Subak Hwachae (Korean Watermelon Punch)
A Korean traditional fruit punch made with watermelon as a main ingredient! Play around with different fruits and drinks, and enjoy refreshing Korean hwachae this summer!
- Prep time
- 20 min
- Cook time
- 10 min
- Yield
- 4 servings
- Difficulty
- MEDIUM
Ingredients
Quantities are shown as originally provided.
- 2 cups watermelon, balled or cubed
- 1-1/2 cups honeydew melon
- 12 - 16 rice cake balls (gyeongdan)- optional
- 2 cups ginger ale
- 3 tablespoons Korean drinking vinegar (or pomegranate or cranberry juice)
- 1 tablespoon pine nuts for garnish - optional
- 1/2 cup glutinous rice powder (aka sweet rice powder)
- 2 teaspoons sugar
- pinch salt
- 4 tablespoons boiling hot water
Instructions
- 1
Make optional rice cake balls (recipe below). Scoop out watermelon and honeydew with a melon-baller. (Or, cut into about 1-inch cubes.) Place them in a large bowl along with any juice from the fruits.
- 2
Add the ginger ale and the drinking vinegar (or pomegranate or cranberry juice) to the fruits. Stir gently. Taste the drink and adjust acidity and/or sweetness by adding more drinking vinegar (or juice and/or sugar).
- 3
Mix the rice powder, sugar and salt in a bowl. Mix in the boiling hot water with a spoon. When cool enough to handle, knead by hand until a dough is formed.
- 4
Shape the dough into a 3/4-inch thick cylinder. Cut into (or pinch of3/4-inch pieces. Roll each piece between the palms to make a small ball.
- 5
Bring a pot of water to a boil. Add the rice cake balls. Cook until all the balls float. Transfer to a large bowl with cold water to cool. Drain.