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| Vegetable pancakes with non-sweet makgeolli (rice wine) at "FLOWER, Blooms on a bowl of rice," a restaurant in Insa-dong, Seoul. Staff there recommend alcohol that matches the dishes. / Korea Times photo by Kim Se-jeong |
By Kim Se-jeong
Soju, makgeolli, insamju (ginseng wine), cheongju (clear rice wine) ― the list goes on when it comes to traditional Korean alcoholic beverages.
Alcohol is an integral part of culinary culture, and these fermented and distilled concoctions are important for understanding Korean history and society.
The Sool Gallery, located in Insa-dong, provides everything you need to know about alcohol in Korea.
The gallery, run by the government, is connected with local breweries and offers samples of authentic traditional drinks and new contemporary variations.
As visitors open the door and walk downstairs into the gallery, the posters on the wall greet them with information on popular drinks and their history.
For example, they learn Korean drinks are mostly made of rice and nuruk, a type of yeast. Cloudy fermented drinks are one kind, and so are the clear, distilled liquors. There are many variations of these, adding fruits and different grains.
Also, guests learn that makgeolli, a fermented milky rice concoction, has been made by Koreans for centuries, but the name is roughly only 100 years old.
The gallery has a bar full of alcohol bottles on display, creating an atmosphere similar to a bar, rather than a gallery.
One traditional drink sommelier greets visitors and serves as a guide, speaking Korean only ― but Japanese, Chinese and English guides are also available.
Tasting is the most popular activity at the gallery.
The sommelier starts with a short introduction of Korean alcoholic beverages, and then gives out samples.
Between five to six drinks are available for tasting and the list changes every month, selected by the sommelier. Visitors can purchase the drinks by bottle.
Tasting is available three times a day ― at 1 p.m., 3 p.m. and 5 p.m. ― and a reservation is required.
The sommelier also recommends restaurants that pair traditional alcohols with foods.
"FLOWER, Blooms on a bowl of rice" is one of top picks by the sommelier.
The Korean restaurant serves six kinds of quality traditional drinks, with traditional and contemporary Korean cuisines. The restaurant is also famous for using ingredients grown locally without pesticides.
The menu includes bibimbap, vegetable pancakes, soybean paste salad and pork neck steak marinated with fermented soybean paste, among others.
Staff at the restaurant speaks English and recommends drinks that pair well with any food orders.
The restaurant is open every day from 11:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. for lunch and from 5:30 p.m. to 10 p.m. for dinner. Call (02) 732-0276 for reservations.
The Sool Gallery is open every day between 10 a.m. and 6 p.m., except Mondays. Call (02) 739-6220 for reservations.
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