Dongdongju (Korean Unfiltered Fermented Rice Wine)
Quick answer
- Total time
- 70 min
- Level
- Hard
- Servings
- 8 servings
- Ingredients
- 6
About this dish
Dongdongju is a traditional Korean unfiltered rice wine made by steaming short-grain and sweet rice together, then fermenting the cooked grain with nuruk starter and a small amount of dry yeast for seven days.
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Unlike makgeolli, it passes through a coarse sieve only once, leaving rice grains floating on the surface -- a trait that gives the drink its name and provides a distinctly chewy grain texture with each sip. Stirring the mash twice daily ensures the nuruk breaks down the starches evenly throughout fermentation, and keeping the temperature low after day three prevents the batch from over-fermenting. A pinch of salt added at the finish tempers residual sweetness without flattening the fermented grain character. Home-brewed dongdongju tends to carry a more pronounced rice fragrance and a heavier body than commercial makgeolli, and its flavor shifts noticeably day by day as fermentation continues.
Ingredients
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Instructions
Read the steps as a cooking flow: prep, heat, seasoning, doneness control, and finish.
- 1Prep
Thoroughly wash 900 grams of short grain rice and 300 grams of sweet rice, then soak in cold water for four hours and drain completely using a large sieve.
- 2Heat
Steam the soaked rice in a preheated steamer for 40 minutes to create firm cooked grains, then spread them onto a wide tray to cool down completely to temperature.
- 3Prep
Transfer the cooled rice into a sanitized fermentation vessel, add 130 grams of nuruk, 3 grams of dry yeast, and 2200 milliliters of water, then mix gently by hand.
- 4Control
Cover the container with a clean cloth and ferment at room temperature for three days, making sure to stir the mixture twice daily with a sanitized spoon to encourage activity.
- 5Step
Continue the fermentation process for four more days while monitoring the bubbles and checking the flavor periodically to ensure the acidity and alcohol content are developing according to your preference.
- 6Prep
Once fermentation is complete, strain the mixture once through a coarse sieve, allowing some rice grains to remain in the liquid to provide the characteristic appearance of traditional Dongdongju.
- 7Season
Stir in 0.5 teaspoons of salt to balance the flavors, then transfer to airtight bottles and refrigerate until thoroughly chilled to enhance the complex profile of the fermented wine.
Practical Cooking Checks
The cues that matter most while cooking.
- Key technique
- Coarsely strained rice wine retains whole floating grains for a unique, traditional Dongdongju.
- Finish cue
- Stir in 0.5 teaspoons of salt to balance the flavors, then transfer to airtight bottles and refrigerate until thoroughly chilled to enhance the complex profile of the fermented wine.
- Storage and reheating
- Refrigeration slows further fermentation.
Cooking decision evidence
Calculated Charim data and applicable official cooking and food safety guidance.
This recipe
70min, 6 ingredients
Category median
20min, 6 ingredients
Based on 118 recipes
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