Tangy, sweet, and refreshing, hwachae is Korea’s version of a fruit punch. Made with various fruits, vinegar, and ginger ale, this traditional Korean summer punch is known for its hydrating properties and is loaded with vitamin C. Plus, it’s absolutely delicious!
Why This Recipe Works
- Kid friendly. The vivid strawberry and watermelon colors, the sweetness of honey, and the fizz from the ginger ale, easily makes it a popular snack that kids will enjoy eating.
- Can be enjoyed all day long. Hwachae is so quenching and delicious that it can be enjoyed day or night, as a drink, as a snack, or even dessert.
- Versatile. You don’t need the exact list of ingredients in this recipe to make hwachae. Different fruits and drinks can be used to create your own version of this popular Korean drink/dessert.
Table of contents
What Is Hwachae?
- Hwachae (화채) is an umbrella term used to describe Korean punches that are made using various fruits and/or edible flower petals. Punches containing watermelon are also sometimes called subak hwachae, which is Korean for watermelon punch. Traditionally, the fruits and petals are submerged in honeyed water or honeyed magnolia berry juice and served cold. But more recently, hwachae has gotten a complete makeover. It’s made using carbonated drinks, fruit juices, vinegar, sometimes strawberry milk or condensed milk, and is garnished with pine nuts instead of flower petals.
Hwachae Ingredients
- Watermelon: To find a perfectly sweet watermelon, look for a bright pinkish red color that also feels heavy. The heavier the watermelon, the juicier it is.
- Strawberries: To find the sweetest strawberries, pick a carton with deep red ones that have a rich sweet and floral smell.
- Ginger ale: Pick the type of ginger ale you like to drink as it is one of the main flavors of the recipe. If you don’t have or don’t like ginger ale, use Sprite or another type of lemon-lime soda such as chilsung cider.
- Honey: I like to use organic raw honey because it’s less floral than other kinds of honey. But feel free to use any type of honey for this recipe.
- Vinegar: Rice vinegar or apple cider vinegar adds a tangy flavor that makes sipping this drink extremely quenching and refreshing.
- Salt: A pinch of salt helps to balance the sweetness and tanginess.
- Pine nuts: Pine nuts are used as a garnish and add a soft crunch and a little nuttiness.
How To Make Hwachae
Scroll all the way down to the bottom of this post for the full recipe.
- Chop the watermelon and strawberries into bite size pieces and place them in a large serving bowl. Or, for a prettier Korean fruit bowl, use a melon baller for perfectly rounded shaped pieces of watermelon.
- Add the ginger ale and stir.
- In a small bowl, whisk the honey and vinegar. Add the mixture to the fruit punch along with a pinch of salt and stir.
- Garnish with pine nuts and serve cold.
Variations
While my recipe offers sweet, tangy, and clean flavors, there are plenty of other ways to serve hwachae depending on personal preferences. Hwachae can be made sweeter, more like a dessert than a drink, with different fruits, or even milky. Here are some of the more common ingredient options used:
- Skip the vinegar and add 1/4 cup of condensed milk for pure sweetness. To make it milkier, swap half of the ginger ale for regular milk or strawberry milk. This will make the recipe a lot sweeter, more like a dessert than a drink.
- Use canned fruit cocktail, including the heavy syrup, instead of strawberries. Again, this will make the recipe sweeter and more like a dessert than a drink.
- Other fruits often used in Korean fruit bowls are blueberries, grapes, peaches, kiwi, and other types of melons such as honeydew and cantaloupe. Feel free to use any combination of fruits.
- Use nata de coco or aloe to add a chewy texture.
- Make a boozy hwachae by using a sparkling wine instead of a carbonated drink. Or add a few shots of vodka for a Korean style fruity Moscow Mule.
Storage
Hwachae is meant to be enjoyed fresh and cold. It cannot be saved for later as it will lose its fizziness and the quality of the fruits will degrade over time.
However, you can pre slice the fruits and save them in storage containers up to 2 days before serving. This will save a lot of time in the kitchen, especially if you are planning to serve it as part of a dinner party or backyard barbecue with friends and family.
Frequently Asked Questions
Most hwachae is gluten-free, although, if you are planning on using canned fruit cocktail,some brands may have ingredients in the syrup that contain gluten. It’s always best to check the label if you are planning on using canned fruit cocktail.
Yes, it’s a wonderful drink to enjoy in the summer months that’s very quenching. It can also help with dehydration because it contains sugar and is high in vitamins and antioxidants (from the fruits).
Hwachae has been around for a few centuries, going all the way back to the Joseon dynasty. It was a popular drink enjoyed by royalty, used as a tonic to boost energy.
What To Serve With Hwachae
Hwachae can be served as a drink, as a snack, or a dessert. It’s a sweet treat that can be enjoyed with a side of ice cream or with a salad as part of a light and summery meal.
Here are some Korean dishes that will pair nicely with hwachae if you would like to serve it as part of a Korean feast:
Tableware
The bamboo basket used in the images, which you can find here, is from Musubi Kiln.
Musubi Kiln is an online store specializing in high quality handmade Japanese tableware and dinnerware. Each product is made by Japanese craftsmen using traditional techniques that have been passed down from generation to generation.
Receive 10% off your purchase when using the code CAROLINE at checkout.
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PrintHwachae (Korean Fruit Bowl)
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 0 minutes
- Total Time: 20 minutes
- Yield: 4 servings 1x
- Category: Dessert
- Method: Mixing Bowl
- Cuisine: Korean
- Diet: Vegetarian
Description
Tangy, sweet, and refreshing, hwachae is Korea’s version of a fruit punch. Made with various fruits, vinegar, and ginger ale, this traditional Korean summer punch is known for its hydrating properties and is loaded with vitamin C.
Ingredients
- 3 cups seedless watermelon, diced or balled, bite size
- 1 cup chopped strawberries or 1/2 cup blueberries, or a mix of both
- 2 cups cold ginger ale
- 1 1/2 tablespoon honey
- 3 tablespoons rice vinegar or apple cider vinegar
- Pinch of salt
- Pine nuts for garnish (optional)
Instructions
- Add the chopped watermelon and strawberries to a bowl.
- Add the ginger ale and stir.
- Mix the honey and vinegar in a small bowl and add it to the fruit punch. Add a pinch of salt and stir. Adjust the sweetness and acidity by using more honey or vinegar.
- Top with pine nuts and serve cold.
Notes
Feel free to use other fruit combinations such as kiwi, peach, grapes, or blueberries.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 serving
- Calories: 113
- Sugar: 26.4g
- Sodium: 10.4mg
- Fat: 0.3g
- Saturated Fat: 0g
- Unsaturated Fat: 0.1g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 28.9g
- Fiber: 1.2g
- Protein: 1g
- Cholesterol: 0mg