Here comes makkoli

The green light is on for Korean traditional rice wine makgeolli exports to the United States.

Jeonju City in Jeollabuk-do (North Jeolla Province) announced early January that Jeonju makgeolli has won the approval of the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and has received International Organization for Standardization certification number ISO22000.

– From Korean-style food.

Every time I mention makkoli most people in the West think I’m talking about soju. They’ve never seen it, let alone tried it. I tell them it’s kind of like “a Korean beer,” rather than a wine, or a liquor (like sake).

Personally I’m looking forward to being able to buy some makkoli in the store, or even better, being able to go to a makkoli bar. There’s a bit of an izakaya craze going on these days – if I had the inclination I would start my own makkoli jip and watch the money pile up.