| Munbaeju, a traditional Korean liquor made of grains including non-glutinous millet and red sorghum / Courtesy of Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism |
By Kim Rahn
| The cover of "Hidden Charms of Korea: SOOL" / Courtesy of Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism |
The Korean Culture and Information Service (KOCIS) under the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism said Monday it recently issued "Hidden Charms of Korea: SOOL." The book is based on feature articles, interviews and expert contributions posted on the government's foreign language portal, Korea.net.
The 112-page book introduces not only famous green-bottled Korean alcohol "soju," but also traditional liquors that have not been widely known around the world, as well as foods that pair well with the alcohol and Korea's drinking culture.
Under the main theme of "Sool-ution," the book is divided into three sections ― "Soothing the soul," "Fusion of traditional and hip," and "Loved by Koreans and the world." Each of the sections has four to six sub-sections.
| "Nuruk," or Korean wheat-based fermentation starters, made in the traditional method / Courtesy of Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism |
The "Soothing the soul" section introduces traditional alcohols, including "munbaeju" which is made with grain but has the scent of pear; "gamhongno" with which a turtle tempts a rabbit to come to the underwater palace in the folk tale of "Byeoljubujeon" and the well-known rice wine, "makgeolli." It also tells the stories of alcohol-making masters who struggled to keep traditional methods of production from falling out of use.
The "Fusion of traditional and hip" section features a comparison of diluted soju and distilled soju; craft beer companies challenging prejudice against Korean beer; and some "premium" traditional liquor that innovates production methods.
In the "Loved by Koreans and the world" section, experts show ways of enjoying Korean alcohol and answer questions from foreigners about Korea's drinking culture. The experts include Yoon Sook-ja, the director of the Institute of Traditional Korean Food, and rapper and producer Jay Park, who launched Won Soju after setting up a new soju brand called Won Spirits.
KOCIS plans to distribute the books at Korean diplomatic offices and cultural centers overseas as well as at foreign countries' embassies and cultural centers here. The online version will also be available at Korea.net in 10 languages, and on the KOCIS website in Korean.
"We hope the English book will help foreign people discover the true value of Korean alcohol," KOCIS Director Kim Jang-ho said in a press release.