''Cheong'' () is a name for various sweetened foods in the form of

syrup In cooking, syrup (less commonly sirup; from ; , beverage, wine and ) is a condiment that is a thick, viscous liquid consisting primarily of a Solution (chemistry), solution of sugar in water, containing a large amount of dissolved sugars but ...

s, marmalades, and fruit preserves. In

Korean cuisine Korean cuisine is the set of foods and culinary styles which are associated with Korean culture. This cuisine has evolved through centuries of social and political change. Originating from ancient Prehistoric Korea, agricultural and nomad ...

, ''cheong'' is used as a tea base, as a honey-or-sugar-substitute in cooking, as a condiment, and also as an

alternative medicine Alternative medicine refers to practices that aim to achieve the healing effects of conventional medicine, but that typically lack biological plausibility, testability, repeatability, or supporting evidence of effectiveness. Such practices are ...

to treat the common cold and other minor illnesses. Originally, the word ''cheong'' () was used to refer to

honey Honey is a sweet and viscous substance made by several species of bees, the best-known of which are honey bees. Honey is made and stored to nourish bee colonies. Bees produce honey by gathering and then refining the sugary secretions of pl ...

in Korean royal court cuisine. The name ''jocheong'' (; "crafted honey") was given to '' mullyeot'' (liquid-form '' yeot'') and other human-made honey-substitutes. Outside the royal court, honey was called ''kkul'' (), which is a native Korean (non- Sino-Korean) word.

Varieties

* ''Jocheong'' (; "crafted honey") or '' mullyeot'' (; liquid '' yeot''): rice syrup or more recently also

corn syrup Corn syrup is a food syrup that is made from the starch of corn/maize and contains varying amounts of sugars: glucose, maltose and higher oligosaccharides, depending on the grade. Corn syrup is used in foods to soften Mouthfeel, texture, add vol ...

* ''Maesil-cheong'' or ''Maesilaek'' (; "

plum A plum is a fruit of some species in Prunus subg. Prunus, ''Prunus'' subg. ''Prunus'.'' Dried plums are often called prunes, though in the United States they may be labeled as 'dried plums', especially during the 21st century. Plums are ...

syrup") * ''Mogwa-cheong'' (; quince preserve) * ''Mucheong'' (; radish syrup) * ''Mu-kkul-cheong'' (; radish and honey syrup) * ''Yuja-cheong'' (; yuja marmalade) * ''Saenggang-cheong'' (;

ginger Ginger (''Zingiber officinale'') is a flowering plant whose rhizome, ginger root or ginger, is widely used as a spice and a folk medicine. It is an herbaceous perennial that grows annual pseudostems (false stems made of the rolled bases of l ...

marmalade) * ''Gochu-cheong'' (; Korean green chili marmalade) * ''Maneul-cheong'' (; garlic pickle) * ''Yangpa-cheong'' (;

onion An onion (''Allium cepa'' , from Latin ), also known as the bulb onion or common onion, is a vegetable that is the most widely cultivated species of the genus '' Allium''. The shallot is a botanical variety of the onion which was classifie ...

marmalade) * ''Odi-cheong'' (; mulberry marmalade) * ''Omija-cheong'' (; magnolia berry marmalade) * ''Painaepeul-cheong'' (;

pineapple The pineapple (''Ananas comosus'') is a Tropical vegetation, tropical plant with an edible fruit; it is the most economically significant plant in the family Bromeliaceae. The pineapple is indigenous to South America, where it has been culti ...

marmalade) * ''Bae-cheong'' (; Korean pear marmalade) * ''Bae-doraji-cheong'' (; Korean pear and bellflower root marmalade)

''Maesil-cheong''

''Maesil-cheong'' (), also called "plum syrup", is an anti-microbial syrup made by sugaring ripe plums (''Prunus mume''). In

, ''maesil-cheong'' is used as a

condiment A condiment is a preparation that is added to food, typically after cooking, to enhance the Flavoring, flavour, to complement the dish or to impart a specific flavor. Such specific flavors generally add sweetness or pungency, or sharp or piquant ...

and sugar substitute. The infusion made by mixing water with ''maesil-cheong'' is called '' maesil-cha'' (plum tea). It can be made by simply mixing plums and

sugar Sugar is the generic name for sweet-tasting, soluble carbohydrates, many of which are used in food. Simple sugars, also called monosaccharides, include glucose Glucose is a sugar with the Chemical formula#Molecular formula, molecul ...

together, and then leaving them for about 100 days. To make syrup, the ratio of sugar to plum should be at least 1:1 to prevent

fermentation Fermentation is a type of anaerobic metabolism which harnesses the redox potential of the reactants to make adenosine triphosphate (ATP) and organic end products. Organic molecules, such as glucose or other sugars, are catabolized and reduce ...

, by which the liquid may turn into '' maesil-ju'' (plum wine). The plums can be removed after 100 days, and the syrup can be consumed right away, or mature for a year or more.

''Mogwa-cheong''

''Mogwa-cheong'' ( ), also called "preserved quince", is a ''cheong'' made by sugaring Chinese quince (''Pseudocydonia sinensis''). Either sugar or honey can be used to make ''mogwa-cheong''. ''Mogwa-cheong'' is used as a tea base for '' mogwa-cha'' (quince tea) and ''mogwa- hwachae'' (quince punch), or as an ingredient in sauces and salad dressings.

''Yuja-cheong''

''Yuja-cheong'' (), also called "yuja marmalade", is a marmalade-like ''cheong'' made by sugaring peeled, depulped, and thinly sliced yuja (''Citrus junos''). It is used as a tea base for '' yuja-cha'' (yuja tea), as a honey-or-sugar-substitute in cooking, and as a condiment.

Gallery

Jocheong (mulyeot).jpg, ''Jocheong'' (rice syrup) Maesilcheong (plum syrup) (prunus mume).jpg, ''Maesil-cheong'' (plum syrup) Maesilcheong(plum syrup) preparation (Prunus mume).jpg, Preparing ''maesil-cheong'' Mogwa-cheong.jpg, ''Mogwa-cheong'' (preserved quince) Saenggang-cheong 2.jpg, ''Saenggang-cheong'' (preserved ginger) Korean tea-Yujacha-02.jpg, ''Yuja-cheong'' (preserved yuja) Deodeok yuja salad.jpg, ''Deodeok''-''yuja'' salad, a lance asiabell root salad with a ''yuja-cheong''-based dressing

References

External links

* {{Sugar Condiments Food ingredients Food preservation Honey Jams and jellies Korean condiments Marmalade Preserved fruit Syrup Citrus dishes