For many people, one of the best ways to enjoy rice in the kitchen is to turn it into an alcoholic beverage. For those who want to surprise their palate with a traditional Korean drink, they have the opportunity to prepare it using this  common food always present in the kitchen of any home.

Makgeolli or Korean rice wine

When it comes to learning recipes where white rice is the main protagonist, there are websites like carolinarice.com/products/white-rice/, where you can learn various types of preparations.  Remember to always buy quality products.

An amazing recipe to try is the Makgeolli or Korean rice wine, it is a traditional Korean drink made from the fermentation of rice, and a fermentation enhancer known as Nuruk.

This drink is very easy to prepare at home and a perfect companion for Korean food as well as other types of dishes.

Its origin dates back from the Joseon dynasty when rice was used to prepare Sul, or alcoholic beverages. The rice sediments of the drink settled on the bottom, leaving above a lighter alcohol known as Cheongju.

Filtered sediments called Jjigaemi were usually thrown away after making Cheongju, but servants and farmers used to take them, and by adding water and filtering, they obtained Makgeolli, which means “freshly washed”.

Given the interest in fermented foods, the drink is very popular today, even breweries began to prepare it in different flavors, such as peach and chestnut.

Ingredients:

• Rice.
• Water.
• Leaven (Chinese yeast).
• Koji (Aspergillus oryzae, a fermenting mold).

Koji is an essential ingredient responsible for breaking the starch of rice into sugar.

Preparation

1. Making this Korean wine is very simple, you should leave a jar of cooked rice on a shelf at room temperature for two weeks, combined with the above mentioned ingredients to convert the food with no flavor starch, into a clean and refined alcoholic drink.
2. The final product must be bottled and refrigerated for a few days, and the more time you spend in the refrigerator the clearer it will be. Then the clear liquid over the decanted sediment should be transferred into another container, and even if it still looks cloudy, this does not affect the overall taste of the drink.

Dim Sum for shrimp

Rice wine has a very low level of alcohol and can be taken alone or used in hot recipes, marinades and glazes. In the Dim Sum steamed shrimp recipe, the use of this wine gives a special touch that is worth trying.

Ingredients for the sauce:

• Three tablespoons of soy sauce.
• A spoonful of sesame oil.
• Two well-chopped red peppers.
• Three tablespoons of rice vinegar.
• A spoonful of sugar.

Ingredients for Shrimp Dim Sum

• 9 oz (250 grams) of raw, peeled prawns.
• 1.8 oz (50 grams) of finely chopped bamboo shoots.
• A spoonful of sesame oil.
• A spoonful of rice wine.
• A quarter teaspoon of ground white pepper.
• A teaspoon of powdered sugar.
• A teaspoon of salt.
• Sixteen Dim Sum wrappers ready to go.

Method of preparation

1. Mix the soy sauce, along with the sesame oil, and a chopped red pepper in a bowl.
2. Meanwhile, rice vinegar, chopped red chilli pepper, and the remaining sugar should be placed in a hot skillet until the sugar dissolves. Turn the heat off, let it cool down and then pour into a clean container.
3. To prepare the Dim Sum of prawns, the prawns must be placed in a food processor until they are puréed. Then move to a container and add the remaining ingredients, except for the wrappers, to be able to mix them very well.
4. Dim Sum wrappers should be placed on a clean surface, and a tablespoon of the shrimp mixture is added in the center to fold the wraps over the mixture to create a semicircle. The edges of the wrapper are pressed with slightly wet fingers, in this way the packets of the wrapper are sealed, and then curl the edges.
5. The packets must be placed in a bamboo steamer and over a pot with boiling water, to steam them for about 4 to 5 minutes properly covered, or until the shrimp mixture is made completely. It is advisable to serve immediately after taking out of the steamer.
6. To serve the preparation the Dim Sum should be placed on a plate with the sauce bowls on each side. 

food, wine