Winter Melon Rock Sugar 冬瓜茶砖

During our study years at Australia, hubby & me used to buy some luo han guo rock sugar 罗汉果茶砖 from the Chinatown.  Instead of all the trouble boiling some leong sui ourselves, we just dilute those rock sugar in hot water and the leong sui was ready.

Once we were back home, we didn't bother to find the type of rock sugar any more as we able to drink leong sui easily everywhere.

Then when I saw Carol's posting on making the winter melon rock sugar, it really caught my attention and lure me into this attempt :)

I altered the recipe slightly as I had only a small portion of winter melon left after using the majority for boiling soup.

Ingredients
440g winter melon, skinned, seeded
440g brown sugar
100g black sugar (I able to get only 冰花糖 or gula merah from the herbal shop)

1. Cut winter melon to tiny cubes
2. Mix brown sugar into winter melon cubes, mix well, put aside for at least an hour (I left it over night)
3. Heat the winter melon mixture on stove with low heat, until the mixture is boiling
4. Mix in black sugar, keep stirring until the sugar dissolve
5. Continue simmer it for about 1.5 - 2 hours, stirring it often to make sure it does not burn or spilt
6. When time is up and mixture turn gooey, off heat and pour mixture into silicon ice cube tray, let it cool off and solidified
7. Remove rock sugar from ice cube tray, store in refrigerator

In order to make the drink, just dilute one of the rock sugar cube into hot water, adjust water according to desire sweetness.

It is very soothing while drinking warm...

or refreshing when it is icy cold