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Let's Have a Soju Tonight! |
2007-09-03 |
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Soju is a beverage with 20-45 % alcohol, and its price is cheap compared to other drinks. According to the Korea Alcohol & Liquor Industry Association Koreans older than 20 drank an average of 90 bottles of soju last year, so even amid an economic recession, the nation's soju market has grown 7%.
Actually there is nothing quite like the taste of soju to satisfy Koreans who often lead one of the most stressful lives with hard working among OECD countries. People are still talking about Nick Reilly, the former president of GM Daewoo, who changed the hearts of labor unions with a personal touch style of business management, drinking soju with laborers. At rainy night in which the streetlight even seems sad, or when you want just to quit since your boss scolds you for something, you become sensitive to soju.
What's soju?
Soju is an alcoholic beverage native to Korea. The main ingredient is rice, almost always in combination with other ingredients such as wheat, barley, sweet potato, or tapioca. From 1965 until 1991, in order to alleviate rice shortages, the Korean government prohibited the traditional methods of distilling soju from pure grain. Soju was then made primarily through dilution by mixing pure ethanol with water and flavoring. Soju produced through dilution from ethanol is known as diluted soju, while soju produced by distillation from grain is known as distilled soju. Jinro and Doosan are the largest manufacturers of soju but there are many different types of soju according to region. For example 'Andong soju' and 'White soju' are famous in Gyeongsang province.
Soju is energy source of Korea.
Korea is one of the most sociable, friendly places on the planet, where soju has been the energy source for Korean people. It is an important part in celebration, in business and social relationships, in breaking the ice, in teambuilding and in relaxation. When two men look into each other's eyes, it's either to fight or to drink soju. Koreans fighting and departing as enemies after a night of soju drinking always meet the following day and work together as if nothing happened. Soju creates not only new relationships but also strengthen the old ones.
Though people drink because things are going well, when things don't go well, they drink soju to release that stress. Soju is the tonic that helps you recover from a tough day. Whenever you face many difficulties, you will definitely feel closer that soju you drink than any other friend.
Mistery of Soju Glass
The standard soju glasses are a promotional gift. That means soju manufacturers make them all standardized by using the same mold. Though soju glass has a small and drab body, it has accompanied Korean drinkers for over several decades. Soju glasses don't have colorful appearance but has an important secret. One bottle of soju equals seven of soju glasses. So even when two people share one bottle or three people share one bottle, there's always one glass of soju left. That's why people order one more bottle, which create a friendly mood between soju lovers.
Epilogue
Soju is considered to be an important element in Korean society. It's very rare to see no soju served at social or family gatherings in Korea. No matter who you are, You don't need more than a $1 for soju. Everyone is equal in front of this soju bottle. Since it heats the hearts of lonely people, soju has held a special meaning at least in Korea. Ladies and Gentlemen who love soju in Korea, let's have a soju tonight! However, if you want to be served by soju for a long time, please keep it in your mind that excessive drinking can lead to unrecoverable mistakes.
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