Korean plum tea recipe (green maesil cha) (ume) (suanmei)
User Reviews
5
Korean plum tea recipe (green maesil cha) (ume) (suanmei)
Description
Korean plum tea, often called maesil cha, is prepared by dissolving Korean plum syrup into your choice of hot or cold water, including sparkling for a refreshing variation. The syrup, made from fermented green plums, provides a distinctive sweet and slightly tart taste. Adding honey can mellow any drying, cough syrup-like notes that some may detect in the plum flavor. Toasted pine nuts sprinkled on top add texture and a mild nutty aroma, enhancing the tea's experience.
The tea can be served hot for comfort or chilled and sparkling for a refreshing beverage on warm days. It pairs nicely with light snacks or cookies. Optional lime or lemon juice can brighten the flavor, though in that case pine nuts are not recommended.
This recipe is flexible and suited to a variety of preferences and occasions, whether you want a soothing hot drink or a cool, sparkling refresher.
Ingredients
- 3 Tablespoons Korean plum syrup Shop-bought or homemade works, maesil-cheong or Korean plum syrup
- 1 Cup water Hot water, cold water, iced water, or sparkling water all work!
- honey I drink mine unsweetened but if you have a super sweet tooth, add some honey. The plum syrup does have a few flavour notes in common with cough syrup so if you have a very sensitive palate (it's not super obvious), adding honey helps to reduce the cough mixture taste!, to taste, optional
- 1-2 pine nuts lightly toasted, sprinkled on the tea, optional
Instructions
- Add 3 tablespoons of the maesil syrup to the water (hot/ iced/ cold/ sparkling) and mix well. Remember to only use a wooden spoon if you're dipping into your jar of home-made maesil syrup! Add honey, to taste, if you like it extra sweet.
- Sprinkle the pine nuts on top, serve with some cookies and enjoy!
Notes
- Use a wooden spoon when stirring homemade maesil syrup to preserve its quality.
- Lightly toast pine nuts to enhance their flavor before sprinkling on the tea.
- Chill sparkling water well before mixing for optimal refreshment.
- If adding citrus juice like lime or lemon, omit the pine nuts to maintain flavor balance.
User Reviews
Overall Rating
5
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