Hwachae is a traditional Korean drink that is perfect for hot summer days. Let’s learn more about this refreshing summer drink made with easily accessible ingredients.
Hwachae has become a viral topic on TikTok, thanks to a mukbang video by Amy Flamy, also known as the “3 AM girl.”
So, if you find yourself waking up at 3 AM feeling “severely dehydrated”, try making a bowl of this refreshing hwachae using this easy 15-minute recipe to enjoy the rest of your night!
What is Hwachae?
“Hwachae” (화채) is a Korean word that directly translates to “flower water” in English. However when people say they want some hwachae, it generally refers to the sweet and refreshing Korean fruit punches.
This fruit punch, often made with watermelon and your choice of fresh fruits soaked in strawberry milk and a carbonated beverage, is beautifully presented and refreshes you instantly with the first sip.
Hwachae doesn’t typically contain actual flowers. However, for this recipe, I’ve included edible sakura flowers to create a flower jelly. This addition truly transforms our hwachae into a visually stunning and delicious “flower water”.
Main Ingredients for Making Hwachae
Variations Of Fruits
Hwachae is also popularly referred to as Korean Watermelon Punch. After experimenting with various fresh fruits in my hwachae, I’ve found that watermelon tastes the best in this milky and fizzy drink. Therefore, I recommend a 1:1 ratio of watermelon to other fruits.
If you plan to use 3 cups of watermelon cubes in your hwachae, opt for another 3 cups of different fruits, choosing four to five different types to your liking, such as all kinds of berries, mangoes, kiwi, pineapple, banana, peaches…
For the easiest preparation, simply use watermelon cubes and canned fruit cocktail, ensuring your hwachae is delicious in no time.
Liquid Base
The unique twist of hwachae lies in the fusion of creamy and fizzy flavors achieved through the combination of strawberry milk and carbonated drinks.
The strawberry milk introduces a creamy, sweet, and rich flavor that complements the natural freshness of the fruits used in hwachae.
For this recipe, I opted for bottled Pink Drink instead of strawberry milk because I typically prepare my hwachae bowl in the morning as a refreshing pick-me-up. Pink Drink contains caffeine, providing me with the perfect morning boost to start my day.
The fizziness of carbonated drinks makes Hwachae more refreshing. The bubbles provide a pleasing texture and a sensation of freshness, which can dilute the sweetness and richness of the strawberry milk.
In addition to Sprite, alternative options include lemon-lime soda, Ginger Ale, or sparkling water with some lemon slices.
Jelly or popping boba
Adding jelly or popping boba (check out my popping boba recipe here) to hwachae not only adds a unique texture to the dessert but also enhances its visual appeal.
For homemade jelly, simply dissolve jello powder in hot water, arrange edible flowers in the mold, pour in the jello mixture, and allow it to set in the refrigerator.
Storage of Hwachae
Hwachae is best enjoyed promptly, preferably within the same day. The carbonation dissipates quickly, diminishing the drink’s flavor, while prolonged soaking of fresh fruits in milk can lead to a loss of texture and taste, resulting in a less desirable experience.
EQUIPMENT
INGREDIENTS
- 1 cup ice cubes (I made some mint leaf ice cubes.)
- 3 cups watermelon cubes
- ½ cup blueberries
- ½ cup raspberries
- 3 cups fruit of your choice (I used ½ cup of sliced strawberries, ½ cup of blueberries, ½ cup of raspberries, 2 diced mangoes, and 1 diced banana. You can also put pineapple, cantaloupe, honeydew, and kiwi.)
- 1 cup jelly (I made some sakura jelly using chinese jelly powder. You can also use other homemade or store bought jelly.)
- ¼ cup popping boba (It’s optional. You can skip it or use crystal boba or coconut jelly)
- 1½ cup Sprite
- 1¾ cup Pink Drink (I used a 14oz bottled Pink Drink. You can also use strawberry milk.)
- ¼ cup sweetened condensed milk (Or honey to your taste)
- ½ cup vanilla ice cream (Optional)
INSTRUCTIONS
- Place all the prepared ingredients in a large bowl. Stir to combine. Enjoy!
Hwachae (Korean Fruit Bowl)
Equipment
- 1 Large bowl
Ingredients
- 1 cup ice cubes (I used mint leaf ice cubes.)
- 3 cups watermelon cubes
- ½ cup blueberries
- ½ cup raspberries
- 3 cups fruit of your choice (I used ½ cup of sliced strawberries, ½ cup of blueberries, ½ cup of raspberries, 2 diced mangoes, and 1 diced banana. You can also put pineapple, cantaloupe, honeydew, and kiwi.)
- 1 cup jelly (I made some sakura jelly using chinese jelly powder. You can also use other homemade or store bought jelly.)
- ¼ cup popping boba (It's optional. You can skip it or use crystal boba or coconut jelly)
- 1½ cup Sprite
- 1¾ cup Pink Drink (I used a 14oz bottled Pink Drink. You can also use strawberry milk.)
- ¼ cup sweetened condensed milk (Or honey to your taste)
- ½ cup vanilla ice cream (Optional)
Instructions
- Place all the prepared ingredients in a large bowl. Stir to combine. Enjoy!
Video
Tried it, my strawberries were sour tho. I think more condensed milk would make mine good. I’ve always wanted to try one of your recipes!
Sooooo good
ew
you should respect people
you should respect people! Especially culture
Are you really being a troll? In this day and age? Get a life, it’s just sad. Mrs. Shii and Mr. He!! Keep doing what you do, i love you guys!
bro. your ew
don’t be rude it’s very good
is that a rude message to send to professional chefs?!
i tries it for the first time and it was so delicious and hwachae is my new favorite thing to do know.
I haven’t tried it yet but I will one day, I’m sure it’s really good and I also wanted to try it so.. I’m so excited!!!
Can you do it without sprite? Like maybe sparkling water?
Yes some ppl say it works
Yea she said we can
yes i do it with sparkling water tastes the same
Thank you this was helpful 😀
I made so many substitutions but I really liked it! I wanted less sugar so I tried genki soda and konjac jelly and no sweetened condensed milk. I added some yakult cause it’s what I had on hand. So delicious. I prepped so many fruits so I can make a slightly different version every day.
That is so smart. Did you know where to find popping Boba?
It was an amazing recipe to try, I enjoyed it a lot and so did my family. But I could not find popping Boba in stores. Could anyone tell me where to get it?
usually you can find it in asian stores
so good
respect people
i know right
no need to be mean
pls show respect to everyone
Amazing cant stop making it i love their recipes especially the humour in the videos they make.
Love you all was so yummy I cant stop making it.
nan sai desu ka
hush
Haven’t Tried it yet but my friends been saying they want this and I’m the cook for this stuff so Thanks for your recipe God bless your souls
I’m literally crying rn