 A bowl ofmakgeolli | |
| Type | Rice wine |
|---|---|
| Manufacturer | Korea |
| Country of origin | Korea |
| Region of origin | East Asia |
| Introduced | 1 BC |
| Alcohol by volume | 6–9% |
| Color | Milky, off-white |
| Flavor | Ricey |
| Ingredients | Rice,nuruk |
| Related products | Cheongju,nigori,choujiu,zutho |
| Korean name | |
| Hangul | 막걸리 |
|---|---|
| Revised Romanization | makgeolli |
| McCune–Reischauer | makkŏlli |
| IPA | [mak.k͈ʌl.li] |
| Opaque wine | |
| Hangul | 탁주 |
| Hanja | 濁酒 |
| Revised Romanization | takju |
| McCune–Reischauer | t'akchu |
| IPA | [tʰak̚.t͈ɕu] |
| Farmer's wine | |
| Hangul | 농주 |
| Hanja | 農酒 |
| Revised Romanization | nongju |
| McCune–Reischauer | nongju |
| IPA | [noŋ.dʑu] |
Makgeolli (Korean: 막걸리;lit. raw rice wine;[mak.k͈ʌɭɭi]), sometimes anglicized tomakkoli (/ˈmækəli/,[1]MAK-ə-lee), is aKorean alcoholic drink. It is a milky, off-white, and lightly sparklingrice wine that has a slight viscosity, and tastes slightly sweet, tangy, bitter, and astringent. Chalky sediment gives it a cloudy appearance.[2][3][4] As a low proof drink of six to nine percentalcohol by volume, it is often considered a "communal beverage" rather thanhard liquor.[5]
In Korea,makgeolli is often unpasteurized, and the wine continues to mature in the bottle.[6] Because of the shortshelf life of unpasteurized "draft"makgeolli, many exportedmakgeolli undergopasteurization, which deprives the beverage of complex enzymes and flavor compounds.[5] Recently, various fruits such as strawberries and bananas have been added to makgeolli to create forms with new flavours.[7]
The namemakgeolli (막걸리) is acompound, consisting ofmak (막; "roughly, recklessly, carelessly") and adeverbal noun derived from the verb stemgeoreu- (거르-; "to strain, to sift, to filter") to which is added a noun-formingsuffix-i (-이).[8]
Because of its cloudy appearance,makgeolli is also calledtakju (탁주;濁酒), meaning "opaque wine", as opposed to the refined, transparentcheongju (청주;淸酒), meaning "clear wine".[8] Another name formakgeolli isnongju (Korean: 농주;Hanja: 農酒), meaning "agricultural wine" or "farmer's wine", reflecting the traditional popularity of the beverage amongfarmers.[9]
In 2010, the South KoreanMinistry for Food, Agriculture, Forestry, and Fisheries announced "drunken rice" as the winning entry in a competition to find an English nickname formakgeolli.[10] "Makcohol" (makgeolli + alcohol) and "Markelixir" (makgeolli + elixir) were among the runners-up.[10][11] The five-member panel reasoned that the chosen name would communicate the product's identity as a rice liquor and evoke associations with its ambassadors, the popularKorean hip-hop groupDrunken Tiger. This met with a cool reception from the Korean public, with objections relating to translation of the nounmakgeolli, felt to be unnecessary, and to the negative connotations of the word "drunken".[11]
Scottish band Colonel Mustard & The Dijon 5, playing at the inauguralDMZ Peace Train Festival in 2018, calledmakgeolli 'Fight Milk', or 'KoreanBuckfast'.
In 2009, Korean importers in Japan began producingmakgeolli products, promoting them with the namemakkori, the Japanese pronunciation ofmakgeolli.[12] In 2011, several Japanesesake companies, includingGekkeikan and Tatenokawa, launched cloudy rice wines under the namemakkori, and announced plans to export the products to Asia, America, and Europe.[13] Concerns were raised in Korea that this could lead tomakgeolli being mistakenly regarded as traditionally Japanese rather than Korean, as had happened in the1996 kimchi-kimuchi case.[13]
Makgeolli is the oldest alcoholic beverage inKorea.[4] Rice wine has been brewed since theThree Kingdoms era, which ran from the 1st century BCE to the 7th century CE.[3] The consumption of rice wine during the reign of KingDongmyeong (37–19 BCE) is mentioned in the founding story of the kingdom ofGoguryeo inJewang ungi (Songs of Emperors and Kings), a 13th-centuryGoryeo Korean book.[14]
There are a number of other early records mentioning rice wine in theKorean Peninsula. The Goryeo Korean bookSamguk yusa (Memorabilia of theThree Kingdoms) mentions the brewing ofyorye (醪醴, "cloudy rice wine") in the kingdom ofSilla forKing Suro ofGaya by his seventeenth-generation descendant in 661, in its section entitledGarakguk gi (Record of theState of Garak).[15] In theJin Chinese bookSānguózhì (Records of the Three Kingdoms), the sectionDongyi (Eastern Foreigners) of theWei Shu (Book of Wei) contains the observation that "theGoguryeo Koreans are skilled in making fermented foods such as wine,soybean paste, andsalted andfermented fish".[16] TheAsuka Japanese bookKojiki (Records of Ancient Matters) makes reference in the section entitledŌjin-tennō (Emperor Ōjin) to a man namedInbeon (仁番) from the kingdom ofBaekje being taught how to brew wine.[17] And the poemGōngzishí (公子時), by theTang Chinese poetLi Shangyin, refers to Silla wine (新羅酒) made with non-glutinous rice.[18]
During the Goryeo dynasty,makgeolli was calledihwa-ju (이화주;梨花酒, pear blossom alcohol), as the liquor was made when the pear trees were in blossom.[19] This was associated in many communities in Korea around that time with a tradition of all-night drinking and dancing in special ceremonies.Makgeolli was brewed at home for centuries[3] and was considered a "farmer's wine", or rural working-class beverage.[2][5]
During theperiod of Japanese rule of Korea (1910-1945), the colonial government introduced a licensing system and taxed even for self-consumption, and by 1934, home brewing had been banned.[20] ThePark Chung-hee dictatorship also banned its making (1965) because of rice shortages.[21] In 1990, the South Korean ban on brewing with rice was finally lifted, with home brewing again becoming legal only at the beginning of the 21st century.[21] In the interim period,makgeolli was made from wheat.[21]
The most-consumed alcoholic drink inSouth Korea in the 1960s and 1970s,[6][9]makgeolli began to lose popularity in the 1970s with the rise of imported alcoholic beverages.[3] Also, due to the national food shortage, the government banned making makgeolli using rice, and makgeolli was made by mixing 80% wheat flour and 20% corn. When flour was used, the quality of makgeolli deteriorated.[22] Asmakgeolli was considered cheap and old-fashioned, sellers then focused on selling quantity rather than quality,[3] with manymakgeolli companies turning to mass production. In this process, the rice wine is usually brewed with a non-traditionally manufactured fermentation starter instead of the traditionalnuruk. It is also diluted with water.[3]
In the 21st century,makgeolli enjoyed a resurgence in urban areas and among younger generations.[2][9][5] The health benefits and low alcohol proof ofmakgeolli, and a growing interest in cultural traditions in recent decades, have contributed to the revival.[3] The product continues to be inexpensive, with a plastic,soft drink-style 750 ml (26 imp fl oz; 25 US fl oz) bottle costing around₩1,200 ($1.05).[2][5][9] Novelty high-endmakgeolli are also produced, using traditional methods free of artificial additives. There were at least 700 small-scale breweries in production in South Korea in 2017.[3]As of 2023, Geumjeongsanseong Makgeolli inBusanwas the only officially recognized makgeolli master in the country.[23]
Makgeolli is made fromrice usingnuruk, a Koreanfermentation starter.[6]Nuruk is a dry cereal cake that has been allowed to ferment and mature to promote the growth of molds producinghydrolyzable enzymes thatdecompose the starches of the cereal grain into sugar. This sugar is then used byyeast to produce alcohol throughfermentation.[24] Different kinds ofnuruk, made with different ingredients such as rice, wheat, barley, ormung beans, producemakgeolli of a variety of flavors.[3][6]
Steamed rice,nuruk, and sometimes additional flavoring ingredients such asmaize,chestnuts,fruits,herbs, andflowers are mixed and left to ferment inonggi, the same permeable clay crocks used for makingkimchi,soy sauce, and other fermented foods.[3][6]
The brewing process involves two stages: seed and main mash and main fermentation.[25] Seed mash is the process of obtaining actively growing yeasts and enzymes in the mixture of yeast andnuruk.[25] The tastes and aromas of the main mash develop with the transformation of the rice-derived nutrients and amino acids.[25] Main fermentation lasts for about a week.[25]
Makgeolli is best consumed fresh, a week or two after brewing.[3] When freshly brewed, it has a milder and creamier taste.[5] It acquires a stronger taste over time and turns intorice vinegar after a couple of months.[5]
Traditionally, the wine was only created one way, but to reach out across the different age groups and for exporting purposes there are several different ways the wine is created. Oncemakgeolli has been exported, it can change as well. Many people also brew makgeolli at home these days.[26] Traditionally,makgeolli is created unpasteurized.
Many mass-producedmakgeolli are brewed with non-traditional manufactured fermentation starter instead of the traditionalnuruk, and are diluted with water and contain additives such asaspartame. This gives the liquor sweetness without adding a fermentable carbohydrate, and thus increasesshelf life.[3] Flavorings such as fruit andginseng are also sometimes added.
| Year | Production |
|---|---|
| 2005 | 166,319 kL (5,873,500 cu ft) |
| 2006 | 170,165 kL (6,009,300 cu ft) |
| 2007 | 172,342 kL (6,086,200 cu ft) |
| 2008 | 176,398 kL (6,229,400 cu ft) |
| 2009 | 260,694 kL (9,206,300 cu ft) |
| 2010 | 412,269 kL (14,559,100 cu ft) |
| 2011 | 458,198 kL (16,181,100 cu ft) |
| 2012 | 448,046 kL (15,822,600 cu ft) |
| 2013 | 426,216 kL (15,051,700 cu ft) |
| 2014 | 430,896 kL (15,216,900 cu ft) |
| 2015 | 416,046 kL (14,692,500 cu ft) |
Makgeolli is usually served chilled, in a bottle or in a pottery bowl with a ladle.[5] Prior to drinking, it is stirred with the ladle, or the bottle is gently flipped upside down several times with the cap on, in order to mix in the settled sediment.[5] It is then ladled or poured into individual small bowls, rather than cups, for drinking.[5] This is because of the tendency ofmakgeolli to split into a cloudy white fraction that settles to the bottom and a clear, pale yellow liquid that rises to the top.
Makgeolli is often served with friedbuchimgae, Korean pancakes, such aspajeon (made withscallions),haemul-panjeon (made with scallions and seafood), andbindae-tteok (made with mung beans and pork).[2][4] Consumingmakgeolli with these pancakes is a custom often associated with rainy days.[5] There are a number of theories regarding the origin. The first theory is the effect ofassociation, whereby the sound of the rain is similar to the sizzling sound of a pancake making, so when it rains, pajeon automatically comes to mind. The second theory has to do with traditional agricultural culture. When the farmers were not able to work due to the rain, especially during the rainy season of Summer, they made pajeon to soothe their hunger and accompanied it with makgeolli, a farmer’s favorite drink. Naturally, it became a seasonal food, and the tradition has been passed down to this day.[28]
Makgeolli may also be mixed with ice and fruits such as mango and pineapple to makefruit cocktails, or withsaida (lemon-lime drink) to make a simple cocktail namedmaksa.[5][4][3]Makgeolli mixed withkkul (honey) is calledkkul-makgeolli.
Because of the microorganisms present during fermentation,makgeolli is aprobiotic product. It contains high levels oflactic acid bacteria such asLactobacillus, as well asvitamins,amino acids, andfiber.[3][9] With a 1.9 percent protein content, over 10 amino acids, vitamin B,inositol andcholine,makgeolli is reputed to increase metabolism, relieve fatigue and improve thecomplexion.[14]
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Dongdong-ju ("float-float wine") is a drink very similar tomakgeolli, but slightly creamier and with unfiltered floating rice grains. The worddongdong is anideophone for a small object floating by.Ihwa-ju ("pear-blossom wine") is so named because it is brewed from rice with rice malt which ferments during thepear-blossom season.[19]Ihwaju is often so thick that it is eaten with a spoon.Dansul ("sweet wine") is a sweeter variety with partial fermentation. The Tibetan alcoholic beverageChhaang is also very similar drink with its cloudy milky appearance along with its unfiltered rice sediments. During the Tibetan lunar new year, Tibetans drink a slight variation of Chaang by adding dried cheese, droma (a type of small tuber similar in taste to sweet potato) and nuts which is then heated and drunk warm. In Nepal, where chaang is enjoyed by the Newars and Sherpas, Korean produced bottled makgeoli is branded and sold as chaang.
Chinesechoujiu and Japanesenigori are rice wines similar tomakgeolli.
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