Clear Korean Rice Wine (Traditional Fermented Yakju)

Quick answer

Total time: 60 min
Level: Hard
Servings: 4 servings
Ingredients: 6

About this dish

Yakju is a traditional Korean clear rice wine produced by steaming soaked glutinous rice for 35 minutes, then fermenting it with crushed nuruk starter, dry yeast, and water for seven to ten days at room temperature.

Daily stirring distributes the yeast culture evenly, and sliced ginger and jujube are added during fermentation to suppress off-flavors and contribute subtle aromatics. After fermentation, the solids are allowed to settle completely so only the clear upper liquid is carefully decanted, giving yakju its transparent appearance and refined taste distinct from cloudy makgeolli. Two days of cold aging in the refrigerator rounds off the sharp alcohol edge, bringing forward a smooth, grain-forward character.

Ingredients

servings

IngredientAmountUnit

glutinous rice600 gg

nuruk100 gg

water2000 mlml

dry yeast1 tsptsp

ginger10 gg

jujube2 pcspcs

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Instructions

Read the steps as a cooking flow: prep, heat, seasoning, doneness control, and finish.

6 steps

1

Step

Rinse 600g of premium glutinous rice until the water runs clear, soak for 4 hours, then steam for 35 minutes until firm and spread it on a tray to cool completely.
2

Prep

Crush 100g of traditional nuruk into fine pieces and combine it with 2000ml of clean water and 1 teaspoon of dry yeast to create a potent fermentation starter liquid.
3

Prep

Mix the cooled steamed rice, fermentation starter, 10g of sliced ginger, and 2 jujubes in a sanitized ceramic jar, stirring gently by hand to ensure the rice grains stay intact.
4

Control

Cover the jar with cheesecloth and ferment in a cool spot between 20C and 22C for 7 to 10 days, making sure to stir the mixture once every single day.
5

Step

Once fermentation is complete and the liquid clears, let the solids settle to the bottom and carefully siphon off the golden, transparent upper liquid into a clean glass bottle.
6

Finish

Age the bottled wine in the refrigerator for 2 additional days to stabilize the flavor profile, then serve chilled in small ceramic cups for a traditional and refined tasting experience.

Practical Cooking Checks

The cues that matter most while cooking.

Key technique: Yakju undergoes a seven-day fermentation using steamed glutinous rice and traditional nuruk grain starter.
Finish cue: Once fermentation is complete and the liquid clears, let the solids settle to the bottom and carefully siphon off the golden, transparent upper liquid into a clean glass bottle.
Avoid this: Tool sanitation is critical to avoid contamination.
Storage and reheating: Two days of cold aging in the refrigerator rounds off the sharp alcohol edge, bringing forward a smooth, grain-forward character.