Name: Ihwaju (Spoon-Eaten Rice Wine)
Prep time: 9 h
Cook time: 30 min
Total time: 177 h 30 min
Yield: About 1.4 liters, 10 to 12 small spoon servings
Cuisine: Korean
Ingredients: 600g wet-milled short-grain rice flour (maepssal-garu), thawed if frozen, unsalted; 150g rice-flour nuruk (ihwagok or active rice nuruk), finely powdered; 500ml cooled boiled water, 20 to 25 C; Up to 60ml more cooled boiled water, only if needed for mixing; Cold water, to thin each serving, optional; 1 tablespoon pine nuts, optional, for serving

Question 1

What is ihwaju?

Accepted Answer

Ihwaju is a spoon-thick Korean rice wine made from steamed short-grain rice flour, rice-flour nuruk, and cooled boiled water. This version ferments for 6 to 7 days until sweet, lightly tart, and creamy, then chills for at least 12 hours before serving.

Question 2

What temperature should ihwaju ferment at?

Accepted Answer

Ferment ihwaju at 18 to 22 C, away from direct sun. Below 18 C, the rice wine ferments slowly and can taste flat. Above 24 C, the mash races, sours quickly, and loses the gentle sweetness that defines spoon-eaten ihwaju.

Question 3

How do I know when ihwaju is ready?

Accepted Answer

Ihwaju is ready on day 6 or 7 when the raw flour taste is gone, the sweetness has softened, and a mild tart rice-wine flavor sits underneath. The mash should smell like sweet rice, yogurt, and fresh bread, with no chalky rice flour flavor.

Question 4

Can I use dry rice flour instead of wet-milled rice flour for ihwaju?

Accepted Answer

Yes. Replace 600g wet-milled short-grain rice flour with 450g dry short-grain rice flour. Mist in 150ml water, rub until the flour clumps like damp sand, rest it for 30 minutes, then steam it for 25 minutes before mixing with nuruk.

Question 5

Why is ihwaju eaten with a spoon?

Accepted Answer

Ihwaju is eaten with a spoon because the finished rice wine is intentionally thick, creamy, and full-bodied. The mash is rubbed through a coarse sieve, not strained through cloth, so the soft rice body remains. Thin each serving with 1 to 2 tablespoons cold water only if desired.

Question 6

How long does homemade ihwaju last?

Accepted Answer

Homemade ihwaju keeps refrigerated for up to 10 days after fermentation and chilling. The living rice wine continues to sour slowly, even in the cold. Store it covered but do not bottle active ihwaju tightly, because fermentation gives off gas.

Culinary Explorer

Ihwaju (Spoon-Eaten Rice Wine)

Ingredients

wet-milled short-grain rice flour (maepssal-garu)

rice-flour nuruk (ihwagok or active rice nuruk)

cooled boiled water

Where cooking meets culture.

Ingredient	Quantity
wet-milled short-grain rice flour (maepssal-garu)thawed if frozen, unsalted	600g
rice-flour nuruk (ihwagok or active rice nuruk)finely powdered	150g
cooled boiled water20 to 25 C	500ml