Treat Yourself Right – Drink Real Makgeolli!

By Michael Bielawski

In Korea, the expression “well-being” is thrown around a lot these days for foods, drinks and lifestyle, but like all catchy health terms, it means well until it becomes overused for marketing. Now it can even be downright misleading. This brings us to one of the most popular Korean well-being traditions: rice wine, better known as makgeolli. In 2009, over 90,000 people attended the world’s first Makgeolli Expo, which has been held annually in Seoul since. Traditionally most popular among farmers who would drink it while working in their fields for its apparently healthy effects, makgeolli is now rapidly gaining popularity among younger crowds in big cities. Made from fermented yeast and rice, makgeolli is known to contain healthy bacteria, yeast, fiber, B vitamins, proteins, and lactobacillus, as well as having anti-cancer and anti-aging properties. It’s even (allegedly) good for our skin, for weight loss and to lower cholesterol. And perhaps most importantly, it’s fun to drink!
All good things must be consumed with knowledge of how they were produced and what was added to them. For example, homemade makgeolli probably does have most of these alleged health benefits.  Most makgeolli, however, is produced mainly by large corporations that prioritize shelf life and taste over any potential health benefits. There are at least two key factors that make most store-brand makgeolli not only less healthy, but even plain unhealthy. One factor is sterilization. Sterilizing makgeolli basically enables it to extend its shelf life in the stores from ten weeks to ten months. The problem is that sterilization also kills many of the good bacteria that are beneficial to our health. The second problem with commercial makgeolli is the added ingredient aspartame, a sugar substitute. Aspartame is arguably the single most controversial ingredient ever approved by the US Food and Drug Administration. Since its accidental discovery in the 1960s, aspartame has been linked to nearly every imaginable health hazard, from cancer, diabetes and seizures to headaches and more. Today, aspartame is an ingredient in thousands of foods, drinks and even vitamins, as well as most store-brands of Korean “well-being” makgeolli. So how can you find better-quality makgeolli? First of all, you need to check the labels for aspartame. Aspartame is very plainly spelled out in Korean characters, easy to read even for novices. However, you won’t find any brands without it at your local corner stores, so you are probably going to have to go to E-Mart. E-Mart stores have entire makgeolli sections devoted to being aspartame-free, but again, always check the label to be sure. Now, if you want the real deal: chemical free, unsterilized makgeolli that’s genuinely good for you, this is going to take some extra effort. Officially you can only buy makgeolli from a licensed distributor, unless a private deal takes place among friends or family. There is now a substantial and growing independent market for homegrown makgeolli, and the aforementioned Makgeolli Expo is a great example of this. If you have a look around in your community, you can probably find similar events near you. You could also check the many Korean farmers markets. Even if your Korean language skills are limited, these home brewers are very passionate about their product. If you express interest to them, they will be more than happy to help you obtain healthy, real makgeolli.