Pokemon Go is released in Korea!

At last, Pokemon Go is released in Korea! You can now play this game in this country. It is launched on Jan 25, 2017 and attracted people’s attention. Pokemon Go is released first in Australia, New Zealand, and the United States on July 6, 2016. People in Korea also hope to play the game, but it is not officially released in Korea because of major limitations on the use of online mapping data. However, due to a glitch, a small area around Sokcho in the Gangwon-do area was considered a part of Niantic’s North Korea mapping region, making the game fully playable in that area. There was something happened that bus tickets form the Seoul sold out. (There was no such thing as this before.) Following the release of Pokemon Go in Japan, parts of Busan area also became playable as parts of the city are considered part of Japan’s mapping area due to the proximity of Tsushima Island. Finally, the game is officially released in Korea on Jan 25, 2017! It is cold winter in Korea now, but the game has brought Korean together from all walks of life. How about join to play Pokemon Go in Korea!

Fig 1. Pokemon Go!

How about playing this game in Korea!

Thanks for reading! Enjoy life! Enjoy Korea!

If you want to know about anything in Korea, please send me an e-mail. (streetkorea85@gmail.com)

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Beakseju and Gukhwaju - Korean traditional alcoholic drinks

How about drink Korean traditional alcoholic drinks today? I will introduce the two alcoholic drinks: Baekseju and Gukhwaju. Baekseju (in Korean “백세주” [baek se ju]) literally means “100 year wine”. The name comes from the tradition that the healthful herbs in baekseju will help you live to be 100 years old. It is made from glutinous rice, nuruk (traditional fermentation starter in Korea), and choicest 12 oriental herbs including ginseng, ginger, cinnamon, and so on. The strength of Baekseju is 13% alcohol by volume (ABV). People sometimes drink baekseju by mixing it with soju. It is called “osipseju” that mean “50 year wine”.

Fig 1. Baekseju (ABV 14%)

It is currently 3,300 won (Feb 2017)

Fig 2. Pairing foods with Baekseju.

Baekseju is goes well with beef or sashimi.

I like to drink with "osipseju" with Korean beef.

Gukhwaju (in Korean “국화주” [guk hwa ju]) is a rice wine flavored with chrysanthemum flowers. Korea has a traditional culture which enjoys the scent of the seasons. People enjoy the flavor of autumn when they drink gukhwaju which is made from dried autumn chrysanthemum flowers. When you drink this wonderful rice wine, you can feel the flavor of chrysanthemum flowers first, and then, it ends with the sweetness. I recommend this sweet alcoholic drink! You can buy these Korean alcoholic drinks from large retailers such as lotte mart, e-mart, and homeplus. Enjoy "Beakseju" and "Gukhwaju"!

Fig 3. Gukhwaju (ABV 12.5%)

It is currently 3,780 won (Feb 2017)

Fig 4. Pairing foods with Gukhwaju

Gukhwaju is goes well with two Korean foods:

Dotorimuk (in Korean "도토리묵" [do to ri muk]) or Jeon (in Korean 전 "[jeon]").

Dotorimuk is a Korean food which is a jelly made from acorn starch.

Jeon is made by seasoning whole, sliced, or minced fish, meat, vegetables, and so on.

I will write about these Korean yummy foods later.

Thanks for reading! Enjoy life! Enjoy Korea!

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How about drink Korean plum liquor? - Korean alcoholic drink recommendation

Today, I will introduce Korean plum liquor, Maehwasu (in Korean “매화수” [mae hwa su]) and Seoljungmae (in Korean “설중매” [seol jung mae]). Maehwasu is one of popular alcoholic drink in Korea. Especially, it is a female friendly version of soju because it has a lovely pinky yellow color, plum flavor, and sweet taste. The strength of maehwasu is 14% alcohol by volume (ABV) that is lower alcohol content than soju. Seoljungmae is a little more refined than maehwasu, it has a clean taste and a lovely golden color. The bottle has a few plums inside it to add some flavor and sweetness. You can buy these plum liquors from large retailers such as lotte mart, e-mart, and homeplus. How about drink Korean plum liquor today?

Fig 1. Maehwasu (ABV 14%).

It is currently 1,680 won (Feb 2017).

Fig 2. Seoljungmae (ABV 14%).

It is currently 3,680 won (Feb 2017).

Fig 3. Pairing foods with Korean plum liquor.

Korean plum liquor is goes well with sashimi, sushi, or california roll.

Enjoy Korean plum liquor with these good foods!

Thanks for reading! Enjoy life! Enjoy Korea!

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How about drink black raspberry wine? - Korean traditional alcoholic drink recommendation

Today, I will introduce and recommend the Korean traditional alcoholic drink, black raspberry wine. Black raspberry wine is called in Korean “복분자주 [bok bun ja joo]”. Bokbunja has a meaning that a man becomes to be powerful enough to throw the chamber pot by his urine. In fact, it is believed to be healthful and to promote male sexual stamina. It is made by fermenting black raspberries with water. This fruit wine is deep red in color and has a savor of black raspberries and sweet taste. It gives you the pleasure to enjoy its wild taste and fragrance. The strength of black raspberry wine is around 15% alcohol by volume (ABV). 

Fig 1. Black raspberry. It is produced in Gochang County, Jeollabukdo.

Fig 2. Black raspberry wine (in Korean "복분자주 [bok bun ja joo]").

You can buy it from convenience store or large retailers. It is 6,940 won now (Jan 2017).

The price of the wine in restaurant is 10,000 - 15,000 won. 

So, I would rather recommend to buy it from CVS or large retailers.

Fig 3. Pairing foods with black raspberry wine.

Black raspberry wine is goes well with sashimi (especially tuna), beef, and pork belly. 

It makes the perfect match with broiled eel. 

It is little expensive, but worth it to try this fantastic combination.

Thanks for reading! Enjoy life! Enjoy Korea!

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