I have long heard about soju – Korean vodka, but I did not think that I would learn such curious facts about it. It’s hard to believe, but this alcoholic product, according to the English edition of Drinks International, ranks first in the world ranking. Recently I had a chance to try a popular drink.
Oh soju
This is Korean traditional alcohol, which has an alcohol volume fraction of 20 to 45 degrees. What struck me is that the most popular option has a fortress of 20 degrees.
It seemed to me an exotic variety of vodka: it looks and smells very similar, but the taste is quite sweet. In general, the impression was pleasant.
There are many recipes for making: from rice, from sweet potatoes, from wheat, even from a mixture of alcohol and flavorings. That is, the range of products used is quite extensive, like Russian vodka.
The production is like the distillation of any strong alcohol. First, the raw materials are ground and the pressing process is carried out. On the basis obtained, mash is created, which is subsequently distilled. The finished product is purified by passing through a bamboo charcoal filter.
The classic rice soju has a more complex and lengthy manufacturing technology – this explains its high cost.
How to drink
No less interesting is the way of drinking Korean vodka. The ritual was strange, but I liked it.
So, you are handed a traditional stack, a little larger than vodka – you need to hold it with both hands. Another person pours alcohol, also holding a bottle with two palms, supporting his right hand with his left. It is curious that if you pour yourself a drink, it will be considered the height of indecency.
Korean vodka cannot be drunk in one gulp to the end, it is drunk in small portions, without fail leaving a sip of the drink on the bottom. But at the same time, before the next pile, the current one must be drained to the end.
I note that this way of using it concerns the etiquette for feasts at special tourist gatherings. In bars and clubs in Korea, national alcohol is mixed with tonic, soda, syrup, and the most daring even with beer. Recently, the drink began to be added to cocktails.
Interesting Facts
Today it is not just a traditional drink, but one of the main tourist attractions in Korea. But what is interesting is that it is not native Korean alcohol.
It was introduced to Korea after the Mongol invasion in 1300. The Mongols then already had the technology of distillation, which they spied on the Persians. Since then, Koreans have started to drive soju. Initially, by the way, it was only rice-based.
In 1965-1991, the Korean government banned the creation of alcohol from rice and other grains. An alcoholic drink began to be made from flavored ethyl alcohol. This type of production still exists today.
It sounds fantastic, but every year Korean workaholics consume over 3 billion bottles of the national alcohol product. In Russia, this alcohol is little known, but, in my opinion, it is still worth paying attention to.