Goguryeo has advanced brewage skills in its era as it is even called as a country of fermentation. They already used malt for brewage and Goguryeo’s brewage skills were introduced to China. So the famous liquor called “Gok-a-ju (grain embryo liquor)” was made in China. Naknang brewage method that inherited the brewage skills of Goguryeo was settled down in the Silla age.
Susubori who is respected as a god of liquor in Japan is a citizen of Baekje, and it is said that true liquor was started to be brewed in Japan through the transmission of malt and the method of brewage by Susubori.
A bowl of Makgeolli, a type of Korean rice wine,, fot. OpenCage / wikipedia
Based on the old book ‘Samgukyusa’, there is a record that King Taejong Muyeol consumed 54 liters of rice and 10 pheasants of foods for a day. Around the time in the United Silla, various kinds of brewed wines were developed and the practice of drinking Cheongju (clear strained rice wine) was popular among the society of high-class people.
The method of brewage of grain wines were fully developed before Goryeo age and in the early part of Goryeo age the brewage skills and the kinds of wines such as Cheongjus, Takjus and Gamjus (sweet rice drink) were diversified.
Goryeo age was the time when the basic forms for three major Korean liquors such as Takju, Yakju and Soju were completed.
Famous liquors in Joseon age is as many as 300 kinds but the representative one among them were Baekhaju, Samhaeju, Ehwaju, Cheonggamju, Buuiju, Hyangonju, Yaksanchun and Hosanchun and a lot of Sojus were consumed as well.
The Characteristics of Traditional Liquors
Rice wine (Yakju) is alkaline
As rice wine uses the malt of wheat, it is alkaline wine with unique fruit flavor originated from the ingredient contained in the cortex of raw material. Unique and natural sour taste of traditional rice wine has the efficacy of promoting appetite.
Traditional Liquors and Liquor taken at meal times
Liquor taken at meal times are in most cases not more than appropriate quantity and therefore it will be a desirable food culture to have liquor taken at meal time as far as the liquor taken are not more than appropriate quantity.
Traditional liquors give neither headache nor hangover after drinking.
Traditional rice wines that used good quality malt and was fully fermented do not give headache or hangover. Especially, the rice wine such as Baekhaju which used raw rice fermentation method gives no headache at all.
Soju which used to be used as medicine
Soju is liquor with very high degree of alcohol. When King Munjong of Joseon Dynasty died, King Danjong was very tired and his body became very weak to act as a mourner for a long time. At that time, King Danjong could recover after taking Soju, which means that at that time Soju was used as a medicine.
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