The distillation method of making
liquor first entered Asia from the Persian Islamic culture,through
Mongolia's Y an Dynasty. It was introduced to Korea when Kublai,
grandson of Ghenghis Khan, advanced into the Korean peninsula
on his expedition to take Japan. Evidence for this is the Arabic
word for soju: "arag." Soju is called "arangju"
in Korea's Pyongan Province, and "aragju" in the city
of Kaes ng.
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The manufacturing process for soju was passed on from the
Mongol garrison in Kaes ng and advance bases in Andong and
Cheju Island. Soju has various names in Korea. It is called
noju, "distilled liquor," for its distillation process,
and hwaju, "fire liquor," for the fire that is used
to distill it. It also known as hanju, kiju, etc. It was more
popular in the Chos n period. We find many records of soju
from that time. In the Danjongshillok, "The True Record
of King Danjong," it is written that King Danjong became
too weak to perform his royal duties after King Munjong and
his ministers made him drink soju to recover his spirits.
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They did not drink large amounts, but used small cups, because
soju was drunken as medicine. Thus, a small cup is known as
a "soju cup." At first, only the king and other nobles
drank soju for non-medicinal reasons. Gradually, soju spread
to the common people as they learned how to brew larger quantities
in their homes. The modern method of manufacturing soju originated
in Py ngyang in 1919, and spread to Inch n and Pusan. Originally,
soju was made from conventional malted wheat (heukguksoju).
Beginning in 1952, soju began to be made from cheaper imported
molasses. The laborious, time-consuming method of distilling
pure rice wine, with its unique bouquet, has vanished without
a trace, after the government's 1965 food policy banned the
use of grain in manufacturing alcohol. The current process of
distilling soju has been diluted with the use of sweet potatoes,
molasses, tapioca, etc.
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