''Anju'' ( ) is a Korean term for food consumed with alcohol. It consists of a variety of foods, including both main dishes and side dishes. Consuming food with alcohol is a widespread practice in Korea, especially when the alcoholic beverage

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 ...

is involved. Certain types of foods consumed primarily as anju include golbaengi muchim, nogari with peanuts, and

jokbal ''Jokbal''(족발) is a Korean dish consisting of pig's trotters cooked with soy sauce and spices.Jokbal
a ...

History

Until the Chosun Dynasty, alcohol was mainly served in (a type of inn or tavern), where soups with rice, along with traditional alcohol such as , were served to guests. Since the introduction of beer and Western foods into Korea, mainly from Japan in the nineteenth century, bars and pubs have enjoyed a newfound popularity, and many types of Western foods have been consumed as anju.

By types of beverage

Some foods are considered to be best complemented by certain types of alcohol. For example,

samgyeopsal ''Samgyeopsal'' (; ), ''samgyeopsal-gui'' ( ), or grilled pork belly is a type of ''gui'' (grilled dish) in Korean cuisine. Etymology Directly translated from Korean, ''samgyeop-sal'' () means "three layer flesh," referring to striations of ...

, grilled pork belly, is considered to go best with soju, while fried chicken or Korean seasoned chicken goes well with beer.

Pajeon ''Pajeon'' (, ) is a variety of '' jeon'' with scallion as its prominent ingredient, as ''pa'' () means scallion. It is a Korean dish made from a batter of eggs, wheat flour, rice flour, scallions, and often other ingredients depending on the v ...

and (or ) is a popular combination for rainy days.

By the place where alcohol is served

There are a number of different types of bars in South Korea, and each category sells different kinds of food and alcoholic beverages. *: this does not refer to the traditional Korean inns of the Chosun Dynasty mentioned above, but instead refers to a conceptual bar based on Korean culture. These bars are represented by traditional anju such as pa-jun, dubu-kimchi, or

dotori-muk Dotori-muk * () or acorn jelly is a Korean food which is a jelly made from acorn starch. Although "'' muk''" means "jelly", when used without qualifiers, it usually refers to ''dotori-muk''. The practice of making ''dotori-muk'' originated in mo ...

. *Hof house (): Hof houses (a German

loan word A loanword (also loan word or loan-word) is a word at least partly assimilated from one language (the donor language) into another language. This is in contrast to cognates, which are words in two or more languages that are similar because the ...

) sell a number of relatively inexpensive alcoholic beverages. Various international dishes are served here as well. *

Pojangmacha ''Pojangmacha'' (포장마차) is form of commercial establishment based out of a small tent (sometimes on wheels) or street stall found in South Korea. These establishment sell popular street foods, such as '' hotteok'', ''gimbap'', '' tteokbo ...

: It is a place where tents are placed on the side of the road and snacks and alcohol are sold. Mainly simple side dishes are sold.

Sample images

Image:Korean.cuisine-Anju-nogari.and.nuts.jpg, '' Nogari'' (young

Alaska pollock The Alaska pollock or walleye pollock (''Gadus chalcogrammus'') is a marine fish species of the cod genus '' Gadus'' and family Gadidae. It is a semi-pelagic schooling fish widely distributed in the North Pacific, with largest concentrations ...

) with peanuts Image:Korean.cuisine-Nakjibokkeum-01.jpg, ''Nakji bokkeum'' with ''somyeon'' (fried octopus in ''gochujang'' with fine noodles) Image:Korean cuisine-Dubu kimchi-01.jpg, '' Dubu kimchi''

History

By types of beverage

By the place where alcohol is served

Sample images

See also

References

Further reading