Cheong (food)

Cheong () is a name for various sweetened foods in the form of syrups, marmalades, and fruit preserves. In Korean cuisine, "cheong" is used as a tea base, as a honey-or-sugar-substitute in cooking, as a condiment, and also as an alternative medicine to treat the common cold and other minor illnesses.
Originally, the word "cheong" () was used to refer to honey in Korean royal court cuisine. The name "jocheong" (; "crafted honey") was given to "mullyeot" (liquid-form "yeot") and other human-made honey-substitutes. Now, honey is rarely called "cheong" in Korean, but is instead called "kkul" (), which is the native (non-Sino-Korean) name for honey. The name "kkul" was used in the past, outside the royal court.
Varieties.
Maesil-cheong.
"Maesil-cheong" (, ), also called "plum syrup", is an anti-microbial syrup made by sugaring ripe plums ("Prunus mume"). In Korean cuisine, "maesil-cheong" is used as a condiment and sugar substitute. The tea made by mixing water with "maesil-cheong" is called "maesil-cha" (plum tea).
It can be made by simply mixing plums and sugar together, and then leaving them for about 100 days. To make syrup, the ratio of sugar to plum should be at least 1:1 to prevent fermentation, by which the liquid may turn into "maesil-ju" (plum wine). The plums can be removed after 100 days, and the syrup can be consumed right away, or mature for a year or more.
Mogwa-cheong.
"Mogwa-cheong" ( ), also called "preserved quince", is a "cheong" made by sugaring Chinese quince ("Pseudocydonia sinensis"). Either sugar or honey can be used to make "mogwa-cheong". "Mogwa-cheong" is used as a tea base for "mogwa-cha" (quince tea) and "mogwa-hwachae" (quince punch), or as an ingredient in sauces and salad dressings.
Yuja-cheong.
"Yuja-cheong" (, ), also called "yuja marmalade", is a marmalade-like "cheong" made by sugaring peeled, depulped, and thinly sliced yuja ("Citrus junos"). It is used as a tea base for "yuja-cha" (yuja tea), as a honey-or-sugar-substitute in cooking, and as a condiment.