Following the pandemic, many have understandably become more health-conscious; especially when it comes to colds and flu.
As the temperatures drop and sniffle season commences, people will be looking for quick fixes and remedies to stay their healthiest – and now a viral TikTok has showed that you needn’t look further than your cupboards.
Johnny Kyunghwo Sheldrick has shared a recipe for a Korean treat – known as a delicious accompaniment for hot drinks as well as a medicinal miracle – and it only needs two, easy-to-find ingredients.
‘Cheong’ is a way to describe preserves, syrups and marmalades, famous variants made with plum, yuja and quince.
Johnny Kyunghwo Sheldrick (pictured) has shared a recipe for a Korean treat – known as a delicious accompaniment for hot drinks as well as a medicinal miracle
The South Korea-based influencer began the clip by thoroughly washing and drying his citrus, and cutting them in half (left). He then mixed the slices with sugar and placed the concoction in a glass container (right)
But the soothing, sweet concoction can also be made with lemons, and provides the perfect pick-me-up if you feel yourself getting ill.
Johnny’s recipe – which has raked up more than 1.2 million views on social media – needs only three lemons and some sugar and can be ready to use within a day or two of making it.
The South Korea-based influencer began the clip by thoroughly washing and drying his citrus, and cutting them in half.
He then advised slicing them as thinly as possible before weighing them out. Next, weigh out the same amount of sugar (Johnny used a mix of dark brown and white variants).
For the recipe, Johnny weighed out the same amount of sugar as his lemons, using a mix of dark brown and white variants
Johnny mixed ‘about two-thirds’ of the sugar into his lemon slices in a bowl, thoroughly stirring the concoction with gloved hands to coat the slices evenly
Johnny next suggested added a tablespoon of the preserve to Earl Grey Tea, saying it ‘really opens up’ the sinuses
He then mixed ‘about two-thirds’ of the sugar into his lemon slices in a bowl, thoroughly stirring the concoction with gloved hands to coat the slices evenly.
Johnny transferred his mix into a glass container – such as a jar – ‘making sure to press everything down’.
He topped it with the remaining sugar and left the coated lemons overnight on the counter.
‘Next day, almost all the sugar will be dissolved apart from the top,’ he said. ‘So mix that bit in.’
Johnny next suggested added a tablespoon of the preserve to Earl Grey Tea, saying it ‘really opens up’ the sinuses.
In the comments, he advised that the preserves will ‘last quite a long time (months) if stored in the fridge’ with ‘only clean utensils used on it’.
‘I also recommend using some plastic wrap laid down on the surface of the Cheong to prevent any potential mould,’ Johnny added.
But does the sweet lemon preserve really help beat off flus and colds?
In 2016, South Korean outlet MBC penned an article praising the healing benefits of Cheong during the winter months.
Referring particularly to the lemon variants, the reporter recommended mixing the sugary, citrusy blend with ‘warm or carbonated water’, claiming it helps to prevents colds and relieve fatigue.
And lemons and citruses have been famously lauded for their benefits thanks to being superpacked with Vitamin C.
According to Livestrong, it can act as a ‘natural antioxidant’ which ‘enhances’ the immune system and has both antiviral and antibacterial properties.
However, some may be surprised to hear that preserves and syrups may also soothe your symptoms – although they’re commonly used as alternative remedies in other cultures.
Raspberry jams are a famed Russian remedy for colds, often stirred into black tea to help tackle a sore throat.
The true effectiveness has been debated, but some reports have argued the effectiveness comes from raspberry’s ‘anti-inflammatory’, according to blog Understand Russia.
It may also be that the saccharine tones of syrups and jams offer aid, as, according to Drugs.com, sugar, as a form of glucose has a ‘demulcent action’, meaning it coats throat tissue is a ‘soothing film’ to help with inflammation and redness.