Side Dishes that Taste Better with Unrefined Rice Wine
Great Korean Dishes to Go with Alcoholic Beverages
When it comes to traditional Korean alcoholic beverages, makgeolli, unrefined rice wine, is the first thing that comes to mind to most Koreans. This milky white drink with a sweet and sour taste is one of Korea’s traditional alcoholic beverages made by filtering the sediment from yet another type of traditional Korean drink called cheongju. Unrefined rice wine is cheap because it costs less to make, but it tastes great despite the low price. No wonder it has been a popular choice of drink among many Koreans for many generations. Its popularity never died down, as it’s still popular among the young generation of today who even gave it a new name and call it “hip-geolli” (a compound word formed from hip and makgeolli) because drinking makgeolli is turning into a trend. Now the question is, which side dishes go well with this unique drink? Here are some of the dishes that go great with makgeolli.
A Savory Feast with a Coat of Silky Oil
Green Onion Pancakes and Mung Bean Pancakes
Green onion pancakes and mung bean pancakes are undoubtedly the first choice of, and also the most ordered, menu items in Korea when the choice of drink is unrefined rice wine. Korean pancakes are usually made of battered fish, meat, and/or vegetables that are pan-fried until the outside is golden and crispy. Green onion pancakes are those that are made by pan-frying battered green onions or chives, depending on the region. Add some squid, shrimps, clams, and oysters to this mix, and you will have a seafood and green onion pancake that is more savory and flavorful. Many Koreans still crave for a pancake when it rains, because the sound of the rain reminds them of the sizzling sound that the food makes when it’s being fried on the pan. There is even a saying, “When it rains, have some unrefined wine with green onion pancake.” In short, unrefined rice wine and pancakes go hand in hand in Korea. Try a bowl of sweet and sour unrefined rice wine with a piece of crispy, flavorful pan-fried green onion pancake, and you will know why Korean love this combination so much.
Mung bean pancakes are made by pan-frying a batter made of ground mung beans, ground meat, and chopped vegetables. Because all these ingredients have the tendency of absorbing oil, a mung bean pancake is usually oily and savory at the same time. It’s almost always served with a small bowl of soy sauce marinated onions and also very often with chilled unrefined rice wine to reduce the heavy and greasy taste. Mung bean pancakes are also popular among foreign tourists visiting Korea. You will easily see foreign tourists enjoying a bite or two of this thick traditional Korean pancake at Gwangjang Market in Seoul where you will find a number of food stalls with tall stacks of mung bean pancakes ready to be served. This Korean dish became known to the world after Hollywood director Tim Burton had some unrefined rice wine with mung bean pancake while he was visiting Korea.
