WHAT IS SOJU?
In most Korean movies or drama series, we often see how they celebrate their happiness or even drown their sadness in bottles of Soju. I guess you heard it right, Korean people call it SOJU. What is Soju? Is it soda or beer or their national drink? Well, I guess I have to explain much further.
In case you don’t know, Soju is the world’s most popular liquor you never know existed. Somehow, it has been ignored in the U.S before but recently, it gained popularity in the States and its sales have grown rapidly over time. Soju is a clear, distilled spirit, mostly with 20-24% alcoholic volume and it is the most popular liquor in Korea (or shall I say their national drink). It originates from Korea but it is also widely consumed in Japan and China.
Traditionally, soju is made from a blend of rice and grains. It changed gradually due to the Korean War since the use of rice was banned in soju production. Koreans started to make soju from alternative starches like wheat, sweet potatoes, and tapioca until such time that the banned was lifted. Koreans still used alternative starches other than rice and grains in the late 1990s.
SOJU AND THE K-DRAMA WORLD
Soju is widely consumed in many Korean gatherings and plenty of their dramas show us what it do. It is typically drunk out of small glasses (I think they used shot glass for it). Even in their historical dramas, we always see Soju served in a small amount. I guess this national drink will always be present in every Korean drama a lot. It means that Korean people really have their own sense or originality and they always root for their traditional drink even if its already in modern times. It depicts a great value for their own products always telling the viewers that “soju is one of a kind”. This liquor is a part of the drama celebrations and even frustrations. For instance, a scene when the lead female got drunk by drinking soju because she can’t contain her problems then suddenly the male lead is on the rescue then that’s the time a romance is formed (most kilig parts are like this), or on the other hand a company dinner scene with all the employees on a karaoke bar celebrating promotions with bottles of soju. See how important Soju is in the circle of life of most K-Dramas?
It is necessary for us K-drama fanatics to know more about their culture to fully understand their dramas and one thing is for sure, we need to know the taste of Soju first so we could finally relate to what we are watching every now and then. After writing this article, I am out to go buy one bottle of soju for sure. – Clea | Helpline PH
It is necessary for us K-drama fanatics to know more about their culture to fully understand their dramas and one thing is for sure, we need to know the taste of Soju first so we could finally relate to what we are watching every now and then. After writing this article, I am out to go buy one bottle of soju for sure. – Clea | Helpline PH
