Hmmm. The soju I tasted when i was in Korea 15 years ago tasted like lighter fluid (or at least the way I imagined lighter fluid would taste). I wonder what has changed.
Soju is not good. Makeoli is a little better.
Modern soju is some kind of chemical creation made in large factories, and it usually costs about 90 cents for a twelve ounce bottle whenyou buy it in a grocery store. Back in the days of the old dictatorship there were rice shortages so traditional soju was regulated. These days there is still a spirit called Andong soju. The woman who brews Andong soju is a recognized by the Korean government as a tangible cultural asset since her recipe and methods of making soju go back about a thousand years. Andong soju is about 40 percent alcohol and tastes like rubber. Modern sojus have a workmanship like taste and price, it tastes a bit like the fuel of an industrial economic boom. I have a bit of a prejudice whenever I see non Koreans drinking soju, I usually think that that person must have a drinking problem.
I'm glad that Makeoli got some attention. Makeoli is indeed a fermented alcohol,but it isn't just that, it's a sourdough. Makeoli is made from large disks of cooked rice that are mashed together and dried so they can collect natural yeast. It is then put into earthenware pots called ong gi with water, and they naturally ferment in a similar process to how they make kimchi. Makeoli is cheap too, but I much prefer the taste to soju. (And the soju hangover....that can be painful, soju is usually eaten with grilled pork, drunk people grilling pork don't pay attention to weather or not raw pork touches cooked pork, so I'm never sure if it's a hangover or salmonella.
I'm glad that Makeoli got some attention. Makeoli is indeed a fermented alcohol,but it isn't just that, it's a sourdough. Makeoli is made from large disks of cooked rice that are mashed together and dried so they can collect natural yeast. It is then put into earthenware pots called ong gi with water, and they naturally ferment in a similar process to how they make kimchi. Makeoli is cheap too, but I much prefer the taste to soju. (And the soju hangover....that can be painful, soju is usually eaten with grilled pork, drunk people grilling pork don't pay attention to weather or not raw pork touches cooked pork, so I'm never sure if it's a hangover or salmonella.
2
Andong soju. Accept no substitutes.
OK, the bunch of you who are criticizing soju from days past, forget it! The quality of the drink has gotten much, much better. Trust me, I tried it 40 years ago in Korea as a Peace Corps volunteer. I am here again and it's better. Or, maybe it's more like the Mark Twain quote about his father.
Oh my...soju...
My experience with this is from a north-American perspective. Bunch of South Koren engineers over for several weeks of training/meetings/etc. This boy (40ish at the time...quite a while ago) travels with them to various locations for tours, instruction, etc. Then darkness arrives, and the inevitable drinking sessions. Man, you do get to know Koreans when the soju flows (I'm talking to you Mr. Yoo, Woo and Lee). I am a big man (weightlifter, 250 lbs, 6'4"} so the soju did not have much of an effect on me during the drinking sessions. BUT, the next day, let's just say that I was glad that I was somewhere close to...facilities.
I have since learned to drink it in moderation. Along with wonderful kimchi. Now that is a great combo.
My experience with this is from a north-American perspective. Bunch of South Koren engineers over for several weeks of training/meetings/etc. This boy (40ish at the time...quite a while ago) travels with them to various locations for tours, instruction, etc. Then darkness arrives, and the inevitable drinking sessions. Man, you do get to know Koreans when the soju flows (I'm talking to you Mr. Yoo, Woo and Lee). I am a big man (weightlifter, 250 lbs, 6'4"} so the soju did not have much of an effect on me during the drinking sessions. BUT, the next day, let's just say that I was glad that I was somewhere close to...facilities.
I have since learned to drink it in moderation. Along with wonderful kimchi. Now that is a great combo.
This drink brought by Mongols from mid-east to korea and china. It is supposed to be street drink for common people and not known for people with refined taste.
Beacuse of US tax laws soju is very low alcohol (less than 25% alcohol) in order to be taxed as wine. In Korea it can be as high as 35%
Well, it is no higher than 23% generally. We Koreans prefer 18~20%. It has nothing to do with US tax, I think. I've never seen a single bottle of soju as high as 35%.
I dunno. From my time as a GI in Korea (late 80's), soju was neither "modest in flavor" nor a weak drink. It's taste was best described as "what rubbing alcohol must taste like" and many a dude got really wasted on it. Maybe the imports these days have been refined taste-wise and made a little less deadly?
There is 16% to 20% alcohol soju. My wife is Korean and had bought the stronger variety the other day and when she saw me dunking those little glasses and getting progressively more wobbly on the chair she forced me to slow down. But the taste is the same, which does not matter as long as you are eating Samgipsal and lots of vegetable and some hot Korean peppers.
how to rot your gut...drink soju...
the Korean drinking culture is unhealthy, physically and mentally, and outdated...
the Korean drinking culture is unhealthy, physically and mentally, and outdated...
Soju is fantastic if you're a fan of crippling hangovers.
As a Korean, I'm always proud of Korean "drinking " culture. sometimes they drink soju too much, but it is one of ways to release stress from hard working. Also drinking soju or other alcohol in Korea is not just about drinking. It is a expression of friendship and companionship.
Here is tip. When you drink Soju,
Soju with hot and spicy Korean kimchi stew is perfection!
Here is tip. When you drink Soju,
Soju with hot and spicy Korean kimchi stew is perfection!
5
We bought our first bottle of soju in Midland, Texas - imagine that, of all places !! My wife loves it but I am still hooked on vodka.
1
If I'm not mistaken, most soju in South Korea is made from sweet potatoes.
Soju was made from sweet potatoes back in the years (before the late 80s) when Korea couldn't produce enough rice to be self-sufficient. As agriculture improved and diet changed, there were large surpluses of rice starting in the late 80s, the government once again approved production of soju from fermented rice, which is, in fact, the most traditional.
On a separate note, makeolli is not a spirit as indicated in the article; it is closer to beer/wine, since it's merely fermented and never distilled.
On a separate note, makeolli is not a spirit as indicated in the article; it is closer to beer/wine, since it's merely fermented and never distilled.
1
I'm a fan of soju, especially the variety and quality you get in Korea. There are excellent soju bars in Seoul and Pusan, but even the stuff sold in local supermarkets rivals some of the higher end shochu ubiquitous here in Japan.
As for the Jinro, Lotte, and other mainstream mass produced soju you were drinking, I'm happy to imbibe on occasion, but I've discovered a way to put them to a better use. Penne alla soju. Far better in the pot than 40% vodka IMHO, and blends real well with crushed tomatoes and decent olive oil.
As for the Jinro, Lotte, and other mainstream mass produced soju you were drinking, I'm happy to imbibe on occasion, but I've discovered a way to put them to a better use. Penne alla soju. Far better in the pot than 40% vodka IMHO, and blends real well with crushed tomatoes and decent olive oil.
4