Munbae-ju

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Munbae-ju
Korean name
Hangul	문배주
Hanja	문배酒
Revised Romanization	Munbaeju
McCune–Reischauer	Munpaechu

Munbaeju is a Korean traditional distilled liquor produced in South Korea and is considered to be one of the finest Korean spirits. Its name consists of the two words; munbae (문배), which means "wild pear" (Pyrus ussuriensis var. seoulensis),^[1] and ju (주; 酒), meaning "alcohol". It is given this name because the wine has the fruity scent of the wild pear, although no pear is used in its production.

Ingredients and production[]

Munbaeju is brewed from wheat, hulled millet, Indian millet, and nuruk (fermentation starter), then distilled.

Origins[]

Although it is South Korea's "Important Intangible Cultural Property Number 86-1", it originated from North Korea's Pyeongyang. Its origins are traced to the Goryeo Dynasty. The water used to produce Munbaeju comes from the Taedong River. A royal subject of Wang Geon presented him with home-brewed munbaeju, which his family had made with a secret recipe for generations. Wang Geon was so impressed with its taste, that he gave the subject a high-ranking position in the government. Ever since this event, Munbaeju was a wine drunk by kings, and is commonly served to important foreign dignitaries during welcoming receptions.^[2]

See also[]

• Korean wine
• Korean culture
• Important Intangible Cultural Properties of Korea

References[]

External links[]

• Moonbaesool official site
• Article