[Gu Eun-mo's Sujeori] Finding Harmony Amidst Conflicting Ingredients in Sihyangga

<15> Jeonnam Gokseong 'Sihyangga'①

Taromakgeolli Smoothly Crafted with Sticky Taro
'Ujumelonmi' Capturing the Sweetness of Melon
Emphasizing Consistency of Flavor... Keeping the Promised Taste Until the End

"I don't want to sell ordinary scents. I want to create harmony by combining aggressive ingredients that clash with each other."

Joanne Lesley Malone CBE, a British perfumer and founder of the perfume brands 'Jo Malone London' and 'Jo Loves,' did not want to create mundane fragrances. She dreamed of new scents that had never existed before.

When Jo Malone first created perfumes called 'Nutmeg and Ginger' and 'Lime Basil and Mandarin,' the reactions around her were skeptical. Most opinions were negative, saying that no one would buy perfumes made with such ingredients. For example, the anise scent often found in basil was said to produce an unpleasant aroma. However, she created a good scent, and Jo Malone says these perfumes sold more than 40 times better than other products, becoming a pension for her.

She emphasizes that when selecting and mixing different ingredients, the ingredients may fight and clash with each other, but through various attempts and challenges within that, finding the optimal harmony can create products with innovative scents. This methodology led her brand to success and stimulated people's creativity. Finding harmony among clashing ingredients is not only the work of perfumers. There are also places that brew their own unique-flavored alcohol from seemingly incompatible ingredients. One such place that spreads fragrance is 'Sihyangga' in Gokseong, Jeollanam-do.

Sihyangga's Taro Makgeolli 'Sihyangga Premium'

Traditional Liquor Met During Late University Life... Leading to Startup

In 2015, at the age of thirty-four, Yang Sook-hee, CEO of Sihyangga, entered university again. Although somewhat late, she was still young to be called a late learner (manhakdo). She wanted to be a mother who could guide her daughter and inspire passion, and she had a strong thirst for new learning. Above all, she wanted to do something enjoyable.

She headed to the Department of Alternative Medicine. Her usual interest in medicinal herbs led her there. And there, she encountered traditional liquor. She enjoyed the brewing classes held once a week. Especially, she found joy in brewing liquor by combining traditional liquor with medicinal herbs. She joined the traditional liquor club within the department called 'Nuruk Flower' and soon took the position of president.

She brewed diligently. No one told her to, but she brewed day and night. It was enjoyable, and she had talent. As graduation approached, she drew inspiration from 'Hwangguju,' a tonic liquor introduced in the 'Donguibogam,' and brewed liquor using black goats for her graduation project. Unexpectedly, Yang's black goat liquor gained popularity through word of mouth, and black goat farms and associations nationwide requested orders from him. While busily making and selling black goat liquor for a while, he discovered his potential as a brewer and entrepreneur.

Panoramic view of 'Sihyangga' in Gokseong, Jeonnam

Once the direction was set, the tasks became clear. Raising startup capital was the priority. She turned her eyes to the Youth Startup Academy of the Small and Medium Business Corporation. The Youth Startup Academy is an institution that discovers entrepreneurs with promising items or innovative technologies and supports them to achieve successful startups. If the business plan passes and they enter the academy, they go through education and prototype production processes and can receive startup funds.

Yang said that entering the Youth Startup Academy played a decisive role in making Sihyangga what it is today. She recalled, "Sihyangga was the first to enter the academy with a regional specialty liquor as a business item," and "It was a very tough time because we had to complete all tasks such as obtaining a liquor license and product development within a tight 10-month period." Despite the tight schedule, Yang completed all tasks and was selected as an excellent company, securing all the startup funds she aimed for. Thus, in 2019, Yang's brewery began full-scale operations under the name Sihyangga.

Sticky Taro, Melted Clearly and Softly into Makgeolli

While preparing the brewery, the thing she devoted the most time and heart to was undoubtedly the liquor. Although she received much attention for black goat liquor, considering the high tax rate due to its classification as other liquor under the Liquor Tax Act, it was not an attractive business item. Another liquor to become the face of Sihyangga was needed.

Taro used in Siyangga Taro Makgeolli

While exploring various local agricultural products, Yang's eyes fell on taro. In fact, taro was a common crop in Gokseong, which accounts for more than 70% of the nation's taro production, but Yang, who did not like its unique mushy texture, had deliberately avoided it. She changed her mind because she wanted to help local farmers struggling to secure sales channels due to low demand.

She decided to brew makgeolli with taro, but taro was not an easy ingredient to brew liquor with. Taro, meaning "egg of the earth," is rich in dietary fiber, aiding bowel movements, and high in potassium, effective in preventing hypertension. However, apart from its various benefits, the mucin contained in large amounts in taro causes a thick and sticky texture, which was an obstacle for Yang, who wanted to make clear and clean liquor.

From then on, she tried all kinds of methods such as steaming, boiling, drying, and frying to research the optimal taro processing method. After countless attempts, the solution she found was freeze-drying. She peeled the taro, soaked it in rice water, sliced it thinly, freeze-dried it to make chips, then steamed the taro chips with steamed rice, aged it for 15 days, squeezed it with cloth, and brewed the liquor. This removed the thickness and astringent taste. The liquor brewed with local eco-friendly rice and taro is the taro makgeolli named after the brewery, 'Sihyangga.'

Frozen dried taro chips are used in the Taro Makgeolli from Sihyangga.

The name Sihyangga for the brewery was also born during the process of brewing makgeolli with taro. Yang said, "When mixing the two colorless and odorless ingredients, rice and taro, and putting them in a jar, over time they create a very diverse fragrance, which I liked," and "I wanted to share this good fragrance with others, so I named it Sihyangga using the characters for 'to give' (施), 'fragrance' (香), and 'house' (家)."

Sihyangga's taro content is as high as 20%. Currently, under the Liquor Tax Act, ingredients other than rice, nuruk, and water are allowed up to 20%, so this is the maximum allowed by law. Last year alone, more than 5 tons of taro were used. Sihyangga, brewed generously with taro, is characterized by a clean and clear taste without acidity and, unlike other makgeolli, does not leave residue on the glass.

Recently, Sihyangga shed its 500mL plastic bottles used since its first release and changed to 375mL glass bottles. It was not just a change of packaging. The brewing method was changed from brewing as Iyangju using non-glutinous rice to Samyangju by adding glutinous rice to non-glutinous rice, and the shelf life was extended from 45 days to 5 months. The name was also upgraded to 'Sihyangga Premium' to match the quality. Yang explained the background of quality improvement, saying, "The more secondary fermentation is done, the more stable the alcohol content becomes, and the risk of post-fermentation decreases."

Commercial Brewing Requires Consistent Taste... Will Maintain Flavor Consistency

Along with taro makgeolli Sihyangga, another key product is 'Would you Melon me,' a makgeolli released last year using melon as an ingredient. The melon used is musk melon grown in Gokseong. 'Would you Melon me' was actually a product Yang wanted to introduce from the opening of the brewery. However, due to the high water content of melon, like taro, it was not an easy ingredient to brew makgeolli with, and naturally, the research and development period was long.

Using the experience with taro, she processed melon in various ways and added it to the liquor. She also tried the freeze-drying method used for taro, but it did not work for melon. It was difficult to bring out the sweet taste of melon, often resulting in cucumber or fishy flavors. The solution was surprisingly simple. During the process of finding contract farming sites, she found melon cut into wedge shapes and frozen. Yang said, "By making syrup with quickly frozen melon, adding the solids when brewing the base liquor, and adding the syrup with water during the final dilution, the sweetness and aroma of the melon can be preserved."

Melon Makgeolli 'Uju Melon Mi' by Sihyangga

Now in its fifth year, Sihyangga is steadily expanding its lineup. Starting with taro makgeolli Sihyangga, it released canned makgeolli 'Mal-iya Makgeolliya' made with taro powder, introduced 'Would you Melon me' with melon last year, and on February 14th this year, Valentine's Day, it launched cherry yakju 'Sunset Cherry Sparkling Yakju.' Within the year, two types of distilled soju and one pure grain makgeolli without additional ingredients are also scheduled for release.

Yang emphasizes that although the product range is diversifying, one principle will remain unwavering: commercial brewing requires consistent taste. She stated, "Recently, it has become trendy for the taste of liquor to vary by batch, but that is far from what Sihyangga aims for," and "Sihyangga will continue quality control with the goal of maintaining the initially promised taste in every bottle, regardless of batch."