What Flows in Koreans' Veins? Not Blood...

...but soju, Korea's beverage of choice! Honestly, I can't believe it's taken this long for one of us to write about it: It's EVERYWHERE.

Soju is liquor made from rice, yams, or tapioca (although today some is made from 'chemicals,' whatever that means!). It's 24-45% proof and tastes sort of like vodka and sort of like nail polish remover. You can buy it everywhere, and Koreans drink it at almost every meal. It comes in little green bottles that are a little over a quarter of a liter (330 mL) and that only cost $1. Most people drink it in shot glasses, but you can also get it mixed with juice.

Drinking is a national pastime in Korea, and the drink of choice is soju.

At one time, soju was so popular that it was suggested to the king that distillers be taken away from the people because they were using so much of their rice to make soju that they didn't have enough left over to eat. I don't think its popularity has waned, either; if anything, it's increased. You can even get it from soju tents on the street!

They have some unique advertising methods for soju, too:

You all know Joe Camel; now meet Joe Soju!

It's a little scary to be walking down the street and suddenly realize there are four life-sized bottles of soju coming at you! I was a little too slow taking this picture and by the time I finished, they had descended upon me in a swarm of hugs and hand shaking. I barely made it out alive, no thanks to Joel, who had run away as soon as he gave me the camera and was standing at a safe distance laughing his head off.

If you haven't been scared off by this post and you're still curious, check out this site for a funny and accurate description of soju. If you actually decide to try the stuff, though, you're on your own!