''Bokbunja-ju'' (), also called ''bokbunja'' wine, is a
Korean fruit wine made from wild and/or cultivated black raspberry — traditionally, of the Korean species ''Bokbunja'' (''
Rubus coreanus
300px, (left to right) ''R. coreanus, R. thibetanus, R. corchorifolius''
''Rubus coreanus'', known as ''bokbunja'' (), Korean blackberry, or Korean bramble, is a species of raspberry native to Korea, Japan, and China. It produces edible berrie ...
'').
The beverage is produced in
Gochang County
Gochang County () is a county in Jeonbuk State, South Korea. It is a rural area, and is home to only one institution of higher education: Gochang Polytechnic College.
Notable people from Gochang include the 20th-century poet Midang. The temp ...
,
North Jeolla Province
North Jeolla Province, officially Jeonbuk State (), is a Special Self-governing Province of South Korea in the Honam region in the southwest of the Korean Peninsula. Jeonbuk borders the provinces of South Chungcheong to the north, North Gyeo ...
, in
Damyang
Damyang County (''Damyang-gun'') is a county in South Jeolla Province, South Korea. Tourism is a major local industry. Notable local products include bamboo goods and strawberries.
Damyang is not to be confused with Danyang, which is located in ...
,
South Jeolla Province
South Jeolla Province (), formerly South Chŏlla Province, also known as Jeonnam (), is a province in the Honam, Honam region, South Korea, and the Provinces of Korea, southernmost province in mainland Korea. South Jeolla borders the provinces of ...
, and in
Jeju Province
Jeju Province (; ), officially Jeju Special Self-Governing Province (Jeju language, Jeju: ; ), is the southernmost Provinces of South Korea, province of South Korea, consisting of eight inhabited and 55 uninhabited islands, including Marado, Udo ...
, South Korea. It is made by fermenting berries with water. Some varieties also contain
rice
Rice is a cereal grain and in its Domestication, domesticated form is the staple food of over half of the world's population, particularly in Asia and Africa. Rice is the seed of the grass species ''Oryza sativa'' (Asian rice)—or, much l ...
and
reishi mushroom extract.
Bohae Bokbunjajoo of
Bohae Bohae (, BOHAE BREWERY CO., LTD.) is a South Korean brewing company based in Mokpo, South Jeolla Province, representing breweries company within Honam region. Among other beverages, Bonae produces soju (a drink extracted from maple) and lemon cap, a ...
Brewery Co., Ltd. is the most well-known bokbunja liquor.
Description
The wine is deep red in color and moderately sweet. The scent of ripe fruit rises, and the sour taste is low. The bitter taste left behind makes it go well with food. Soft tannins irritate the tongue. It ranges between 15% and 19% alcohol by volume, depending on the brand.
It is believed to be healthful and to promote male sexual stamina.
Since 2008, South Korean scientists have searched for ways to use ''bokbunja'' seeds, which are a by-product of ''bokbunja-ju'' production. The carbonized seeds can be used as potential adsorbent for industrial dye removal from wastewaters.
[Bokbunja Wine Industry Waste as Precursor Material for Carbonization and Its Utilization for the Removal of Procion Red MX-5B from Aqueous Solutions. Arthur Raj Binupriya, Muthuswany Sathishkumar, Sung Hun Jung, Sun Hwa Song and Soon-Il Yun, CLEAN – Soil, Air, Water, November 2008, Volume 36, Issue 10-11, pages 879–886, ]
References
Fruit wines
Korean alcoholic drinks
North Jeolla Province
Jeju Province
Raspberry dishes
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