It is believed that Andong Soju is manufactured using methods very similar to those brought into the Korean peninsula by the Y an Mongols. It is very likely that a Mongol supply garrison was stationed in Andong during the Y an advance through the Korean peninsula, on their way to launch an expedition against Japan in the 13th century.
Soju, including Andong Soju, became popular among the upper class in the Kory period. The use of soju spread as it came to be used for medicinal purposes, as a cure of stomachaches, poisonous insect bites, and other ills. We can find another historical record of soju in the writings of Lee Hyun Bo (pen-name "Nong Am"), who was exiled to Andong during the Yunsan period, in the book Chos n Myounginjun. His faithful adherence to his duties and indomitable spirit earned him the nickname Soju Dobyoung, or Soju Expert, among his peers. He was reinstated to the rank of Jipyoung after King Chungjong was removed from power. A local Andong resident owns an old medical book, in which there are records of soju being used to treat wounds, stomachaches, increased appetite, and dyspepsia.
#. Where is Andong?
Andong is a city in Gyeongsangbuk-do Province, South Korea. It is the largest city in the northern part of the province with a population of 167,821 in October 2010. The Nakdong River flows through the city. Andong is a market centre for the surrounding agricultural areas.
Since the 1970s Andong has developed rapidly, although the population has fallen by nearly seventy thousand as people have moved away to Seoul and other urban centers. In the late 1990s and early 2000s it became a tourism and cultural centre.
Andong is known as a centre of culture and folk traditions. The surrounding area maintains many ancient traditions, so in mid October the Andong Folk Festival is held every year. One of the most famous aspects of these cultural festivities are the Andong masks.
Andong has famous local foods that originated in the city such as heotjesabap, Andong jjimdak, Andong soju (a rice wine), Andong sikhye (a punch), Geonjin guksu (a noodle dish).
#. What is a soju?
Soju (소주, 燒酒) is a distilled beverage native to Korea. Its taste is comparable to vodka, though often slightly sweeter due to the sugars added in the manufacturing process, and more commonly consumed neat.
Most brands of modern soju are made in South Korea. Though traditionally made from rice, most major brands supplement or even replace the rice with other starches such as potato, wheat, barley, sweet potato, or tapioca (called dangmil in Korean). Soju is clear in colour and typically varies in alcohol content from about 18.5% to about 45% alcohol by volume (ABV), with 20% ABV being most common. It is widely consumed, in part, because of its relatively low price in Korea. A typical 300mL bottle of soju costs the consumer 1,000 to 3,000 South Korean Won in South Korea (roughly $1 to $3 United States Dollars). In the USA, it tends to cost substantially more – at least $6 minimum.
Linguistically, the word soju is the Korean rendering of the Chinese 燒酒 (pinyin: shaojiu), which literally means "burned liquor". (Incidentally, the Dutch-derived English word brandy—literally "burned wine"—uses the same linguistic concept to describe a distilled alcoholic beverage.) The Chinese word shaojiu is rendered in Japanese as shōchū, the word that denotes a distilled alcoholic beverage that is similar to soju.
#. Attractiveness
I bought the Andong Soju and other kinds of traditional soju at a mall in Seoul. There are many quality types of Andong Soju. The one I bought is low price; 3,900Won = US$ 3.25 per bottle. The shape of bottle is designed well. The existing Andong Sojus were a bit expensive and had a high percentage of alcohol. On the other hand, this is lower percentage and cheap, so anyone can try to taste the traditional Andong Soju. This drink tastes like a sweet vodka.
Interestingly, the company built an exhibit hall, and the website of the company is providing the information related to an industrial tourism.
* Source: Wikipedia, www.andongsoju.com, http://www.ilpoomsoju.com/
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