|
|
|
T |
|
Traditional Liquors and Wines |
| |
 Traditional
Korean drinks are made chiefly from rice, sweet potatoes
and other grains, usually along with kneaded wheat malt.
They are classified according to purity, percentage of
alcohol contained, whether or not distilled, and
materials used. There are largely five types: yakju
(refined pure liquor fermented from rice), soju
(distilled liquor), takju (thick, unrefined liquor
fermented from grains), fruit wines, and medicinal wines
from various seeds and roots. Each type has dozens of
varieties. The famous cheongju is a yakju and the
popular makgulli is a takju. Acacia, maesil plums,
Chinese quinces, cherries, pine fruits, and pomegranates
are some popular ingledients in fruit wines. Insamju is
a representative example of medicinal wine, made from
ginseng. |
|
|
|
Cheongju |
|
|
|
Well-known examples of cheongju are beopju, sogokju and
baekaju. |
|
|
|
Makgulli and Dongdongju |
|
|
 A milky liquor with low alcohol content, this
traditional commoner's beverage is enjoyed by farmers
and laborers, but by business people as well. They are
served at drinking houses around universities, at
festivals, picnic areas, or anywhere people might enjoy
a mild drink with a fermented flavor. |
|
|
|
Soju |
|
|
|
Comparable to vodka but less potent, soju is the most
popular traditional Korean liquor among the general
public. Soju was originally brewed from grains; today it
is mass-produced mainly from sweet potatoes. |
|
|
|
Munbaeju |
|
|
|
This distilled liquor is brewed from wheat, millet and
Indian millet. It is given the scent and flavor of the
crab apple, which is called munbae. Its brewing skill is
designated as an Important Intangible Cultural Property
by the Korean government along with that of dugyeonju
(azalea wine) from Myeoncheon, Dangjin-gun,
Chungcheongnam-do and Gyodong Beopju from Gyeongju.
|
|
|
|
Darae-ju |
|
|
|
Wash darae (fruits of Actinidia arguta Planchon tree)
thoroughly and then dry. Steep in soju liquor and sugar,
seal the container and keep it until fermentation takes
place. This fruit wine enhances stamina, relieves
exhaustion, and has analgesic and diuretic effects.
|
|
|
|
Mogwa-ju |
|
|
|
Cut a mogwa, (the
fruits of the Chinese quince), into small pieces. Steep
the pieces in soju liquor, and seal the container for
about three months. This fruit wine promotes blood
circulation, and promotes body organic functions.
According to Oriental medicine, this specific wine is
particularly good for those with low blood pressure, or
with cold body constitutions.
|
|
|
|
How to Enjoy |
|
|
|
Modern gourmets know how to
enjoy a wine, but few people know how to enjoy traditional
Korean alcohols well.
|
|
|
|
First- See it! |
|
|
 Overall,
the color of traditional alcohols is golden, but can vary from a
light gold to a dark brownish gold. The lighter it is, the more
clean taste it has. Darker colors indicate an older brew with a
stronger taste. Good ones look clean and have a golden color,
but the colors are supposed to be a bit different based on the
kinds of herbs or grains used to make it. Generally, the longer
the brewing process, the better the taste. However, for alcohols
made from rice or other grains (beer and Japanese Sake), ones
that are brewed for less than 100 days are supposed to have a
perfect taste. |
|
|
|
Second - Smell
it! |
|
|
|
There are 2 kinds of flavors
in traditional alcohols. One is a peculiar malt flavor that
delivers a savory taste, and the other is a fruity flavor. Even
though traditional alcohols do not use any fruits,
well-fermented ones strangely have an apple or watermelon
fragrance. These fragrances are produced from the process of
fermentation of wheat skin and are often found when the alcohol
has been fermented at a low temperature. |
|
|
|
Third- Taste
it! |
|
|
|
There are 6 different tastes
in traditional alcohols: sweet, sour, bitter, savory, spicy, and
puckery. The best ones have all 6 different tastes mixed
together harmoniously.
|
|
|
Sweet
taste:
For wines, the sweet taste is usually controlled by the level of
sugar left in it, while traditional alcohols use 'deoksul-beop.'
The principle of this method is that the sugar level is
controlled by the malt's decomposition process. When the
sweetness lessens, the fermentation is stopped. Rice is added
one more time for a second fermentation. This process is called
deoksul-beop and when it exceeds a certain alcohol level, the
amount of glucose produced excels the decomposition speed of
alcohol, making the sweet taste more obvious. In general, when
normal fermentation is stopped artificially, the resulting
alcohol tends to cause headaches among drinkers, so the natural
way of producing the sweet taste by deoksul-beop is considered
very scientific. When you select yakju based on its sweet taste,
you should check if the sweetness comes from articificial
addiments or deoksul-beop in order to avoid headaches.
Sour taste:
The sour taste is a natural taste resulting from micro-organisms
in malt producing lactic acid, citric acid, and other diverse
organic acids. However, a smell like kimchi or vinegar means it
is has fermented too much. Remember that the most outstanding
characteristic of traditional alcohols is a sweet taste mixed
with a natural sour taste derived from citric acid, lactic acid,
and hobak-san.
Puckury taste:
The puckury taste can be found in acorns and astringent
persimmons. When the palate gets numb, it can give an unpleasant
feeling. However, a puckury taste resulting from lactic acid can
be a perfect match with side dishes, such as cooked meats.
Bitter/spicy tastes:
The spicy taste is produced from ingredients in the alcohol.
Bitter tastes coming from herbs are better. The longer the
fermentation period, the higher alcohol level and the thicker
taster it has.
Savory taste:
This is a very important taste in traditional alcohols, making
it more different from other alcohols, such as rice wines. It is
produced in the decompostion process of proteins transforming
into amino acids, and Koreans consider the taste very important.
If you enjoy this taste, you had better choose darker colored
alcohols. However, if you want a lighter and cleaner taste,
choose a lighter color of alcohol.
|
|
|
|
Temperature: |
|
|
|
In general, in low
temperature, sweet, and savory taste and stimulating
charateristics of alcohol are lessened, while sour tastes get
stronger. The one with temperature between 6-15 degrees C give
the perfect taste. When you enjoy lighter taste, drink cold one
but when you prefer heavy and complex taste, drink the one
preserved in around 15'c temperature. That is to say, in order
to enjoy alcohol fully, you have to pay attention to its
temperature.
|
|
|
|
The methods to
enjoy traditional alcohol
|
|
|
|
You can enjoy traditional
alcohols with a meal or without any other side dishes. The
following etiquette serves as a guide for serving traditional
yakju with meals.
|
|
|
 Temperature
As mentioned above, the temperature of alcohol is important, and
maintaining it around 8 degrees C allows the enjoyment of the
perfect taste. To preserve the same temperature while you
drinking, put the bottle in an ice bucket like for wine. Some
people prefer to drink traditional alcohol warm, but cool is
more common.
Cups
There are two types of cups used for drinking traditional Korean
alcohols: jan and bae. Bae refers to a smaller cup. To maintain
a cool temperature, a ceramic jan is better. For glass cups,
ones with handles are better in that body heat is less likely to
affect the temperature of the alcohol.
When opening the cap
To allow any built up gas in the bottle to escape, you should
open the bottle slowly and wait a short period before serving.
The right selection of side dishes and
alcohols
Traditional Korean alcohols have stronger sweet and sour tastes
compared with other alcohols. Throughout history, banju
(alcohols served with meals) were consumed for relaxing and
stimulating the appetite and aid in digestion. Guests usually
drank 1 or 2 shots before a meals. When drinking with meals,
ones with a dry taste are better.
|
|
