The extraordinary expansion of Korean culture throughout the world was dubbed "Hallyu," which literally translates to "Korean Wave." The entire nation has been impacted by Korean culture, which includes K-Drama, K-Pop, and K-Food. After all of these, it's time for K-Sool, which is just Korean booze that also contains wines. People were recently made aware of this booze thanks to a promotion event for traditional Korean liquor held at the Korean Embassy in New Delhi.
What is Sool?
Alcoholic beverages produced in Korea are generally referred to as sool in Korean. This phrase encompasses all varieties of alcoholic beverages made in Korea, regardless of whether they are clear (yakju), distilled (makgeolli), or clear (soju). To explain, it derives from two characters that stand for "Soo - Water" and "Bool - Fire." When brewing with nuruk, rice, and water, Korean ancestors couldn't help but observe that the mixture would bubble when the yeast created carbon dioxide. They called it "Fire Water" or "Soobool" because they were ill-informed about chemistry at the time. They thought they had solved the riddle of how fire sprang from the water. The word Soobool changed into the word "Sool" that we use today over time. Although it is used to refer to all types of alcohol in contemporary Korea, rice alcohols are its original ancestors.
How is Korean alcohol made?
Rice, water, and a fermentation starter are reportedly the only three materials needed to make Korean alcohol. K-Sool is produced in a way that is distinctive in and of itself. As they are simple to understand, most people refer to Sool as beer or rice wine. However, the entire rice fermentation process is carried out in a way that does not taste like either wine or beer.
Which fermentation starter is used to make K-Sool?
The fermentation starter, known in Korea as "Nuruk," which is used to ferment rice and aid in the production of alcohol, comprises filamentous fungi and yeasts that enhance the flavour and taste of sool. Additionally, some Korean producers employ 'Ipguk,' a kind of koji. Ipguk, in contrast to Nuruk, is exclusively created from rice or wheat that has been inoculated with a single strain of fungus, usually Aspergillus oryzae or Rhizopus oryzae. Nuruk can be prepared from barley, wheat, or rice.
Types of K-Sool
The traditional K-Sool can be broken down into other types, such as "Fruit Wines," which are fermented local fruits, "Distilled Liquor," which includes spirits like Soju, and "Yakju" or "Cheongju," which is golden clear alcohol similar to wine. All of these alcoholic beverages have varying ABVs, which affects how they taste as well. While Yakju has an ABV of roughly 12 to 15 per cent, Takju has an ABV of about 8 to 12 per cent. Contrarily, fruit wines may have an ABV of 20–25 per cent and soju may have an ABV of up to 50 per cent.