What is soju?
In South Korea you can buy soju at the supermarket, at the kiosk and in almost every restaurant, usually in the green 360 ml bottle. For everyday soju, producers dilute alcohol made from tapioca, sweet potatoes or grain with water and round it off with a little sweetener. In structure it resembles vodka, but it has less alcohol and tastes softer.
The Mongols brought the technique of distillation to Korea in the 13th century. The first soju was a rice spirit. From 1965 the government banned the use of rice for spirits because of a rice shortage. The big producers switched to diluted alcohol made from other starch, and that is how mass-market soju is still made today.
Types
- Classic soju: The diluted soju (hŭisŏk soju) has about 16 to 20%. Well-known brands are Chamisul and Chum Churum. It tastes neutral with a hint of sweetness.
- Fruit soju: Peach, grape, grapefruit or plum give it flavor, and the alcohol content is usually 12 to 14%. It tastes like soda and you barely notice the alcohol. Keep track of how much you drink.
- Andong soju: Producers distill the traditional soju from the city of Andong from rice and do not dilute it to mass-market strength. It often has 40 to 45%, tastes of grain and costs many times more.
You can find classic soju and fruit soju at an Asian grocery store, Andong soju less often. Another Korean classic based on rice is the herbal wine Baekseju.
How to drink soju
Chill the bottle in the fridge or put it in the freezer for an hour. Pour the soju into shot glasses of about 50 ml. One bottle makes around seven glasses.
At the table you pour for the others, and someone else fills your glass. When an older person pours for you, you hold your glass with both hands. When you drink in front of elders, you turn your head to the side. The group often drinks the first glass in one go, and after that in sips. If you leave your glass full, nobody will refill it.
Soju cocktails
Somaek
The name combines soju and maekju, the Korean word for beer. Put about 3 parts soju to 7 parts light lager in a beer glass. A German-style pilsner works.
Yakult soju
Soju, small bottles of Yakult yogurt drink and lemon-lime soda make a sweet and sour drink that tastes like yogurt soda. Amounts and steps for 4 glasses are in the recipe card above.
Soju with watermelon
For subak soju, hollow out half a watermelon, purée the flesh and strain it through a sieve. Mix the juice with soju in a ratio of 2 to 1, add a splash of lemon-lime soda and serve it all with ice in the melon shell.
Can you make soju yourself?
Soju is a distilled spirit. In Germany you may only distill alcohol with permission from customs, and that includes small amounts for personal use. There is also a risk: distilling can carry methanol into the spirit, and even small amounts of it cause poisoning that can lead to blindness.
You can make a Korean rice drink at home without distilling, with Makgeolli. For the cloudy rice wine you ferment cooked rice with water and nuruk, a grain starter with yeasts and molds. Store-bought makgeolli usually has 6 to 8% alcohol and tastes milky, tangy and fizzy. In Korea you drink it with pajeon.
What goes with it
In Korea you drink soju with food. At the grill it goes with Samgyeopsal, grilled pork belly that you wrap in lettuce leaves. With Korean Fried Chicken, many Koreans order somaek. In winter a stew such as Budae-Jjigae with sausage and instant noodles belongs on the table.
