Chrysanthemums have long been loved by many people for their aesthetic beauty and wonderful aroma, giving pleasure to both the eyes and the heart.

Many aristocrats in ancient times drew paintings of chrysanthemums, a flower which represented one of the four plants that were commonly compared to the personalities of noble men of virtue who were also well-educated.

The floral leaves of the chrysanthemum can be used to make both tea and liquor. In Korea, chrysanthemum liquor presumably dates back to the Goryeo Dynasty (918-1392), or even earlier, as it is recorded in documents like the "Dongguk Isang Gukjip" and the "Pahanjip," both collections of literature from Goryeo times.

Chrysanthemum liquor is a seasonal drink, generally consumed on the ninth day of the ninth lunar month. It has been made and consumed everywhere across Korea where chrysanthemums can be grown.

Jaheehyang is one such chrysanthemum liquor, hailing from Jeollanam-do (South Jeolla Province). It is a good example of both the aroma and taste of this wonderful drink. Jaheehyang is made by Jaheejayang, an agricultural corporation in Hampyeong-gun County. The name jaheehyang means, "to enjoy the aroma on one's own." It is manufactured using traditional methods and it contains no artificial sweeteners.

The company says that Jaheehyang is a kind of seoktanhyangju, meaning an alcohol that, "smells too good to drink."



Jaheehyang is a chrysanthemum liquor with 15 percent alcohol content. It's made with non-glutinous rice porridge and wheat yeasts that are fermented in a cauldron for four days. Glutinous rice and chrysanthemum are then added to the mixture. It is then fermented for four months. The finished alcohol is pale yellow and boasts a wonderful gentle scent and taste, a typical feature of chrysanthemum liquor.



Jaheehyang chrysanthemum liquor won the bronze medal in the clear rice wine category at the Korea Liquors Contest in 2014. It was used as the official banquet liquor at the Special ASEAN-ROK Ministerial Meeting on Forestry in December 2014.

Jaheehyang makgeolli, a sister product, is 100-percent grain-made makgeolli. It is brewed using only glutinous rice. Jaheehyang makgeolli has a 12 percent alcohol content, higher than the more normal six or seven percent that is found in other makgeollis. It is brewed in a traditional vat for 100 days at a low temperature. This makgeolli won the bronze medal at a liquor contest in Jeollanam-do in 2014.

To purchase Jaheehyang makgeolli and chrysanthemum liquor, please visit the brewer's homepage (www.jahi.co.kr) or else call 061-324-6363.

By Limb Jae-un
Korea.net Staff Writer
jun2@korea.kr