Munbaeju is a

Korea 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 ...

n traditional distilled liquor that is considered one of the finest Korean spirits. Its name consists of the words ''munbae'' ( 문배), which means "wild

pear Pears are fruits produced and consumed around the world, growing on a tree and harvested in the Northern Hemisphere in late summer into October. The pear tree and shrub are a species of genus ''Pyrus'' , in the family Rosaceae, bearing the p ...

" ( ''Pyrus ussuriensis'' var. seoulensis), and ''ju'' ( 주;

酒酒 is an East Asian word which means wine or alcoholic beverage. 酒 may refer to: *''Jiu'' or Chinese alcoholic beverages, any alcoholic beverage of China, '' huangjiu'', '' baijiu'', ''mijiu'' and so on. *'' Sul'' () or any traditional alcoho ...

), meaning "alcohol". This name is derived from its fruity scent from the wild pear, though no pear is used in its production.

Ingredients and production

''Munbaeju'' is brewed from

wheat Wheat is a grass widely cultivated for its seed, a cereal grain that is a worldwide staple food. The many species of wheat together make up the genus ''Triticum'' ; the most widely grown is common wheat (''T. aestivum''). The archaeologi ...

, hulled

millet Millets () are a highly varied group of small-seeded grasses, widely grown around the world as cereal crops or grains for fodder and human food. Most species generally referred to as millets belong to the tribe Paniceae, but some millets al ...

, Indian millet, and '' nuruk'' (fermentation starter), then distilled.

Origins

Although it is South Korea's " Important Intangible Cultural Property Number 86-1", it originated from North Korea's Pyeongyang. Its origins are traced to the

Goryeo Dynasty Goryeo (; ) was a Korean kingdom founded in 918, during a time of national division called the Later Three Kingdoms period, that unified and ruled the Korean Peninsula until 1392. Goryeo achieved what has been called a "true national unificati ...

. The water used to produce Munbaeju comes from the

Taedong River The Taedong River (Chosŏn'gŭl: ) is a large river in North Korea. The river rises in the Rangrim Mountains of the country's north where it then flows southwest into Korea Bay at Namp'o.Suh, Dae-Sook (1987) "North Korea in 1986: Strengthening ...

. A royal subject of Wang Geon presented him with home-brewed munbaeju, which his family had made with a secret recipe for generations. Wang Geon was so impressed with its taste, that he gave the subject a high-ranking position in the government. Ever since this event, Munbaeju was a wine drunk by kings, and is commonly served to important foreign dignitaries during welcoming receptions.

References

{{Reflist

External links

Moonbaesool official siteArticle
Korean distilled drinks Important Intangible Cultural Properties of South Korea Distilled drinks

Ingredients and production

Origins

See also

References

External links