Makgeolli - 막걸리

 

In the looking-glass we see the form, in Makgeolli the heart!

I am called Ms. Michigan’s Makgeolli by my friends. That’s right I am a lady who makes Makgeolli at home. I enjoy making it, and it also makes me happy to think about having the Makgeolli party with friends of ours. I’m sure it is not a kind of main dish but the best thing because it could brighten up the mood and it helps guests get more relaxed and enjoy themselves more comfortably. 
 
This is made from rice and Nuruk. It’s ordinary food for ordinary folks, our ancestors who lived in an agrarian society.  Nowadays, the popularity of Makgeolli which is one of the oldest traditional alcoholic drinks has been soaring both domestically and abroad due to improved recipes, a claimed nutritional value and special taste and a government-led campaign to promote korean food and drinks globally.  
 

The reason why I make it myself

H mart, which is the most popular and the biggest Korean market in Troy, is not close to my place and my husband needed to pay a lot to get Makgeolli.  Nevertheless, he was not satisfied with the flavor and price of all kinds of them. He wanted to make it at home and asked me to help. I interviewed an experienced person who is my aunt and studied how to make it on YouTube and through internet surfing. The two most very important ingredients, 누룩(Nuruk) and enzyme (You can use yeast instead of it)  were bought in Korea and they came to me across the Pacific. 

Memories of the first try

On August 12th, 2018, the date was the first time I tried it. I had never looked at the process directly so I was kind of nervous. I kept telling myself that everything was ok. ‘I can do it and I need to count on myself’. Back in that time, I could feel a thrill. Just remember!! You have to keep the temperature of it accurate for 6~7 days. The moment you relax attention, it could get ruined. Take very good care of it like your newborn baby. 

Ingredients

Rice, or Sweet rice 2Kg, Nuruk 1Kg, yeast 3g, bottle water 5L 

How to make the Makgeolli:

1. Rinse rice about 3 times and then soak it in water for three hours.
2. Drain the soaked rice by strainer for 2 hours.
3. Mix Nuruk 1Kg, yeast 3g and water 5L in the jar and cover with a porous fabric like a hemp and then tie top of the jar. Let it be for 2 hours.
4. Steam rice and then cool it. 
5. Mix 3+4 in the jar like photo #1 below and then close like photo #2  for 2 days.
6. Keep the temperature around 24 Celsius degrees, Be sure and never exceed 25 like photo #3. 
7. Stir mixture in the jar once a day. 
8. After 2 days, put  the cover on the jar to block the air  and let it be about 4 or 5 days. Keep the temperature around 21 Celsius degrees like photo #4. Stir mixture in the jar once a day.
9. When the sunken grain of rice begins to rise again and the bubbles are just about to get started like photo #5, the fermentation process is done. 
10. Strain the mixture into a very fine sieve. Try again 2 or 3times. 
11. Add 5L bottle water
12. Store cold  for 3 days to ferment again in the refrigerator and then enjoy it. 

 

Shared joy is double joy!

Last Saturday, My husband and his two friends went fishing to Benzonia and I invited two wives left behind. It was a perfect day to drink Makgeolli that goes well with Kimchi-jjim ( a kind of stew) with fork baby back rib and kimchi. I prepared both kinds of food a lot and shared it with my neighbors, Haruna, Kay and Dodo’s family. Speaking of food, for Korean, sharing food and eating a meal together is a process of getting closer and building a true friendship or love. It is why one of the things Koreans say a lot is “let’s have a meal together”. Son of Haruna who loves a kind of spicy food sent a photo to me and said thank you. I made them happy, also they made me happy, we all together had a nice Saturday night!

 by Mikyeong