Cheong (chi-yong) is a Korean way of preserving fruits and vegetables by making a sweet, flavorful syrup that you suddenly find indispensable. In ancient times, various types of cheong were used medicinally and also as a honey substitute. Like honey, the flavor and consistency of cheong will vary based on the fruit, berry, flower, stem, or root it draws from.
This process is a maceration, where liquid is used to extract molecules from a substrate. In this case, the liquid comes from the fruit itself, which is cut and mixed with sugar, which extracts the water from the fruit via osmosis so the water can then extract more goodness from the fruit. The resulting syrup is a glorious nectar, sweet and floral.
