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!

📝 Ingredients

• 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. 1Make 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. 2Add 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. 3--- Optional rice cake balls ---
4. 4Mix 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.
5. 5Shape 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.
6. 6Bring 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.