Korean Rice Liquor (Makgeoll)

A traditional Korean alcoholic beverage, makgeolli is made by combining rice, yeast, and water with a starter culture called nuruk (a mixture of wheat flour, water, and micro-organisms that encourage fermentation). The result is a milky-white, slightly fizzy drink that is about 7.4 percent alcohol by volume. Drink it as you would beer, out of cups. It goes greatwith Kimchi Pancakes and Pollock Pancakes, and with Dried Anchovies and Nuts. Because it’s invigorating and has a lot of carbohydrates, makgeolli was traditionally served to farmers as part of a midmorning snack or with lunch. It gave them the strength to work hard for the rest of the day. I remember going with my grandmother when she took lunch out to the farmers during the rice harvest. They savored their bowls of makgeolli, and I can still picture them using their pinky fingers to give it a stir before it went down the hatch. Buy nuruk at a Korean market and mix it with the rice, yeast, and water. Sugar is optional. My grandmother didn’t use a sweetener, but these days, Koreans like a sweeter style of rice liquor. Be patient. If you drink your makgeolli too soon, it won’t have enough alcohol. Once it has stopped producing any bubbles—after 8 or 9 days—it is ready

Makes 4 quarts

INGREDIENTS:

• 5 cups short-grain white rice, rinsed well and soaked in cold water for
• 2 hours
• 5 quarts water
• 1 package active dry yeast
• 1½ cups starter culture (nuruk)
• ¼ cup sugar (optional)

INSTRUCTIONS:

1. Drain the rice and put it in a heavy pot. Add 4 cups of the water, cover, and cook over medium-high heat for 15 minutes. Stir and turn the rice over a few times with a rice scoop or wooden spoon. Turn the heat down to low, cover, and simmer until the rice is cooked, another 15 minutes. Fluff the rice with the scoop or spoon.
2. Transfer the rice to the trays of a food dehydrator or a wide shallow basket and spread it in an even layer. Dry the rice in the dehydrator set to 160°F until it is hard on the outside but still chewy and moist on the inside, 2 to 3 hours. Or, if you are using a basket, cover it with cheesecloth to protect the rice from dust and bugs and place it in a sunny, breezy place outside until dried as above, at least 7 hours or up to 1 day.
3. Transfer the rice to a 7-quart earthenware pot. (You can also use a glass jar, but be sure not to screw the top on tightly; the mixture needs to breathe.) Add the yeast, nuruk, and 8 cups of the water and mix well with a wooden spoon. Cover with cotton cloth or a piece of folded cheesecloth and place the lid on top. Let stand for 6 to 7 hours.
4. Stir the mixture with the wooden spoon. The rice will have absorbed some of the water and the mixture will be thick. Cover and leave the crock on the counter at cool room temperature (about 68°F). A few times every day, take off the lid and the cotton cloth and stir the mixture, mixing it well. After 1 or 2 days, bubbles will come to the surface. On day 5 or 6, you will see clear liquid on top, separated from the milky mixture below. Mix well with the wooden spoon.
5. On day 8 or 9, when there are no more bubbles on the surface (though the liquid will be tingly in the mouth), the makgeolli will be well fermented. Transfer it to a large bowl. Add the remaining 8 cups cold water and the sugar, if using. Stir to dissolve the sugar. Strain into a large bowl, pressing on the solids with the back of a wooden spoon to extract as much liquid as possible. Discard the solids.
6. Wash the strainer and strain the rice liquor into large glass jars. Refrigerate the makgeolli until chilled, or for up to 2 to 3 weeks. Shake or stir before pouring into cups and serving.