by REERA YOO | @reeraboo
reera@iamkoream.com
Summer is in full swing, and as the days grow hotter, you’re going to need some cool drinks aside from soju cocktails. Here are five non-alcoholic Korean beverages you can enjoy this summer.
1. Sikhye (Sweet rice tea)
(Image via Maangchi/YouTube)
Often served as a dessert, sikhye is a traditional sweet tea brewed from malt water and cooked rice. The tea is usually served cold in a small bowl with bits of ginger and jujube for extra flavoring. Sikhye contains dietary fiber and amylases, enzymes that helps digest carbohydrates.
According to the Korea Tourism Organization, the rice tea was served regularly to royalty as an apéritif. You can normally find sikhye in restaurants or Korean saunas, also known as jjimjjilbang. The drink is also widely available in canned form in local Korean grocery stores and vending machines.
2. Banana Flavored Milk
(Image via english.seoul.co.kr)
If you’re a K-drama fan, then you’ve probably seen Boys Over Flowers star Lee Min-ho sipping out of this chubby, yellow bottle. Since its launch in 1974, Banana Flavored Milk has become one of South Korea’s most popular drinks.
Back in the early 1970s, the South Korean government was trying to encourage people to consume more milk to help combat malnutrition. However, the taste of white milk was too plain for many Koreans. So, dairy company Binggrae decided to add banana flavoring. Bananas were considered a luxury food at the time, so Binggrae’s affordable banana milk soon became a huge hit. Forty-one years later, you can still find Banana Flavored Milk being sold at local convenience stores.
3. Misutgaru
(Image via Mother Love)
Misutgaru is a traditional Korean shake made from roasted mixed grains, sweetened with honey or condensed milk. The shake usually consists of 7-10 ingredients, including barley, rice (glutinous and non-glutinous, white, black and brown), white bean, millet, sesame seeds and soybeans. Mitsugaru is a popular breakfast drink among health nuts since it is high in protein and vitamins. Korean grocery stores usually sell packages of pre-made mitsugaru powder or have a corner where you can mix the grains yourself.
4. Aloe Vera Drink
Aloe vera gel is known for its numerous health benefits, such as assisting with digestion, soothing burns and reducing acne. So, it’s no wonder that aloe vera drinks are incredibly popular in South Korea.
Although aloe vera is hailed as a miracle health supplement, the juices sold in grocery stores are usually sweetened with sugar and artificial flavoring, since organic aloe vera juice tends to taste very bitter. Despite this, the juice makes a pretty refreshing drink during the summer heat. It’s also fun to chew on the aloe pulp.
5. Sujeonggwa (Persimmon punch)
(Image via Maangchi/YouTube)
Sujeonggwa is a traditional Korean fruit punch made from dried persimmons, cinnamon and ginger. Much like sikhye, sujeonggwa is often served as a dessert. The sweet punch can be traced back to the Goryeo era when it was prepared by palace women on New Year’s Day. You can find this aromatic drink packaged in cans or plastic bottles at retail stores.
See Also
Taste Test: Korean Ice Bars
Top 10 Korean Street Foods
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Featured image by Jeon Han/Flickr