Subscribe
E-Paper
.jpg/dims/resize/740/optimize) |
| Artisan Kim Taek-sang glues flour dough to a pot used for distilling soju to prevent vapor from escaping. / Courtesy of Gastro Tour Seoul |
By Yun Suh-young
California has its beer-hopping tours and Europe has a variety of winery tours. Visiting beer breweries and wineries in Western countries has become a common tour program while traveling, whereas such tours are yet to be fostered in Asia.
In Korea, the concept of an alcohol-specific tour, such as visiting a brewery or distillery dedicated to creating a specific alcohol, had been unexplored until Gastro Tour Seoul run by Veronica Kang started taking tourists on them from last year.
"I wanted to bring out the interest in tourists, both foreign and local, about Korea's traditional drinks and the people behind making them," said Kang, while guiding the reporter to a soju artisan's workshop as part of a Brew Master Tour she organized.
"I wanted to share the stories of the artisans who strive to keep our tradition and culture alive. Through listening to their stories and experiencing our traditions, I hope to help foreigners understand our food and dining culture. This field has received little attention so far."
.jpg/dims/resize/740/optimize) |
| Soju is distilled into a bottle through the neck of the pot. |
Soju distillery tour
A walk into one of the back alleys of Bukchon Hanok Village lies a small "hanok" (Korean traditional house) with the name Samhae Soju-ga. The name literally translates to "The house of Samhae Soju."
Samhae Soju is soju that is brewed through a three-step process ("sam" in Korean means "three") and brewed on the Day of the Pig ("hae" stands for pig in Chinese characters), hence the name "samhae."
It is at the Samhae Soju-ga where visitors can meet artisan Kim Taek-sang, a tall, benign-looking master distiller who will greet them with a generous smile. Kim is Seoul's Intangible Cultural Asset No. 8, who is dedicated to making Samhae Soju.
"All of the three Samhaeju ("ju" means alcoholic beverage in Korean) ― makgeolli, yakju and soju ― are created in one single pot. You see this rice floating on top? When we filter them out and extract the clear alcohol, that becomes yakju. Then when we distill it, it becomes soju. The residue at the bottom of the pot is mixed with water and becomes makgeolli," said Kim, explaining the procedure while pointing to a clay pot filled with alcohol going through fermentation.
.jpg/dims/resize/740/optimize) |
| Artisan Kim Taek-sang uses his hands to stir the alcohol fermenting inside a pot at his workshop in Bukchon Hanok Village, Jongno-gu, Seoul. / Korea Times photos by Yun Suh-young |
"Start drinking from the makgeolli. When drinking alcohol, you should begin from the mild (makgeolli) and move to the strong (soju)," he said pointing to three glasses of drinks laid out in front of the reporter. The most opaque was makgeolli (brewed rice wine), a sweet and milky taste, the middle was clear orange-colored yakju (clear rice wine) with sweet and tangy taste, and the most transparent soju (distilled liquor) which was strong yet still flavorful unlike its sterile industrial counterparts.
The Brew Master Tour involves tasting of the three different types of Samhaeju, listening to how they are made, and watching the master distill soju from yakju.
"Foreign tourists would bombard me with questions such as 'how come this soju is easy to gulp down when the commercial ones are not?' Or 'were there pubs during the Joseon Kingdom?'" said Kim.
"Foreign tourists find this tour fascinating," said Veronica Kang. "They appreciate meeting with an artisan."
.jpg/dims/resize/740/optimize) |
.jpg/dims/resize/740/optimize) |
| Rice floating inside a pot of fermenting yakju, top, and a pot filled with makgeolli |
Three-step procedure
"It is on the first 'Day of the Pig' of January that we begin brewing. We put cooked rice with yeast (nuruk) and water in a large clay jar. For this process we use non-glutinous rice," said Kim.
"Then on the first Day of the Pig in February, we go through the same process of adding rice, water and nuruk to the jar. This time we use glutinous rice. Then in the third month, on the first Day of the Pig in March, we repeat the same ― adding glutinous rice, water and nuruk to the jar."
It is on the first Day of the Pig of the fourth month, in April, that the alcohol is ready to taste.
The reason why brewing takes place on the "Day of the Pig" on the Korean calendar, where the day comes in a 12-day cycle, is because pig's blood is the clearest of all and traditional beliefs are that brewing on that day will help create crystal clear liquor. Sauces such as soy sauce and soybean paste are made on the "Day of the Horse" because horses have thick blood, hence the belief that sauce will be as thick and well mixed.
.jpg/dims/resize/740/optimize) |
| Foreign tourists taste Samhaeju at Samhae Soju-ga in Bukchon Hanok Village, Jongno-gu, Seoul, during a Brew Master Tour. / Courtesy of Gastro Tour Seoul |
"Fermentation occurs within the jar in cold temperatures. When you open it, the rice will be floating on top. We remove the rice, extract clear alcohol from the jar and leave the residue. The clear alcohol is moved to another jar to make 'yakju.' To the residue, we add water to make makgeolli. Soju is distilled from yakju and takes two more weeks to complete," said the master.
It takes 100 days to ferment makgeolli and yakju and around 120 days to make soju.
"Distilling 6 to 7 liters of yakju creates one liter of soju. Because such a huge amount of rice is put into making that one liter, in the past, it used to be a king's drink. The king would even ban laypeople from using rice when rice was rare."
Samhaeju's history goes far back to Goryeo Kingdom (918-1392) and was a high-end drink enjoyed by the aristocrats of noble households because it required a tedious process and large quantity of rice and had to be home made.
Path to artisanry
Kim used to be an ordinary office worker before he jumped into the arduous path of artisanship. A business management major, he had worked at local finance conglomerate Tongyang Group until he dropped away his well-paying job and came to join the family craft.
His mother was also an Intangible Cultural Asset for the making of Samhaeju from whom Kim inherited the craft 30 years ago.
"There were times when I was cold, hungry and lonely. I would drink two bottles of soju alone by the Han River waterfront. It's never easy to walk the road of an artisan," said the 65-year-old, recalling the years he struggled.
Thankfully, he realized he had talent in the craft which kept him going.
"In order to become an artisan, what you need is more than acquired skills. You need innate talent. What you need is the hand flavor which I realized I had."
By "hand flavor," he was referring to the ability to make good taste which often comes from the hands. In fact, when stirring the alcohol, he does it with his hands to transfer his lactobacillus to bring up the fermented flavor.
"This is how I do it ― by hand. I stir it like this and then also taste it with my hands," he said, demonstrating.
Despite the lack of interest among the public and government in artisans, he finds it hopeful that there are young people who come to him to learn the craft.
"I'm focusing on fostering students who will hand down the tradition. It's a relief these students are all young," he said.
Kim is still bursting with ideas. He is planning on developing drinks for each season.
"Starting this year, I'm thinking of releasing drinks special to that season such as an azalea-drink for spring, a pear flower drink for summer, a chrysanthemum drink for fall and Samhaeju for winter. How does that sound?" he asked, with a smile lingering on his face.
