Anju (food)
Anju (Korean: 안주; Hanja: 按酒 [an.dʑu]) is a Korean term for food consumed with alcohol. It consists of a variety of foods, including both main dishes and side dishes. Consuming food with alcohol is a widespread practice in Korea, especially when the alcoholic beverage soju is involved.[1][2]
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Main ingredients | various |
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Anju | |||||||
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Korean name | |||||||
Hangul | 안주 | ||||||
Hanja | 按酒 | ||||||
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![](../I/Korean.food-Jokbal-01.jpg.webp)
Certain types of foods consumed primarily as anju include golbaengi muchim, nogari with peanuts, and jokbal.
History
Until the Joseon Dynasty, alcohol was mainly served in jumaks (a type of inn or tavern), where soups with rice, along with traditional alcohol such as makgeolli, were served to guests. Since the introduction of beer and Western foods into Korea, mainly from Japan in the nineteenth century, bars and pubs have enjoyed a newfound popularity, and many types of Western foods have been consumed as anju. [3]
By types of beverage
Some foods are considered to be best complemented by certain types of alcohol. For example, samgyeopsal, grilled pork belly, is considered to go best with soju, while fried chicken or Korean seasoned chicken goes well with beer. Pajeon and makkeoli (or dongdongju) is a popular combination for rainy days.[4]
Dry | Soupy or spicy | Other | |
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Beer | dried nogari, dried shredded squid, jwipo, seasoned nuts, semi-dried squid, yukpo | Tteokbokki | corn cheese, fried chicken, pizza, twigim, Sausage |
Cheongju | bugak, dasik, jeonggwa | bulgogi, hanu-gui, namul, jeon, jeongol, saengseon-hoe, sanjeok, yukhoe | |
Makgeolli | dubu-kimchi, golbaengi-muchim, kimchi, Dak-galbi | bindae-tteok, bossam, buchimgae, dotori-muk-muchim, hongeo-samhap, jeoneo-hoe, kimchi-buchimgae, mak-guksu, pajeon, raw oyster | |
Soju | agwi-jjim, budae-jjigae, dakbal, eomuk-tang, gamja-tang, jogae-tang, jukkumi-bokkeum, kimchi-jjigae, maeun-tang, fish cake-tang | gopchang, makchang, samgyeopsal-gui, jokbal | |
Wine | cheese platter | steak |
By the place where alcohol is served
There are a number of different types of bars in South Korea, and each category sells different kinds of food and alcoholic beverages.
- Jumak: this does not refer to the traditional Korean inns of the Chosun Dynasty mentioned above, but instead refers to a conceptual bar based on Korean culture. These bars are represented by traditional anju such as pa-jun, dubu-kimchi, or dotori-muk.
- Hof house (Korean pronunciation: [ho.pʰɯ ha.u.sɯ]):[5] Hof houses (a German loan word) sell a number of relatively inexpensive alcoholic beverages. Various international dishes are served here as well.
- Pojangmacha: It is a place where tents are placed on the side of the road and snacks and alcohol are sold. Mainly simple side dishes are sold.
Sample images
- Nogari (young Alaska pollock) with peanuts
- Nakji bokkeum with somyeon (fried octopus in gochujang with fine noodles)
See also
- Aahaan kap klaem (Thai drinking food)
- Sakana (Japanese drinking snacks or small plates)
- Pulutan (Filipino drinking food)
- Tapas (Spanish drinking snacks or small plates)
- Meze (Eastern Mediterranean small plates sometimes served with alcoholic drinks)
- Korean alcoholic beverages
References
- Pettid, Michael J. (2008). Korean cuisine: an illustrated history. China: Reaktion Books Ltd. pp. 110–123. ISBN 978-1-86189-348-2.
- "Food and drinks the Korean way". Los Angeles Times. 2011-05-26. Retrieved 30 April 2013.
- Kang, Dong wan (2015-06-04). "왕맥의 안주 마케팅/'Wang-mec's anju marketing".
- "비 오는 날 '파전·막걸리'를 찾게 되는 진짜 이유" [Why we are looking for Pajeon in cloudy day]. 인사이트 (in Korean). Retrieved 2019-05-31.
- "Follies of Konglish". koreatimes. 2014-06-04. Retrieved 2021-05-11.
Further reading
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- "Anju (안주)" (in Korean). The Hankyoreh. 2003-11-16. Retrieved 2008-02-18.
- "Anju (안주)" (in Korean). 한국민족문화대백과, 한국학중앙연구원.