NTS develops yeasts for making traditional alcoholic beverages

A researcher at the NTS Liquor License Support Center in Jeju with locally developed yeast [NATIONAL TAX SERVICE]

The National Tax Service (NTS) has developed a number of yeasts for making traditional alcoholic beverages.

Its Liquor License Support Center on Tuesday said it produced six types of yeasts — two for makgeoli, two for medicinal wine, one for distilled alcohol, such as soju, and a yeast for making beer.

Yeast usually propagates in places with abundant sugars, such on the surface of traditional malted rice.

It is the key ingredient for fermented food products, such as alcoholic beverages, bread and doenjang (soybean paste).

Annual yeast sales in Korea total 23 billion won, but most is imported. As such, there has been a push for domestically-developed yeast.

The tax authority is involved because managing the quality of drinks are its responsibility under laws written in 1909. It has its own laboratory, located on Jeju, and through the license center has been working to improve traditional alcoholic beverages.

The Environment Ministry's National Institute of Biological Resources has a library of roughly 1,700 unregistered local yeast strains, from flowers, fruits and malted rice. The NTS is sourcing strains from the ministry.

The NTS center received 88 strains that could be used in making alcohol beverages, and research was focused on picking yeast that could produce high-quality products.

Among the six yeasts that were developed since 2017, two extracted from cornelian cherry from Mount Jiri have been patented. The NTS said the yeast produced sweet and rich flavors without the help of sugars.

It said compared to the yeast previously used in making makgeoli, the newly-developed local yeasts are full of flower and honey favors.

It added that it will support two alcoholic beverage makers in Namwon, North Jeolla, near Mount Jiri so that the yeast will be use for producing makgeoli and medicinal alcoholic beverages.

KIM NAM-JUN [lee.hojeong@joongang.co.kr]