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Gatsby
Joined: 09 Feb 2007
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 Posted: Fri Nov 30, 2007 8:25 pm Post subject: Dumb questions about Korea department |
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this is the official everything you ever wanted to know about Korea, but were afraid to ask for fear of looking stupid thread.
Here's what I want to know:
1) Is there actually any maple in Maple Soju?
2) What is the difference between soju and grain alcohol?
3) What DO they make soju from, anyway?
Not that at $10 a gallon for 70 proof soju I'm actually complaining, mind you. I'm talking about the stuff in the big plastic bottles, not the exotic 100,000 won per 100 ml stuff.
While we're at it, could someone tell me the difference between a queue and a thread?
Hmmm, and how do Koreans know that American food is always greasy if they never eat it? |
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whatever
Joined: 11 Jun 2006
Location: Korea: More fun than jail.
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| Posted: Fri Nov 30, 2007 9:33 pm Post subject: |
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| Don't be afraid of being stupid. |
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The_Eyeball_Kid
Joined: 20 Jun 2007
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| Posted: Fri Nov 30, 2007 10:35 pm Post subject: Re: Dumb questions about Korea department |
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| Gatsby wrote: |
this is the official everything you ever wanted to know about Korea, but were afraid to ask for fear of looking stupid thread.
Here's what I want to know:
1) Is there actually any maple in Maple Soju?
2) What is the difference between soju and grain alcohol?
3) What DO they make soju from, anyway?
Not that at $10 a gallon for 70 proof soju I'm actually complaining, mind you. I'm talking about the stuff in the big plastic bottles, not the exotic 100,000 won per 100 ml stuff.
While we're at it, could someone tell me the difference between a queue and a thread?
Hmmm, and how do Koreans know that American food is always greasy if they never eat it? |
I'll answer two of your questions because I'm nicer than Whatever.
2) and 3):
Soju is made from water, ethanol and flavourings. The difference between grain alcohol and soju is that grain alcohol is distilled, whereas soju is not. Traditional soju is distilled from grain and vegetables, but is much more expensive than your standard bottle of Jinro. You can't buy Korean-style ethanol soju outside of Korea because it would be illegal in most countries. It started to be made without distilling in the early 70's when there was a rice shortage. Jinro just added alcohol to water and added some flavour to make it taste like the distilled stuff and no-one really minded. So when Koreans tell you that soju is 'very delicious' and 'very traditional', you can tell them that they're drinking something that might better employed to remove grease from engine parts, and that it's about as traditional as a flatscreen TV. Also hit them. From me. |
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cruisemonkey
Joined: 04 Jul 2005
Location: Hopefully, the same place as my luggage.
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| Posted: Fri Nov 30, 2007 11:09 pm Post subject: |
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How does one make ethanol without distillation?  |
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Masta_Don
Joined: 17 Aug 2006
Location: Hyehwa-dong, Seoul
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| Posted: Fri Nov 30, 2007 11:13 pm Post subject: Re: Dumb questions about Korea department |
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| The_Eyeball_Kid wrote: |
Soju is made from water, ethanol and flavourings. |
So is whiskey, vodka, tequila, etc, etc.
Alcohol is ethanol if you really don't know. |
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The_Eyeball_Kid
Joined: 20 Jun 2007
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| Posted: Fri Nov 30, 2007 11:33 pm Post subject: Re: Dumb questions about Korea department |
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| Masta_Don wrote: |
| The_Eyeball_Kid wrote: |
Soju is made from water, ethanol and flavourings. |
So is whiskey, vodka, tequila, etc, etc.
Alcohol is ethanol if you really don't know. |
Yes, I fucking know, smart-arse. But usually the ethanol is the product of distillation rather than being produced industrially and added to water. |
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The_Eyeball_Kid
Joined: 20 Jun 2007
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| Posted: Fri Nov 30, 2007 11:34 pm Post subject: |
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| cruisemonkey wrote: |
| How does one make ethanol without distillation? |
It's industrial ethanol. It may well be produced through distillation, but it is not produced through the distillation of fermented rice-mash as it should be. |
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Gatsby
Joined: 09 Feb 2007
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| Posted: Sat Dec 01, 2007 12:09 am Post subject: |
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thank you for the many insightful, well-informed replies.
But what is soju MADE FROM???
(not what is soju made OF?) |
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Ilsanman
Joined: 15 Aug 2003
Location: Bucheon, Korea
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| Posted: Sat Dec 01, 2007 12:22 am Post subject: |
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Rice. Like everything else in Korea.
| Gatsby wrote: |
thank you for the many insightful, well-informed replies.
But what is soju MADE FROM???
(not what is soju made OF?) |
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Gatsby
Joined: 09 Feb 2007
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| Posted: Sat Dec 01, 2007 12:41 am Post subject: |
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The_Eyeball_Kid
| Quote: |
| It's industrial ethanol. It may well be produced through distillation, but it is not produced through the distillation of fermented rice-mash as it should be. |
Ilsanman
| Quote: |
| Rice. Like everything else in Korea. |
There appears to be a slight disagreement here.
I do not know which answer is correct. But I do know that rice is pretty expensive here, like $2 a pound. If soju were made from rice, wouldn't it cost more than $10 a gallon?
I also know that ethanol can be made from wood pulp, ie sawdust, and anything else that can ferment, such as garbage.
Just curious. |
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Ilsanman
Joined: 15 Aug 2003
Location: Bucheon, Korea
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| Posted: Sat Dec 01, 2007 12:47 am Post subject: |
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I have heard it's made of rice. Also dictionaries call it a rice alcohol. Who knows?
| Gatsby wrote: |
The_Eyeball_Kid
| Quote: |
| It's industrial ethanol. It may well be produced through distillation, but it is not produced through the distillation of fermented rice-mash as it should be. |
Ilsanman
| Quote: |
| Rice. Like everything else in Korea. |
There appears to be a slight disagreement here.
I do not know which answer is correct. But I do know that rice is pretty expensive here, like $2 a pound. If soju were made from rice, wouldn't it cost more than $10 a gallon?
I also know that ethanol can be made from wood pulp, ie sawdust, and anything else that can ferment, such as garbage.
Just curious. |
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Gatsby
Joined: 09 Feb 2007
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| Posted: Sat Dec 01, 2007 12:50 am Post subject: |
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Didn't know there was a "rice alcohol."
Wonder if "rice alcohol" is what we in the West call "wood alcohol" even if it's not made from wood?
To change the subject, why, if people here are always saying "Korea makes the best _____________ in the world," Korea puts a stiff tariff on imports of ______________ to prevent Koreans from buying foreign _______________? |
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The_Eyeball_Kid
Joined: 20 Jun 2007
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| Posted: Sat Dec 01, 2007 1:02 am Post subject: |
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| Ilsanman wrote: |
I have heard it's made of rice. Also dictionaries call it a rice alcohol. Who knows?
| Gatsby wrote: |
The_Eyeball_Kid
| Quote: |
| It's industrial ethanol. It may well be produced through distillation, but it is not produced through the distillation of fermented rice-mash as it should be. |
Ilsanman
| Quote: |
| Rice. Like everything else in Korea. |
There appears to be a slight disagreement here.
I do not know which answer is correct. But I do know that rice is pretty expensive here, like $2 a pound. If soju were made from rice, wouldn't it cost more than $10 a gallon?
I also know that ethanol can be made from wood pulp, ie sawdust, and anything else that can ferment, such as garbage.
Just curious. |
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PROPER soju is made from rice (the stuff that you buy overseas), but most Korean commercial soju (the stuff that's W1000 a bottle) isn't. |
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VanIslander
Joined: 18 Aug 2003
Location: Geoje, Hadong, Tongyeong,... now in a small coastal island town outside Gyeongsangnamdo!
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| Posted: Sat Dec 01, 2007 1:06 am Post subject: |
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just as flouride in tap water back home is a way for big companies to profit from the disposal of an industrial byproduct
so is most soju in Korea, though there are a couple of exceptions |
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Gatsby
Joined: 09 Feb 2007
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| Posted: Sat Dec 01, 2007 2:09 am Post subject: |
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VanIslander opinied:
| Quote: |
| Quote: |
| just as flouride in tap water back home is a way for big companies to profit from the disposal of an industrial byproduct |
so is most soju in Korea, though there are a couple of exceptions |
I'm a little confused.
Is soju in Korea fuoridated? Or is tap water in Korea sojuidated?
And I ask again, is there maple in Maple Soju?
Thanks for the brave new insights |
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