''Anju'' () is a Korean term for food consumed with alcohol. It consists of a variety of foods, including both main dishes and
side dishes
A side dish, sometimes referred to as a side order, side item, or simply a side, is a food item that accompanies the entrée or main course at a meal.soju
Soju (English pronunciation: ; ) is a clear and colorless distilled alcoholic beverage from Korea, traditionally made from rice, but later from other grains and has a flavor similar to vodka. It is usually consumed neat. Its alcohol content ...
'' is involved.
Certain types of foods consumed primarily as ''anju'' include '' golbaengi muchim'', '' nogari'' with peanuts, and ''
jokbal
''Jokbal'' () is a Korean dish consisting of pig's trotters cooked with soy sauce and spices.Jokbal at ''.
History
Until the
Joseon
Joseon ( ; ; also romanized as ''Chosun''), officially Great Joseon (), was a dynastic kingdom of Korea that existed for 505 years. It was founded by Taejo of Joseon in July 1392 and replaced by the Korean Empire in October 1897. The kingdom w ...
period, alcohol was mainly served in (a type of inn or tavern), where soups with rice, along with traditional alcohol such as , 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''.
By types of beverage
Some foods are considered to be best complemented by certain types of alcohol. For example, ''
samgyeopsal
''Samgyeopsal'' (), ''samgyeopsal-gui'' (), or grilled pork belly is a type of '' gui'' (grilled dish) in Korean cuisine.
Etymology
Directly translated from Korean, ''samgyeop-sal'' () means "three layer flesh", referring to striations of lea ...
'', grilled pork belly, is considered to go best with ''soju'', while fried chicken or Korean seasoned chicken goes well with beer. ''
Pajeon
''Pajeon'' () is a variety of '' jeon'' with scallion as its prominent ingredient, as ''pa'' () means scallion. It is a Korean dish made from a batter of eggs, wheat flour, rice flour, scallions, and often other ingredients depending on the var ...
'' and (or ) is a popular combination for rainy days.
By the place where alcohol is served
There are a number of different types of bar in South Korea, and each category sells different kinds of food and alcoholic beverage.
*: 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
''Dotori-muk''
* () or acorn jelly is a Korean cuisine, Korean dish. It is a Gelatin dessert, jelly made from acorn starch. Although "''Muk (food), muk''" means "jelly", when used without qualifiers, it usually refers to ''dotori-muk''. The prac ...
''.
*Hof house (): Hof houses (a German
loan word
A loanword (also a loan word, loan-word) is a word at least partly assimilated from one language (the donor language) into another language (the recipient or target language), through the process of borrowing (linguistics), borrowing. Borrowing ...
) sell a number of relatively inexpensive alcoholic beverages. Various international dishes are served here as well.
*''
Pojangmacha
''Pojangmacha'' (), also abbreviated as ''pocha'' (), is a South Korean term for outdoor carts that sell street foods such as '' hotteok'', ''gimbap'', '' tteokbokki'', ''sundae'', '' dak-kkochi'' (Korean skewered chicken), '' fish cake'', '' man ...
'': 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.
Alaska pollock
The Alaska pollock or walleye pollock (''Gadus chalcogrammus'') is a marine fish species of the cod genus ''Gadus'' and family Gadidae.
It is a semi-pelagic Shoaling and schooling, schooling fish widely distributed in the North Pacific Ocean, No ...
) with peanuts
Image:Korean.cuisine-Nakjibokkeum-01.jpg, ''Nakji bokkeum'' with ''somyeon'' (fried octopus in ''gochujang'' with fine noodles)
Image:Korean cuisine-Dubu kimchi-01.jpg, '' Dubu kimchi''
See also
* ''
Kap klaem
''Kap klaem'' (, ), also known as ''ahan kap klaem'' (, ) or ''ahan klaem lao'' (, ), is the Thai term for "drinking food": foods commonly eaten while drinking. The term ''kap klaem'' can also refer to Thai drinking culture.
Thai drinking cultur ...
'' (Thai drinking food)
*''
Sakana
In Japan, it is customary to serve alcoholic drinks with snacks called , , or . These are usually quite salty and served in relatively small portions. Sakana are usually more substantial than tapas, although they are not considered a meal sin ...
'' (Japanese drinking snacks or small plates)
* '' Pulutan'' (Filipino drinking food)
* ''
Tapas
Tapas () are appetisers or snacks in Spanish cuisine. They can be combined to make a full meal and are served cold (such as mixed olives and cheese) or hot (such as , which are battered, fried baby squid; or , spicy potatoes). In some bars ...
'' (Spanish drinking snacks or small plates)
* ''
Meze
''Meze'' (also spelled ''mezze'' or ''mezé'') (, ) is a selection of small dishes served as appetizers in Eastern Mediterranean cuisines. It is similar to Spanish cuisine, Spanish tapas and Italian cuisine, Italian Antipasto, antipasti. A ''me ...
'' (Eastern Mediterranean small plates sometimes served with alcoholic drinks)
*
Korean alcoholic beverages
Korean cuisine has a wide variety of traditional alcoholic drinks, known as ''sul'' (). Many of these drinks end with the Sino-Korean word ''-ju'' (), and some end with the native Korean word ''-sul''. The Sino-Korean ''-ju'' is not used as an i ...
Encyclopedia of Korean Culture
The ''Encyclopedia of Korean Culture'' () is a Korean-language encyclopedia published by the Academy of Korean Studies and DongBang Media Co. It was originally published as physical books from 1991 to 2001. There is now an online version of the ...