Ep 25: Food You Pair with Alcohol - Anju | Eat Like a Local

Ed has been confused about the word "anju" for three years.

In this episode, Sora finally explains: anju (안주) literally means "hold down the alcohol," but in practice it refers to the food Koreans pair with specific drinks.

More than just food, anju is a cultural practice tied to Korea's drinking rounds (il-cha, i-cha, sam-cha), third-place culture, nunchi, and even dating (hunting pocha).

The episode covers classic pairings from dried squid with beer to jeon with makgeolli, and reveals that yes, pizza with beer counts as anju too.

Key Takeaways

• Anju (안주) literally means "hold down the alcohol"; refers to food paired with drinks, but also the cultural practice of eating while drinking
• Dry anju (dried squid, fish jerky, nuts, chips) is common for beer, especially at convenience stores or during sam-cha (third round)
• Soju pairs with spicy and salty foods: samgyeopsal, dakbal (spicy chicken feet), jokbal (pig feet), bossam; the spice is "washed off" with soju
• Makgeolli pairs with jeon (Korean pancakes) and kimchi-tofu
• Beer pairs with chicken (chi-maek) or pizza (pi-maek)
• Anju can be anything: pizza, cheese platter with wine, stew with soju; if you drink alcohol with food, that food is anju
• Korean drinking culture involves rounds: il-cha (first round, real meal like samgyeopsal), i-cha (second round, maybe chicken and beer), sam-cha (third round, dried anju to extend hangout time)
• Nunchi drives the round system: you don't monopolize one table for hours; you move to give the restaurant space
• Third-place culture: small apartments mean Koreans socialize outside the home
• Hoesik (company dinners) often feature "safe" anju like samgyeopsal that everyone likes
• Jeju anju leans toward fresh seafood with soju; beachside pocha (pop-up bars) serve raw seafood at night
• Hunting pocha: bars in Seoul (Hongdae, Itaewon) where groups of young people meet other groups; age-restricted (under 30)
• Banju: eating a regular meal with alcohol simultaneously (common among Jeju farmers and fishermen)
• Sora's favorites: fish cake soup with soju, kimchi-jeon with makgeolli, dried squid with beer

Next Steps

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