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| yna@yna.co.kr 2025-05-14 16:00:20
*Editor’s note: K-VIBE invites experts from various K-culture sectors to share their extraordinary discovery about the Korean culture.
Choi Man-soon's Medicinal K-Food: The Beautiful Culture of Korean Alcohol
By Choi Man-soon, Food Columnist and Director of the Korea Traditional Medicine Food Research Institute
Korea’s traditional alcohol has matured over the ages, infused with the joys and sorrows of its people.
As the seasons passed and grains ripened under nature’s rhythm, these grains were fermented into alcohol, gently moistening the lives of many. Alcohol in Korea is not merely a beverage—it is a vessel of our emotions and culture, a story steeped in time. It is the crystallization of both festive delight and deep sorrow.
Takju is an unrefined, milky liquor, typically consumed freshly brewed. Often referred to as nongju (farmer’s wine) due to the sweat of farmers infused in it, or makgeolli, meaning “roughly filtered,” it has a coarse yet warm flavor. Its white hue carries the labor of the fields and prayers for abundance.
Cheongju, by contrast, is brewed with greater care and precision. Its clear appearance reflects a deep and delicate aroma. Known also as yakju (medicinal liquor), every sip contains the devotion and craftsmanship of its maker.
Soju, a distilled liquor obtained through fire, is strong and fiery. Since the Goryeo Dynasty, it has been widely loved. One sip sears the chest; another washes away sorrow.
As time passed, the variety of alcoholic beverages evolved.
Western beers entered the scene, and new kinds of drinks emerged. Yet, the Korean people's sentiment toward alcohol has remained unchanged. Whether in joy or in grief, people have always raised a glass—sharing stories, floating away burdens on waves of drink.
Alcohol melts hearts and offers comfort. It is like magic that summons time gone by.
Still, as with all things, excess brings harm. A moderate buzz warms the body and lightens the soul, but too much inevitably invites regret the following day.
Even so, alcohol continues to ripen within our lives. The time, stories, and human connection poured into a single cup persist as part of our enduring culture.
◇ Mother’s Corn Liquor
When I was a child, my mother would always prepare oksusu-sul (corn liquor) ahead of ancestral rites. Grinding soaked corn with a heavy millstone, the nutty scent spreading through the kitchen marked the start of another familiar day.
“Son, the ratio is everything,” she would always say before beginning the brewing.
Her secret recipe: ten parts corn, one part nuruk (fermentation starter), one part malted barley, and half a portion of dried pine needles—our family’s unique touch.
To my young ears, it felt like inheriting ancient wisdom. As the fire lit beneath the cast-iron cauldron in our kitchen, we would slowly pour ground corn with twice its volume in water.
When steam rose, we would carefully adjust the heat and stir in the malted barley. If rushed, the sweet fermentation wouldn’t emerge properly; if overheated, the liquor could spoil. My mother would emphasize these points again and again.
After two hours, with sweat trickling down my forehead, the corn gruel would thin out, and a soft, sweet aroma would begin to bloom.
Then it was time to transfer it to a clay jar, prepared deep in the pantry. We poured the cooled corn mixture into the jar lined with layers of cotton blankets, mixed in finely crushed nuruk, covered it with a cloth, pierced a breathing hole, and sealed the lid.
“Now, we wait,” she would say.
But waiting was not easy. Each day, we opened the jar once to stir gently. Thick bubbles would begin to rise—one by one.
As fermentation progressed, the smell of ripening liquor spread through the pantry.
Sometimes, cold weather slowed the process. On hot days, my mother would check the jar, worrying the liquor might spoil.
It became my daily ritual to check the jar with her.
Finally, the day to open the jar arrived.
Mother would carefully ladle the clear liquor from the top using a long-handled dipper.
Though clear as morning dew, the aroma was deep and understated. This was the liquor that would be offered to our ancestors, and the remaining liquid would be strained through a hemp cloth to become makgeolli.
I would pass my mother a bowl of the filtered cheongju, then watch as the strained liquid turned into a frothy, milky brew. At last, my mother would smile and say:
“Now, it finally tastes like real liquor.”
The day after the ancestral rites, neighbors would begin to gather in our sarangbang (guest room).
Mother would serve dishes from the ritual table and present the freshly strained makgeolli in an earthen jar. The elders would take a bowl and exclaim, “This house always brews the best!”
Only then would my mother finally relax and sit quietly beside them. From her side, I heard her familiar laughter.
How did that liquor taste? I can’t quite recall.
Now, when I sip a rare glass of makgeolli, the scenery of those days returns vividly—mother’s hands, the laughter, the scent. Like the deep aroma lingering in an old clay jar, the memories of youth continue to age gently in my heart.
◇ Brewing Alcohol Through the Lens of Sun Tzu’s Art of War
In the Fire Attack chapter of Sun Tzu’s Art of War, fire is described not simply as a tool of destruction, but as a weapon that must be used with precision—knowing when, how, and under what conditions to employ it. This perspective can be compared to how medicinal liquors (yakju) are presented in Yorok, a Korean culinary text from the late 17th century. Just as each type of medicinal alcohol in Yorok serves a specific purpose, so too does each fire tactic in warfare serve a unique strategic goal.
Sun Tzu identifies five forms of fire attacks:
Burning personnel (燒人), supplies (燒積), transport (燒輜), arsenals (燒庫), and camps (燒隊).
These can be metaphorically linked to various traditional medicinal liquors:
Burning personnel (燒人) corresponds with Chililju, Ililju, and Geupju—liquors that act quickly, producing immediate effects. Like sudden raids meant to disorient the enemy, these drinks are designed for rapid impact on the body.
Burning supplies (燒積) finds a counterpart in Samhaeju, Baekjaju, and Gamhyangju, which aim to nourish and fortify the body over time. These are long-term tonics, similar to cutting off an enemy’s food supply in order to wear them down.
Burning transport (燒輜) relates to Songyeopju, Songjaju, and Indongju, which promote circulation and detoxification—akin to disrupting logistical supply lines in battle.
Burning arsenals (燒庫) mirrors the effects of Hwanghaju, Hwanggeumju, and Chulju, known for invigorating the body. These are intended to recharge depleted energy, just as destroying an enemy's weapons depot diminishes their ability to fight back.
Burning camps (燒隊) resonates with Ihwaju, Byeokhyangju, and Hayangju—liquors associated with calming the nerves and stabilizing the mind. Just as a fiery attack on a base causes confusion and collapse, these drinks aim to soothe emotional turmoil.
All of these types of alcohol are recorded in Yorok, where they were carefully formulated for treating specific ailments. The book reflects a sophisticated understanding that medicinal alcohol is not consumed for pleasure alone, but prescribed in precise dosages for healing.
Sun Tzu emphasizes that the success of a fire attack depends on external conditions—wind direction, weather, and timing. Similarly, the efficacy of medicinal liquors depends on their ingredients, the way they are brewed, and the timing of consumption. Sun Tzu also cautions: attack while the flames rage, but beware of counterattacks after the fire dies down. Some liquors act immediately, like Geupju and Ililju, while others, like Samhaeju or Hwanggeumju, require a slow fermentation and aging process to reach their full effect.
Thus, Sun Tzu’s strategic use of fire and the brewing of medicinal alcohol share a foundational principle: both must be applied judiciously, at the right moment and in the right way. A fire, though powerful, must be controlled. Alcohol, though healing, can become harmful if misused.
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