foodbriefs
0:59in productionCh. 1 · What the dish is and where it came from/ 0:59 · ceiling 15 min
Drinks · Food history

Makgeolli

A milky, mildly alcoholic Korean rice wine made with nuruk.

Makgeolli is a Korean alcoholic drink, also called 'raw rice wine'. It is the oldest alcoholic beverage in Korea. Rice wine has been brewed since the Three Kingdoms era (1st century BCE to 7th century CE).

Chapters & takeaways7
  1. 0:00
    What the dish is and where it came from

    Makgeolli is a Korean alcoholic drink, also called 'raw rice wine'.

  2. 0:14
    How it works, in terms someone would actually use

    It is made from rice using nuruk, a dry cereal cake that hosts molds producing enzymes to break starch into sugar.

  3. 0:28
    What it gets right

    Freshly brewed makgeolli has a milder and creamier taste.

  4. 0:32
    What it does not

    Its alcoholic character makes it unsuitable when you want an alcohol-free drink.

  5. 0:37
    What it changed

    Rice-wine brewing reaches back to Korea’s Three Kingdoms era, placing the drink within a long brewing tradition.

  6. 0:44
    Who it is for, and who it is not

    It suits someone interested in a milky Korean rice wine made with nuruk, particularly the milder, creamier character of a freshly brewed version.

  7. 0:53
    Is it worth your time

    It is worth your time if you want a mild, creamy, freshly brewed rice wine.

Worth your time?

Selectively. Start with the brief, then cook the parts we point at.

What works
  • Freshly brewed makgeolli has a milder and creamier taste.
What does not
  • Its alcoholic character makes it unsuitable when you want an alcohol-free drink.
Cook it if
    Skip it if
      The written brief1 min read

      What the dish is and where it came from

      Makgeolli is a Korean alcoholic drink, also called ‘raw rice wine’. It is the oldest alcoholic beverage in Korea. Rice wine has been brewed since the Three Kingdoms era (1st century BCE to 7th century CE).

      How it works, in terms someone would actually use

      It is made from rice using nuruk, a dry cereal cake that hosts molds producing enzymes to break starch into sugar. The brewing process involves two stages: seed and main mash, then main fermentation.

      What it gets right

      Freshly brewed makgeolli has a milder and creamier taste.

      What it does not

      Its alcoholic character makes it unsuitable when you want an alcohol-free drink.

      What it changed

      Rice-wine brewing reaches back to Korea’s Three Kingdoms era, placing the drink within a long brewing tradition.

      Who it is for, and who it is not

      It suits someone interested in a milky Korean rice wine made with nuruk, particularly the milder, creamier character of a freshly brewed version.

      Is it worth your time

      It is worth your time if you want a mild, creamy, freshly brewed rice wine.

      Same course · Drinks4 of 15
      Up next in Food

      Malva pudding

      · 1:01

      A baked South African cake pudding with apricot jam, soaked in warm butter-cream-sugar sauce and served warm with custard or ice cream.

      1:01