Andong soju (; in some brand names ) is a traditional type of distilled

soju (; Hangul: ; Hanja: ) is a clear and colorless Korean distilled alcoholic beverage. It is usually consumed neat. Its alcohol content varies from about 12.9% to 53% alcohol by volume (ABV), although since 2007 low alcohol soju below 20% h ...

produced in

Andong Andong () is a city in South Korea, and the capital of North Gyeongsang Province. It is the largest city in the northern part of the province with a population of 167,821 as of October 2010. The Nakdong River flows through the city. Andong is a m ...

North Gyeongsang Province North Gyeongsang Province ( ko, 경상북도, translit=Gyeongsangbuk-do, ) is a province in eastern South Korea. The province was formed in 1896 from the northern half of the former Gyeongsang province, and remained a province of Korea until the ...

, South Korea. 안동소주 (andongsoju)

Brewing

Andong

is an

alcoholic drink An alcoholic beverage (also called an alcoholic drink, adult beverage, or a drink) is a drink that contains ethanol, a type of alcohol that acts as a drug and is produced by fermentation of grains, fruits, or other sources of sugar. The c ...

. ''

Eumsik dimibang The ''Eumsik dimibang'' or ''Gyugon siuibang'' is a Korean cookbook written around 1670 by Lady Jang (張氏, 1598~1680) from Andong Clan, Gyeongsang Province during the Joseon Dynasty. The author was in the noble ''yangban'' class and the book ...

'' (a 17th-century cookbook written by

Jang Gye-hyang Jang Gye-hyang (, 24 November 1598 – 7 July 1680) was a Korean noblewoman who studied the Hangul calligraphy and wrote poetry in her youth. She was also a painter and philanthropist of the Joseon (Chosŏn) era. She wrote one of the first cookbo ...

) states that of steamed

rice Rice is the seed of the grass species ''Oryza sativa'' (Asian rice) or less commonly ''Oryza glaberrima ''Oryza glaberrima'', commonly known as African rice, is one of the two domesticated rice species. It was first domesticated and grown i ...

mixed with of ''

nuruk ''Nuruk'' () is a traditional Korean fermentation starter. It is used to make various types of Korean alcoholic beverages including ''takju'', ''cheongju'', and soju. It is an essential ingredient in Shindari and is mixed with rice.Nowicki, Stephe ...

'' (dried fermentation starter) and of water have to be fermented for 7 days, after which the rice wine is mixed with parts water and distilled. Today, the rice wine for distilled soju is usually fermented for about 15 days. The process of making the

fermentation Fermentation is a metabolic process that produces chemical changes in organic substrates through the action of enzymes. In biochemistry, it is narrowly defined as the extraction of energy from carbohydrates in the absence of oxygen. In food ...

starter (''

'') for Andong soju consists of washing and drying wheat, which is then crushed and mixed with water. After, it is filtered, fermented, mixed with hard-boiled rice, and placed in a jug with water for about 15 days. The aged liquor is then boiled in a '' sot'' (cauldron). A ''soju gori'' (two-storied distilling appliance with a pipe), and a cooling device are placed on the ''sot'', and flour dough is used to make an air-tight seal. It is spread on the gap between the ''soju gori'' and the cooling device so that no steam escapes. When the aged liquor is heated, it vaporizes, and the vaporized steam is cooled by the cold water in the upper parts of the ''soju gori''. This causes the vaporized alcohol to be condensed and trickle down through the pipe.

Origin

The development of

is related to the

Yuan Dynasty The Yuan dynasty (), officially the Great Yuan (; xng, , , literally "Great Yuan State"), was a Mongol-led imperial dynasty of China and a successor state to the Mongol Empire after its division. It was established by Kublai, the fifth ...

's movement into the

Korean Peninsula Korea ( ko, 한국, or , ) is a peninsular region in East Asia. Since 1945, it has been divided at or near the 38th parallel, with North Korea (Democratic People's Republic of Korea) comprising its northern half and South Korea (Republic o ...

during the 13th century. The

's supply base was in Andong and was established to prepare for an expedition to

Japan Japan ( ja, 日本, or , and formally , ''Nihonkoku'') is an island country in East Asia. It is situated in the northwest Pacific Ocean, and is bordered on the west by the Sea of Japan, while extending from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north ...

. Andong soju dates back to the

Silla Silla or Shilla (57 BCE – 935 CE) ( , Old Korean: Syera, Old Japanese: Siraki2) was a Korean kingdom located on the southern and central parts of the Korean Peninsula. Silla, along with Baekje and Goguryeo, formed the Three Kingdoms of K ...

dynasty (668–935 AD). The distillation skill was developed by

alchemist Alchemy (from Arabic: ''al-kīmiyā''; from Ancient Greek: χυμεία, ''khumeía'') is an ancient branch of natural philosophy, a philosophical and protoscience, protoscientific tradition that was historically practiced in Chinese alchemy, C ...

s engaged in trade with Arab tribes. Evidence of relations between the Silla and tribes of the Arabian Peninsula includes warrior statues with nonlocal features and Persian glass found at Goereung (hangul: 괘릉; an ancient tomb of Silla in

Gyeongju Gyeongju ( ko, 경주, ), historically known as ''Seorabeol'' ( ko, 서라벌, ), is a coastal city in the far southeastern corner of North Gyeongsang Province in South Korea. It is the second largest city by area in the province after Andong, ...

, Gyeongsangbuk-do).

China China, officially the People's Republic of China (PRC), is a country in East Asia. It is the world's most populous country, with a population exceeding 1.4 billion, slightly ahead of India. China spans the equivalent of five time zones and ...

had been drinking hard liquor since the

Tang Dynasty The Tang dynasty (, ; zh, t= ), or Tang Empire, was an Dynasties in Chinese history, imperial dynasty of China that ruled from 618 to 907 AD, with an Zhou dynasty (690–705), interregnum between 690 and 705. It was preceded by the Sui dyn ...

. With the close relationship between Silla and the Tang Dynasty, it can be assumed that strong liquor was used in Korea since the Silla period.Origin of Andong soju
Andong soju Museum

Artisans

The artisans of Andong soju are Joe Ok-wha (hangul: 조옥화; hanja: 趙玉花) and Park Jae-seo (hangul: 박재서). These artisans keep alive the traditional ways of making Andong soju through the Korean government's support for discovering traditional alcoholic beverages since the

1986 Asian Games The 1986 Asian Games ( ko, 1986년 아시아 경기대회/1986년 아시안 게임, Cheon gubaek palsip-yuk nyeon Asia gyeonggi daehoe/Cheon gubaek palsip-yuk nyeon Asian Geim), officially known as the 10th Asian Games and the X Asiad ( ko, 제10 ...

and 1 988 Summer Olympics.. After the Silla period, the skills of making Andong soju were passed down in Andong. Joe Ok-wha made and preserves this Andong soju, so she was designated as "Korean food grand master No.20" on September 18, 2000. Daughter-in-law Bae Kyong-hwa (hangul: 배경화) and son Kim Yeon-park (hangul: 김연박) continue the tradition. Park Jae-seo is 25th generation of Park Eung-ju (박응주) (who was the known starter of Park of Bannam (hangul: 반남 박씨)), and is carrying on the legacy of Andong soju that has been passed down in his family for 500 years. For preserving this tradition, Park Jae-seo was designated as "Korean food grand master No.6" in July, 1995.Profile: Park Jae-seo
名人 Andong soju Andong soju is the only specialty to have two Korean food grandmasters because Joe Ok-wha and Park Jae-seo's way of making it and materials are different from each other.

References

{{Rice drinks Rice drinks Soju