Maesil-ju
Maesil-ju (매실주; 梅實酒), also called plum wine, plum liquor, or plum liqueur, is an alcoholic drink infused with maesil (plums).[1][2][3][4]
Type | Plum wine |
---|---|
Country of origin | China |
Alcohol by volume | 10-35% |
Ingredients | Maesil (plums) |
Korean name | |
Hangul | 매실주 |
---|---|
Hanja | 梅實酒 |
Revised Romanization | maesil-ju |
McCune–Reischauer | maesil-chu |
IPA | [mɛ.ɕil.t͈ɕu] |
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.[5][6][7] Unripe cheongmae (청매; 靑梅; "green plums")—firmer and less fragrant—can also be used.[7][8] Bruised or over-ripened plums may make the wine cloudy.[7] 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.[9] However, toxicity vanishes after a year of maturation.[9] Ripe plums have much lower amygdalin content.
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.[7] 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.[7]
Preparation
Plums are washed in cold water and dried on a tray for a day.[7] Dried plums and soju are added to a sterilized glass or earthenware jug and infused for about 100 days.[7] The fruits are then removed by sieving, and sugar is added to the plum wine.[7] The wine can be consumed immediately, but three to six months of maturation will greatly enrich the wine's flavour.[7]
Commerce
Popular maesil-ju products include Mae hwa soo,[10] Matchsoon,[11] and Seoljungmae.[12]
See also
- Maesil-cha, plum tea
- Maesil-cheong, plum syrup
- Umeshu, Japanese plum liqueur
- Suanmeitang, Chinese plum beverage
References
- "maesil-ju" 매실주(梅實酒). Standard Korean Language Dictionary. National Institute of Korean Language. Retrieved 22 March 2017.
- Nguyen, Stacy (22 December 2010). "10 Asian food makeovers for your holiday party". Northwest Asian Weekly. Retrieved 23 March 2017.
- 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.
- Shaw, Lucy (20 November 2012). "db Eats: Bibigo". The Drinks Business. Retrieved 23 March 2017.
- "maesil" 매실(梅實). Standard Korean Language Dictionary. National Institute of Korean Language. Retrieved 22 March 2017.
- "hwangmae" 황매(黃梅). Standard Korean Language Dictionary. National Institute of Korean Language. Retrieved 22 March 2017.
- 손, 수정 (20 May 2013). "새콤달콤 향긋한 '매실청·매실주' 제대로 알고 담그세요". The Farmers Newspaper (in Korean). ISSN 1227-5778. Retrieved 22 March 2017.
- "cheongmae" 청매(靑梅). Standard Korean Language Dictionary. National Institute of Korean Language. Retrieved 22 March 2017.
- 권, 대익 (21 June 2016). "청매실 독성 논란, 진실은?". Hankook Ilbo (in Korean). Retrieved 22 March 2017.
- "MAE HWA SOO" 매화수. HiteJinro. Retrieved 22 March 2017.
- "Matchsoon" 매취순. Bohae. Retrieved 22 March 2017.
- "Seoljungmae" 설중매. Lotte Chilsung. Retrieved 22 March 2017.