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Korean · VI The Beverage Tradition

Andong soju

Andong, North Gyeongsang Province

‹ The Beverage Tradition

I

Origin

Andong soju (안동소주) is the distilled grain spirit of Andong, in North Gyeongsang Province, and belongs to the older of the two kinds of soju, the distilled. The technique of distilling grain spirit reached the Korean peninsula in the Goryeo period, by the common account of food history from the Mongol era, and the still passed into household and clan keeping. In Andong it was held by yangban households, where it served at ancestral rites and for guests, and the practice has been carried on by families and by licensed makers of the region. The spirit is recognised as an intangible cultural property of North Gyeongsang Province.

II

Description

Andong soju is a clear spirit distilled from steamed rice fermented with nuruk, the wheat-based fermentation starter, and water. A fermented mash is made first, then heated in a pot still and the vapour condensed to a spirit commonly bottled at about 45 per cent alcohol by volume, though lower strengths are sold. It is colourless, with a dry, grainy aroma, and it is sharper and heavier than the diluted green-bottle soju sold everywhere in Korea, which is made from neutral spirit reduced with water and sweetened. The distilled spirit is sipped in small cups and is also used in cooking and in steeping fruit and herbs.

III

The Thread

—Both are pot-distilled spirits made from a fermented grain mash started with a saccharifying culture, koji in Japan and nuruk in Korea. Honkaku shochu is made from rice, barley, sweet potato or buckwheat and is often diluted for drinking, whereas Andong soju is traditionally taken neat at high strength. Japanese
—Both distil a grain ferment started with a fermentation culture, qu in China, and both serve at ceremony and at the table. Baijiu is usually fermented in solid state in earthen pits and is often sorghum-based, while Andong soju is made from a liquid rice mash. Chinese
—Both are clear spirits that carry a long household and ceremonial use and are drunk in small measures with food. Arak is distilled from grape spirit and flavoured with aniseed, whereas Andong soju takes all its character from rice and nuruk. Levantine
IV

Flavour Context

Andong soju is drunk with salty, fatty and strongly seasoned food: grilled and braised meats, jeon, and the braised Andong jjimdak. Its high strength and dry finish cut through fat and rinse the palate between mouthfuls, and its lack of sweetness lets salted and fermented flavours stand clear. It is poured in small cups and sipped slowly, in keeping with the ceremonial manner in which it has been served.

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