Subak-Hwachae (Watermelon Punch)

The next time you are hosting a summer get-together, serve your guests some hydrating subak-hwachae.

Subak-hwachae (pronounced “hwa-chay”) is a drink made with juices and carbonated drinks and filled with fruits like berries and melons. This Korean delicacy is renowned for its excellent hydrating properties, primarily due to electrolyte-rich melons.

In English hwachae means “flower water,” but your punch doesn’t necessarily need edible flowers to be authentic. Instead, berries and various fruits are used to create a flavorful floral infusion.

To make this hwachae Paleo, we used homemade, dairy-free Strawberry Almond Milk instead of dairy milk. Combined with blackberries and fresh strawberries, this watermelon punch is an antioxidant goldmine. Not only does the blend of fruit taste delicious, but it also can help to ward off free radicals.

We also swapped the soda for sparkling water to give this hwachae a bit of effervescence and froze the pineapple juice and lychee juice into ice cubes instead of mixing with the other liquids. Not only does this add more variety to the bowl, but it preserves the classic pink color of this watermelon punch.

TIPS:

Freeze the juices into different mold shapes for a fun presentation.
We hollowed out a watermelon into a bowl, but a large glass bowl also works to hold the subak-hwachae.

Pineapple_and_lychee_ice_in_watermelon_bowl

Subak-Hwachae in a watermelon punch bowl birds eye view.

Subak-Hwachae in a glass in front of a watermelon punch bowl.

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Details

Recipe by:
Serves: 6
Meal: Beverage

Serves: 6
Prep Time: 8 minutes
Cook Time: 24 hours
Total Time: 24 hours 8 minutes

Print this Recipe

Ingredients

1 cups honeydew melon
1 medium watermelon
1 cups strawberries
1 cups blackberries
3 cups strawberry almond milk
3 cups sparkling water
2 tbsp lime juice
2/3 cups pure pineapple juice, frozen into ice cubes
2/3 cups pure lychee juice, frozen into ice cubes
Ice cubes, to taste

Directions

Use a melon baller to scoop honeydew into spheres. Place in a bowl and set aside.
Prepare the watermelon: Thinly slice part of the rind off one end to make a stable base, then cut off the top quarter and discard. Scoop out remaining flesh using a melon baller, adding watermelon spheres to bowl with honeydew.
In the carved-out watermelon, add melon spheres, strawberries, and blackberries. Pour in strawberry milk, sparkling water, and lime juice, and top with pineapple ice cubes, and lychee ice cubes. Stir well.
To top it off, add regular ice cubes and drink up!