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Makgeolli
Posted: Sat Aug 21, 2010 5:31 am
by Mike
This may be a weird question, but anyone know if makgeolli (
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Makgeolli) has a "Best Before" date? I can't find one from the bottles and no mentions online. I have a few bottles that I bought from Incheon last year, but I'm not sure how safe they are now after a year, soo... If anyone knows, thanks
Re: Makgeolli
Posted: Sat Aug 21, 2010 7:03 am
by freegame
It has alcohol in it so I think the only thing that might go bad over time is the taste.
I would just give it a try and if it tastes fine it should be good to drink.
(no guarantee)
Re: Makgeolli
Posted: Sat Aug 21, 2010 8:35 am
by Kirby
I think that, if you did not open the bottles, they should be safe to drink. It's possible that the taste may be a bit different, but it should still be safe, I think.
Re: Makgeolli
Posted: Sat Aug 21, 2010 8:54 am
by Mike
Hmm, alright, I'll risk it. I'm gonna give these to a Korean man that has been living in Europe for a while now, so doesn't have access to it and I know he likes it. So, if he goes
after drinking it, I'll know it was a bad idea!
Re: Makgeolli
Posted: Sat Aug 21, 2010 10:26 am
by Kirby
I looked more into it, and you might be able to check if the stuff bubbles when you open it. If it bubbles, it might be a bad idea to drink it. If it doesn't bubble, then you can taste it. The first taste should be sweet (maybe slightly sour as an aftertaste). If it is too sour, it might still be safe to drink, but maybe not as tasty.
Re: Makgeolli
Posted: Sat Aug 21, 2010 10:50 am
by logan
There are two types of makgeolli: saeng and salgyun. Saeng is un-sterilized, so continues to rapidly ferment on the shelf. Salgyun is sterilized, so fermentation is significantly slowed. The shelf-life for saeng makgeolli is 10-days in a minus 10°C environment. The shelf-life for salgyun makgeolli is about six months. Lastly, the sterilization changes the flavor and texture of the drink.
Re: Makgeolli
Posted: Sat Aug 21, 2010 12:09 pm
by daniel_the_smith
Huh, never heard of this before. What's it taste like? Beer? Sake? Something else?
Re: Makgeolli
Posted: Sat Aug 21, 2010 12:28 pm
by Kirby
Maybe it tastes kind of like sake, but not exactly the same. It's got a bit of a sweet initial taste, and maybe a bit of a sour aftertaste. You can't taste the alcohol that much. It's supposed to be somewhat healthy.
Re: Makgeolli
Posted: Sat Aug 21, 2010 1:07 pm
by Mike
logan wrote:There are two types of makgeolli: saeng and salgyun. Saeng is un-sterilized, so continues to rapidly ferment on the shelf. Salgyun is sterilized, so fermentation is significantly slowed. The shelf-life for saeng makgeolli is 10-days in a minus 10°C environment. The shelf-life for salgyun makgeolli is about six months. Lastly, the sterilization changes the flavor and texture of the drink.
6 Months best case scenario doesn't sound too promising, it was bottled in November '09 and has been kept in room temperature. Guess I might have to sacrifice myself as the first taster, if it's too rancid, just pour it down the drain
I suspect the soju should still be drinkable at least since it's a clear liquid.
daniel_the_smith wrote:Huh, never heard of this before. What's it taste like? Beer? Sake? Something else?
Don't know how to describe it other than that it's horrible
Re: Makgeolli
Posted: Sat Aug 21, 2010 2:17 pm
by freegame
Mike wrote:Don't know how to describe it other than that it's horrible
Probably still better thatn this:
Baby Mouse Wine[img]http://208.106.250.72/_media/imgs/articles2/a97168_g113_8-mouse-wine.jpg[/img]
What would be the most discusting substance you could imagine flavouring your wine with?
Well, I'm sure baby mice would not come too far off? Baby mice wine is a traditional Korean health drink,
which is brewed by drowning alive baby mice, maximum three days old, in rice moonshine and letting them
to ferment in the bottle for about a year. According to local Korean belief, mouse wine is a cure to just
about any illness imaginable, including asthma and liver problems among others.
I just came across this by accident when reading a story about the 10 Most Bizarre Liquors and Alcoholic Drinks. This was on nr 1 (Obviously)