Sujeonggwa (수정과) is a sweet Korean cinnamon-and-ginger punch, commonly served cold. It has warming spice flavors rather than the rice grains associated with sikhye. Pine nuts, dried persimmon or jujube may be added on top. Ask about both the liquid and the garnish before ordering: a plain-looking cup can still contain ingredients you cannot see.
What does sujeonggwa taste like?
The Korea Tourism Organization describes a chilled preparation made with cinnamon, ginger and honey. Expect fragrant cinnamon, ginger’s spicy edge and sweetness. This is a flavor description, not a guarantee that every café follows that recipe: KTO’s separate dried-persimmon version uses sugar and softened dried persimmon.
On a menu, look for 수정과. 곶감수정과 means dried-persimmon cinnamon punch. If the English menu only says “traditional tea,” point to the Korean name to confirm the exact drink. Unlike sikhye, the sweet rice drink, sujeonggwa is identified by cinnamon and ginger flavors, not a rice-grain serving.
Check the drink and the garnish separately
Common garnish words are 잣 (pine nuts), 곶감 (dried persimmon) and 대추 (jujube). KTO lists these as possible toppings. A specific seller may use only some of them, and a photograph is not an ingredient list.
If you avoid an ingredient, name it before the cup is prepared. Ask whether it is used in the drink itself as well as on top. Requesting no visible garnish does not answer that second question. For packaged drinks, read 원재료명 (ingredients); a seller’s recipe and a packaged brand should not be assumed identical. If you avoid honey, ask specifically about 꿀 rather than assuming a sweet drink uses sugar.
Six useful ordering questions
| Check | Korean question | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| Base recipe | 어떤 재료가 들어가요? | What ingredients are used? |
| Garnish | 위에 올라간 건 뭐예요? | What is the garnish on top? |
| Temperature | 차갑게 나와요? | Is it served cold? |
| Honey | 꿀이 들어가요? | Does it contain honey? |
| Less sweetness | 덜 달게 할 수 있어요? | Can it be made less sweet? |
| Another cup | 한 잔 더 주문하면 얼마예요? | How much is another cup? |
“Less sweet” is a request, not an option every shop can provide. If the drink has already been prepared as a batch, ask whether adjustment is possible before paying. Adding ice or water changes dilution; it does not tell you the original recipe.
Is it served cold, and what does the order include?
KTO describes the standard drink as boiled, then cooled before serving. The iced cup pictured here is one historical serving example. Confirm today’s temperature and whether ice is added, especially when comparing a small after-meal portion with a separately sold café cup.
Ask the seller for the cup volume if size matters: 한 잔에 몇 밀리리터예요? (How many millilitres are in one cup?). Check whether the quoted size includes ice. The sweets shown beside the first photograph do not mean snacks are included with every order. Confirm whether the menu price is for the drink alone or a drink-and-snack set.
Price and refill checks
There is no single nationwide price or standard serving size for sujeonggwa. Use the displayed menu for the place you actually visit. A complimentary taste after a meal does not establish that another cup is free.
Illustrative arithmetic, not a current café quote: if one cup is listed at ₩5,000, two separately priced cups total ₩10,000. A ₩7,000 set would only be a useful comparison once you know how many drinks and which snacks it contains. Confirm the contents and total before choosing; do not infer a set from a photograph.
Sources and related guides
Checked 2 November 2026. Official descriptions support the drink’s flavor and typical ingredients; the questions and purchase checks are Passja guidance, not a first-hand visit report or a named shop’s price quotation.
- Korea Tourism Organization: Cinnamon Punch
- Korea Tourism Organization: Dried Persimmon Cinnamon Punch
For the rest of your order, see how to read Korean menu portions and how to check ingredients beyond a dish’s name.