditional recipe involves cinnamon sticks and long-simmering time. That’s why I made this simpler and quicker version. Both cinnamon and ginger are fiery so the beverage tastes better and milder when served cold. It’s also a great summer drink so keep it in your freezer, tropical rain or snow :)

Ingredients

Serves 1

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/4 teaspoon grated ginger

3 tablespoons rice syrup (or 3 teaspoons sugar)

200ml water

1 dried persimmon (optional)

Directions

1. Place ground cinnamon, grated ginger, rice syrup and water in a saucepan. Bring to a boil over high heat.

2. Remove from heat and use a coffee filter or a fine sieve to filter off ground cinnamon and ginger bits.

3. Serve cold with dried persimmon or a couple of raw pinenuts.

* I used a bangeonsi (semi-dried persimmon) in the image.