This post first appeared on HAPPIEBB.com on 28th August 2010.
okie, first things first…. i wanna declare
I TOTALLY, COMPLETELY, ABSOLUTELY LOVE MAKGEOLLI!
don’t know what that is? then maybe you’re more familiar with the japanese way of romanizing this – Makkoli?
still doesn’t ring a bell? okie, okie, it’s actually korean rice wine! typically made from fermented boiled rice and water (though these days, some manufacturers throw in some ginseng), it’s a milky-white drink that tastes sweet and almost fizzy like carbonated drinks.
i love it coz it’s sweeter than beer and cheaper than wine, wakakaka! and for whatever reason, i’m terribly intrigued by how they serve Makgeolli (this is the korean way of romanizing) by pouring the drink from its (usually plastic) bottle into a metal kettle and then served by pouring into metal bowls! how cool is that?? (sometimes you get places that serve you makgeolli in wooden bowls as well, i think…)
and oh, you can also mix with some cider/sprite and you get a nice fizzy carbonated version of rice wine!
undefined | AnnyeongSeoul.com
if you haven’t tried it, you should!
and oh, by the way, lots of women love this, coz it’s so tasty! and… holy moses, it’s also anti-aging and good for the skin?? so what are you waiting for? go try it today!
even in korea, this traditional drink has been gaining ground. what started as an end-of-a-hard-days’-work drink for the farmers from a thousand years ago has become the younger generation’s fave drink today. they see it as a healthy alternative to other alcoholic drinks. click HERE to read about how makgeolli has become a new fad and hopefully, more than just a fad.
outside of korea, it’s also wildly popular with the japanese. i guess all the hallyu fever helps, and of course, it doesn’t hurt that the makgeolli is not only yummylicious, it’s also quite cheap! click HERE to read how popular it is and why in the japanese market.
meanwhile, i’m lusting after it, and wanting so much to check out two places when i’m next back in seoul. yea, yea, i know, i know, i just had a 18-day holiday there in june last year and yet another 27-day holiday just this june. and yea, yea, i know, i know, that’s like my seventh or eighth visit…
but hey, i really really really love love love seoul! in fact, i even think i’m korean, wakakakaka! so now, i just have to convince everyone else that i really am.
where are the two places? this wonderful gem of an (old!) place in Insadong that has gone without a name for eons, and have recently named it PIMATGOL JUJEOM (Pimatgol Tavern).
and the other place is this quaint surprise find in hip and rich Sinsa in seoul, MOONJAR! aigoo, even the name’s fantabulous!
and… if you’re a curious baby, and want to know more about how makgeolli is made and stuff, watch this. don’t worry, it’s from Arirang News, so it’s in english!
and… hee, i’ve also stumbled across this cute clip whereby they actually got non-koreans to try pronouncing makgeolli!
i really really really want to buy a set of these brass kettles and bowls!
one of our partners at our Annyeong Seoul Korean Fair at BPP is Koryu Trading. they come right out of korea and are the distributor for many yummy korean food and beverages. hee, this semi-alcoholic can sniff a good one when she sees one! yup, Koryu Trading does bring in an interesting variety of alcoholic drinks from korea. now from a nation of people who love their drinks, i think we can trust their taste in these things, keke!
so… remember to check them out at the fair, k? and no worries if you can’t or don’t like to drink, they also import lots and lots of drool-worthy food and snacks.