Maesil-ju
TypePlum wine
Country of origin Korea
Alcohol by volume 10-35%
IngredientsMaesil (plums)
Korean name
Hangul
매실주
Hanja
梅實酒
Revised Romanizationmaesil-ju
McCune–Reischauermaesil-chu
IPA[mɛ.ɕil.t͈ɕu]

Maesil-ju (매실주; 梅實酒), also called plum wine, plum liquor, or plum liqueur, is an alcoholic drink infused with maesil (plums).The exact origins of Maesil-ju are unknown, but it is thought to date back to the Goryeo Dynasty (918-1392)[1].[2][3][4][5]

Ingredients

Maesil-ju is made with maesil (매실; 梅實; "plums"), preferably ripe hwangmae (황매; 黃梅; "yellow plums"), which are yellowish in color, fragrant and firm.[6][7][8] Unripe cheongmae (청매; 靑梅; "green plums")—firmer and less fragrant—can also be used.[8][9] Bruised or over-ripened plums may make the wine cloudy.[8] Damaged fruits should be avoided, as direct contact of plum seeds with alcohol may produce a small amount of prussic acid, due to the amygdalin in plum seeds.[10] However, toxicity vanishes after a year of maturation.[10] Ripe plums have much lower amygdalin content.[citation needed]

Typically, 3 litres (0.66 imp gal; 0.79 US gal) of soju (of 20% ABV) and 100–150 grams (3.5–5.3 oz) of sugar is used per 1 kilogram (2.2 lb) of plums.[8] Sugar can be substituted with slightly more honey, and soju of 20% ABV can be substituted by 2 litres (0.44 imp gal; 0.53 US gal) soju (or any other unflavored spirit) of 30% ABV and 1 litre (0.22 imp gal; 0.26 US gal) of water.[8]

Preparation

Maesil-ju in a glass jug

Plums are washed in cold water and dried on a tray for a day.[8] Dried plums and soju are added to a sterilized glass or earthenware jug and infused for about 100 days.[8] The fruits are then removed by sieving, and sugar is added to the plum wine.[8] The wine can be consumed immediately, but three to six months of maturation will greatly enrich the wine's flavour.[8]

Commerce

Popular maesil-ju products include Mae hwa soo,[11] Matchsoon,[12] and Seoljungmae.[13]

See also

References

  1. ^ "What Is Maeshil-ju". www.travellingsouthkorea.com. Retrieved 22 August 2022.
  2. ^ "maesil-ju" 매실주(梅實酒). Standard Korean Language Dictionary. National Institute of Korean Language. Archived from the original on 23 March 2017. Retrieved 22 March 2017.
  3. ^ Nguyen, Stacy (22 December 2010). "10 Asian food makeovers for your holiday party". Northwest Asian Weekly. Retrieved 23 March 2017.
  4. ^ Joshi, V. K.; Panesar, P. S.; Rana, V. S.; Kaur, S. (2017). "Science and Technology of Fruit Wines: An Overview". In Kosseva, Maria R.; Joshi, V. K.; Panesar, P. S. (eds.). Science and Technology of Fruit Wine Production. London: Academic Press. p. 49. ISBN 9780128008508.
  5. ^ Shaw, Lucy (20 November 2012). "db Eats: Bibigo". The Drinks Business. Retrieved 23 March 2017.
  6. ^ "maesil" 매실(梅實). Standard Korean Language Dictionary. National Institute of Korean Language. Archived from the original on 23 March 2017. Retrieved 22 March 2017.
  7. ^ "hwangmae" 황매(黃梅). Standard Korean Language Dictionary. National Institute of Korean Language. Archived from the original on 23 March 2017. Retrieved 22 March 2017.
  8. ^ a b c d e f g h i 손, 수정 (20 May 2013). "새콤달콤 향긋한 '매실청·매실주' 제대로 알고 담그세요". The Farmers Newspaper (in Korean). ISSN 1227-5778. Retrieved 22 March 2017.
  9. ^ "cheongmae" 청매(靑梅). Standard Korean Language Dictionary. National Institute of Korean Language. Archived from the original on 23 March 2017. Retrieved 22 March 2017.
  10. ^ a b 권, 대익 (21 June 2016). "청매실 독성 논란, 진실은?". Hankook Ilbo (in Korean). Retrieved 22 March 2017.
  11. ^ "MAE HWA SOO" 매화수. HiteJinro. Retrieved 22 March 2017.[permanent dead link]
  12. ^ "Matchsoon" 매취순. Bohae. Archived from the original on 14 April 2015. Retrieved 22 March 2017.
  13. ^ "Seoljungmae" 설중매. Lotte Chilsung. Archived from the original on 30 May 2012. Retrieved 22 March 2017.
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