Meet the most popular Korean drink in the world, Soju!
Soju (hangul: 소주; hanja: 燒酒) is a popular drink not only in South and North Korea, but worldwide, and is usually found in small bottles of 360ml or even 200ml.
One of the factors that has helped increase this popularity is Korean dramas/movies and their celebrities and K-pop groups/bands.
This article is not intended to encourage alcohol consumption, but to provide information about the Korean drink soju. Drink with moderation!
Let's learn a little more about this drink that is the favorite of Koreans and those who also appreciate Korean culture/Hallyu.
Table of Content
What is Soju?
Soju (소주) is a Korean distilled alcoholic beverage that has been popular in South Korea for many years.
The traditional ingredient in its manufacture is rice, but it can be found with others such as sweet potato, wheat, barley and tapioca. Generally its alcohol content varies from 16-17% to 45%.
Distilled drink is a process that separates two different liquid substances, usually water from alcohol, from a liquid fermented from grains. With this separation, more alcohol can be added, increasing the alcohol content, the "main objective" of a distilled drink.
History
The origin of soju begins in the 13th century (Goryeo dynasty) with the Yuan Mongols, who learned the distillation technique Arak from the Persians during their invasion between the years 1231–1259 in Korea.
The Mongols made bases in the capital Gaegyeong, Andong, Cheju Island among other places, with plans to make an expedition to Japan (invasion) where distilleries were built transmitting the distillation process.
During the centuries that passed soju was used both as a drink only for the high society of the time and for medicinal purposes.
Over time the locals learned to produce inside their homes, thus becoming a drink for anyone and not just the elite.
In 1965, with the scarcity of rice, the government banned the use of this ingredient to produce the drink and it was then that production with other grains such as sweet potatoes, tapioca, wheat, barley among others began to emerge.
Even with the lifting of the ban in 1999 allowing manufacturers to return to using rice, many continue to use a variety of grains today.
Today we find the most diverse flavors and brands of this Korean drink.
brands
There are so many brands of soju that it is difficult to know which one to choose, but there is one that has been a world leader for many years.
The company HiteJinro makes very popular brands such as Chamisul which has an alcohol content of 19% and Chamisul Fresh which has 17.8%.
According to the website "Drinks International", since 2001, Chamisul has been the number 1 distilled beverage among 180 brands. In 2018, it sold more than 78 million boxes of 9 liters worldwide.
We have other popular brands according to each region/province.
| Brand | region/province |
| Chamisul | Seoul, Incheon and Gyeonggi |
| Chum-Churum | Gangwon |
| O2 Linn | Daejeon and Chungcheongnam |
| Cool Cheongpung | Chungcheongbuk |
| Hite | North Jeola |
| Charm | Daegu and Gyeongsanbuk |
| Goodday | Ulsan and Gyeongsangnam |
| White | Ulsan and Gyeongsangnam |
| C1 | Busan |
| Yes | Busan |
| Yipsejoo | Gwangju and South Jeolla |
| AHop Si Vahn | Gwangju and South Jeolla |
| hello | Jeju Island |
The following image shows Koreans' favorite brands in 2018 according to Statista:
In North Korea, there is also its own brand, the Pyongyang Soju, since 2009 at the food factory on the Taedong River.
fruit soju
In order to increase sales, the most popular brands started to manufacture flavors of various fruits in their drinks.
Some of the most popular flavors are:
- Blueberry
- Lemon
- Plum
- Peach
- Strawberry
- Green grape
- Grapefruit (Grapefruit)
Brands such as Hintejiro, C1, Chum Churum among others are the best known manufacturers.
premium soju
Following the principle of traditional manufacturing, we have some brands that produce some premium soju that in addition to promising a quality above the popular ones (in manufacturing), the price is also well above.
Andong Soju is made by a renowned family, more specifically by Cho Ok Hwa currently, in the Andong region (possibly uses the traditional method brought by the Mongols) which uses the best techniques/home methods that have been passed down from generation to generation.
The company/group Kwangjuyo that manufactures ceramics also produces one of the high-quality premium sojus.
Hwayo emphasizes that in its manufacturing they use the purest water, 100% Korean rice, and with more than 700 years of tradition.
There are numerous sojus considered premiums, Hitejinro itself manufactures, for example, Chamnamootong Margeunisul, Ilpoom JINRO.
Drinks with Soju
Some complain that soju is a “tasteless drink”, they simply don't like the traditional flavor of the best-selling brands or want to give it a new flavor by creating the most varied drinks.
Most of the drinks/bombs are mixed with beer from brands like Cass and Hite.
Below you will see the most popular among Koreans and foreigners:
Somaek (소맥)
It is nothing more than the mix of soju plus Korean beer (Maegju – 맥주) in which the amount of each item varies greatly, but it is usually 30% of soju and 70% of beer.
After mixing the two ingredients, you usually take a spoon, dip it into the glass with the drink and hit the bottom generating a kind of whirlpool.
Poktanju (폭탄주)
It is similar in mix to somaek, but the difference is that the soju glass is thrown into the beer glass. It is often stacked in several cups, knocking them over in sequence.
Kojinkamrae (고진감래)
This is adding one more ingredient, making it; 1 glass of soju + glass of beer + glass of Coca-Cola (the same size as the soju glass).
To prepare the kojinkamrae is simple. Inside the empty cup, soju and Coca-Cola are added, and then the beer is poured in.
There are many other types of drinks, including one that goes Soju + Sprite + Yakult, but the ones above are the most popular. See below a video about:
Overall the soju cup is 5cm x 5.5cm in size.
Etiquette when drinking Soju
For those who know a little about South Korea, you know that in addition to the language, there is an emphasis on the way of speaking informally and formally (as well as Japan) for the most varied situations.
When drinking with friends, bosses and other people we also have to know how to behave in this type of situation.
When you meet a superior or older person and he offers you a drink:
- Hold with both hands, one palm holding the cup and the other around it while keeping your head slightly lowered.
- When drinking, turn your face to the side, still holding it with both hands, towards your superior/older person. If it's your first glass, turn it all over in one go.
Another way to show respect is to hold the glass with one hand and support the arm with the other hand while the person fills your glass.
If the person is a close friend, you can only hold them with one hand.
follow-ups
Drinking alcohol on an empty stomach is not recommended, as it somehow makes you less resistant to alcohol, making you more susceptible to getting drunk.
That's why we always see some kind of dish and side dish when drinking soju and they are one of the most varied in Korean food.
Called Anju (안주 – Snack) the side dishes that are served alongside alcoholic beverages.
Samgyeopsal (삼겹살)
Samgyeopsal literally means pork belly, but in this case it is skinless. Very popular among Koreans.
The meat comes raw for you to roast yourself on the grill and can be accompanied by lettuce, garlic and other foods. It can be considered the Korean barbecue.
Jokbal (족발)
Jokbal, pig's foot, is also one of the most requested foods by Koreans. It is usually sautéed with soy sauce, ginger, garlic and rice wine.
Dakbal ( 닭발 )
They are well-spiced chicken feet that are fried or grilled and come with or without the bone.
To eat, you need to wear disposable gloves. It often appears in Korean movies and series.
There are many more snacks that are considered good to accompany an alcoholic drink.
Soju in the dramas
You hardly see scenes, in Korean series or movies, in which they drink some kind of alcoholic beverage.
They often drink until they drop and don't remember what happened last night. It's very common to see this. There are cases where they order Korean fried chicken (순살치킨) to have with a drink.
Soju always appears as it is a very cheap drink, around 1 USD, in South Korea and also has a strong commercial appeal. Many celebrities, whether actors or music groups, make commercials for this drink.
To get an idea, actors like IU (Lee Ji-Eun), Suzy (Bae Su-ji), Lee Min-Jung, Hyuna, Song Joong-ki, Irene (Red Velvet), and many others have done or are doing commercials.
I believe that those sojus in boxes (soju box), sold many years ago, also contributed to the increase in consumption of this drink among Koreans.
Note that it can easily be confused with a juice that uses similar packaging.
The South Korean government has recently been reviewing the law on the promotion of alcoholic beverages in which celebrities appear on the labels.
It's normal for a Korean to drink after work as it's like an extension of him. Anyone who refuses is frowned upon by colleagues. It's a kind of fraternization to get closer.
The drinking culture in South Korea is strong, so it's not hard to find people collapsed on the street from drinking so much. What also helps is that on every street corner you'll find a store selling soju.
South Korea is the country where the most alcohol is consumed in the world
Research shows that South Koreans drink much more than any other people in the world, with the impressive average of 13.7 shots of drinks per person per week.
Not everything is flowers, is it? If you are going to drink in moderation and enjoy the best of this culture that is on the rise these days!
Originally posted on asian foods.