Name: Korean Plum Tea (Maesil Cha)
Prep time: 1 min
Total time: 1 min
Ingredients: 2 Tbsp Korean plum extract; 3 regular sized ice cubes; 1/2 cup filtered water

Let’s make some delicious Korean plum tea. It’s a refreshing fruity drink that can be made in 1 minute!

Today I’m introducing one of the most popular Korean teas – Maesil Cha (매실차). It is a fruit based tea, and its commonly known English name is plum tea. However, I recently learnt that the fruit used in Maesil Cha is actually not a plum. Instead, it is a Japanese apricot but originated from China.

It all sounds too confusing, right? (You can learn more about Japanese apricot from here and here.) So in summary, Maesil Cha = Korean plum tea = Japanese apricot tea.

You might be wondering what this Maesil Cha is all about by now?

Essentially, this tea is made by diluting the concentrated syrup (picture below) of Korean green plums (Cheong Maesil, 청매실).

It can be mixed with either hot or cold water according to your preference and/or seasons. I personally prefer making Maesil cha with icy cold water. Its sweet and mildly tangy flavour are very refreshing and just perfect for hot summer weather.

So how would I make this concentrated syrup (extract) of Korean green plums?

My simple answer is, it can be done by marinating Korean green plums with honey or sugar for about two months.

But realistically speaking, I can’t make this syrup even though I really want to as I can’t get the fresh green plums in Australia. I haven’t seen them anywhere yet.

Thankfully, when one of my family guests stayed with us recently, she brought a bottle of Korean plum extract from Korea. (This bottle is also something I can’t buy from a Korean grocery store here as well.)

If you can get fresh green plums (aka Japanese apricots) where you live, you can easily make the plum extract yourself. I found this reliable looking recipe for you since I don’t think I am able to share my recipe for a long time at this point.

Please also note that the end of June and July is green plum harvest season in Korea, so every Korean household gets busy making jam, extract, liquor and pickles using these plums during this time.

So if you’re in Korea or you have access to fresh green plums during this time, don’t forget to participate. I’ll be very jealous of you. 😉

If you want to learn more about this Korean plum extract and how it can be used in other Korean cooking, please check this post – What is Korean Plum Extract?

Anyway, I hope you get to try Maesil Cha soon!

Ingredients for Korean plum tea (1 serving)

2 Tbsp Korean Plum Extract
3 regular sized ice cubes
1/2 cup filtered water

*1 Tbsp = 15 ml, 1 Cup = 250 ml

How to Make Korean Plum Tea

Add the ice cubes and the plum extract into a glass cup then pour the water. Stir lightly with a spoon just before you drink it. Enjoy!

Note

The above recipe is based on a particular brand of Korean Plum Extract. So if you’re using other plum extract types or brands including a homemade version, the result will be different. Adjust the ratio of ingredients according to your preference.

I always had chosen the above plum extract as it’s the most well-known brand in Korea and I also consider it as a premium label. I find that it has slightly stronger taste and smell and thicker liquid than other brands and I like it because of that. It feels more genuine to me.

Benefits of Korean Plum Tea (Maesil Cha)

Why is this Maesil Cha popular in Korea? It not only tastes delicious but it is also known for its medicinal benefits among Koreans. It’s known to :-

Aid in overcoming fatigue and stimulating the appetite
Helps with detoxifying the body
Helps with food digestion
Relieve symptoms of food poisoning and diarrhoea

(Disclaimer – Please note that this is intended for your information only. It’s not medical, health or dietary advice. Please seek appropriate professional advice if you have any concerns or questions about the benefits of Maesil Cha.)