Gamju
A beverage is a liquid which is specially prepared for human consumption. It forms a major part of human culture. They can also be classified into soft and hard drinks. Soft drinks are those beverages which do not contain any alcoholic content. Hard drinks are those drinks which contain alcohol. Gamju is a slightly hard drink which has originated from Korea.
Gamju is also known as ‘dansul’ or ’sikhye’. The word ‘dansul’ and ’sikhye’ literally mean sweet wine in the Korean language. Sikhye is also spelt as ’shikhye’ or ’shikeh’. It is a traditional Korean drink and it is very popular in Korea. It has low levels of alcohol in it. It is a sweet beverage and is usually served as a dessert. It is made from rice.
Gamju is prepared from rice which is fermented with yeast cake. Water and yeast cake is added to cooked rice. This mixture is fermented for hours together in a rice cooker at 60 degrees Celsius. Since only incomplete fermentation is done, the beverage is not very alcoholic in nature but it does contain some alcohol. Malt water is poured on pre cooked rice. While the rice is still cooking, the malt water seeps into the rice at about 150 degrees Fahrenheit. As the malt water seeps into the rice, the rice begins to appear onto the surface. This particular liquid is very carefully poured into another container. This liquid is then boiled with sugar. A dash of ginger or jujube (as it is known locally) is then added to the liquid for extra taste. Sometimes pine nuts are also added to the beverage. The beverage is served chilled. Gamju has many variations. Some of the variations are as follows:
- Gamju: as we know it is a weak cider made from rice
- Cheong: is again a very sweet alcoholic drink. But it has low alcohol levels.
- Iyangju: also known as Cheong soju is made in summer. The water which is used for the preparation is cooled in a vat. The water cools automatically during the fermentation process.
- Wasonju: is the same drink but its fermentation is done in the hollow of a rotten pine tree. During the fermentation process, the hollow is sealed with clay.
- Juktongju: is again the same drink but its fermentation is done inside a bamboo.
- Gahyanju: is a mixture of many drinks. It is also an alcoholic beverage. It is known for its delicious fragrance and aroma.
- Gwasilju: is a mixture of many herb wines. It actually includes all herb wines apart from grape wine.
- Angdong Sikhye and Yeonyeop Sikhye is a variety of Gamju which is usually prepared in the Gangwon province. This beverage also includes radishes, carrots and red pepper powder. This beverage is fermented for several days instead of hours. Hence it has a relatively higher alcoholic content. Despite the long process of fermentation, the rough texture of radishes and carrots is maintained. In Korea, softer textures indicate that the beverage is of inferior quality.
Gamju is available in every grocery store in Korea. It is packaged in cans and plastic bottles. Vilac is a company (of Busan) which is the largest producer of Sikhye. Most canned beverages in Korea have a residue of cooked rice left at the bottom of the cans. Homemade Gamju is usually served at the end of every meal in most Korean restaurants.
- Seema Khinnavar
Tags: alcoholic beverages, alcoholic drinks, beverages, dansul, drinks, gamju, hard drinks, korea, sikhye
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