Cookim
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CheongYuja
Cooking Time: 1 hour
Total Time: 2 weeks
In Korea, people have made something called “cheong.” It is used in cooking instead of sugar, or mixed with water to make tea. Cheong is made by combining fruit with sugar and letting it mature over time. Because no heat is applied, the natural aroma of the ingredients is well preserved. As time passes, the osmotic pressure of the sugar draws out the fruit’s moisture and fragrance, allowing the aroma to infuse into the syrup. The result is a richly scented, fruit-forward syrup. The most representative examples are maesil-cheong (plum cheong) and yuja-cheong. Maesil-cheong is often used in cooking as a refined substitute for sugar, adding a elegant sweetness and acid. Yuja-cheong, on the other hand, is rarely used in cooking and is mostly enjoyed as a tea, mixed with warm water.
ABOUT
INGREDIENTS
Yuja
Sugar
Salt
METHOD
Wash the yuja and scrub yuja with thick salt
Cut the fruit in a cross shape and separate the peel and flesh
Separate the flesh and the seeds
Blend the flesh in a mixer
Strain it through a sieve to obtain yuja juice
Weigh the juice and the peel, and prepare the same weight of sugar
Thinly julienne the peel
In a mixing bowl, combine the sugar, sliced peel, and yuja juice
Transfer the mixture into a clean jar
Store at room temperature for 2 days, then refrigerate
After about 2 weeks, the yuja-cheong is ready to enjoy
NOTES
If seeds are included, the cheong will become much more bitter.
Over time, the osmotic effect of sugar draws the aroma from the peel into the syrup.
If sugar is not melt, Turn it upside down every da
In Korea, yuja-cheong is most commonly enjoyed as tea. (hot water with yuja-cheong)
Mix a suitable amount with hot water and drink it warm—especially comforting in winter.