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Eumsik dimibang (음식디미방, c. 1670) ferment corpus음식디미방

This entry is a historical source, not a single ferment. The Eumsik dimibang is a Korean cookbook written in Hangul around 1670 by Lady Jang of Andong for her daughters and daughters-in-law. Of its 132 entries, 51 are on brewing alcohol, and it also records vinegars, kimchi and salted fish, and ways to store meat, fruit, vegetables and seafood.

A short entry: the sources we found record only what is said here about Eumsik dimibang itself. Its own sources do not record how it is made, so the steps and scenes below are those of Ihwaju (pear-blossom wine), the closest documented alcoholic drinks ferment, shown as a guide to the method, not as a record of Eumsik dimibang.

Short entryOther

Recipe

No fixed amounts recordedWhat goes in. No source gives amounts for this ferment.
Starterother

Total time across the steps of Ihwaju (pear-blossom wine): 7 days – 21 days

Start
Drag the bar or press Play
Close-up: water moving into a grain

What changes: Rice soaks overnight, then is pounded and sifted into fine flour

Step 1 of 8 · steps of Ihwaju (pear-blossom wine)
Soak and grind the rice for the nuruk
Time
Not documented
Temperature
Not documented
Salt
None given
Acidity
Not documented
Which microbes the steps name, step by step
Aspergillus oryzae

The Sangayorok (about 1450) starts the nuruk in early February with 5 mal of white rice. Output: sifted rice flour for the nuruk.

Flavour
Not documented
Texture
Not documented
Colour
Not documented

Microbes at work in this step

Not documented for this step.

Method

Measured measured in a studySet fixed by a specification or tested recipeReported one source reports itTypical a general value, not sourced for this fermentUnconfirmed not yet checked against a source

At a glance

This entry is a historical source, not a single ferment. The Eumsik dimibang is a Korean cookbook written in Hangul around 1670 by Lady Jang of Andong for her daughters and daughters-in-law. Of its 132 entries, 51 are on brewing alcohol, and it also records vinegars, kimchi and salted fish, and ways to store meat, fruit, vegetables and seafood.

What makes this one different

Unlike the earlier Suun japbang, compiled by Kim Yu and his grandson, this book was written in Hangul by a woman for the women of her household. It is the first written source for the detailed recipe of sanghwa, a fermented steamed bun from the late Goryeo period.

Related ferments

Variants

  • Ihwaju (이화주, pear-blossom wine)Four versions plus a dedicated rice nuruk; named for brewing when pear trees blossom (its own entry).
  • Gwahaju (과하주, 'passes the summer')Wine fortified with distilled liquor so it lasts through the summer.
  • Sanghwa (상화, 霜花)A fermented steamed bun; this book gives the first detailed written recipe.

History and sources

Every number is labelled with how it is known. How this atlas is made

The cover reads 규곤시의방 in Chinese characters, and the first page reads 음식디미방 in Hangul. Inside the covers Lady Jang wrote a poem about a new bride cooking for her mother-in-law, and a note asking her daughters to copy the book but not take it away. Many dog-meat recipes, smoked meat for storage and a winter method of forcing vegetable shoots in a pit are also recorded. A facsimile was published by a descendant, Yi Don, and Hwang Hye-seong published a commentary in 1980. The book is held by Kyungpook National University Library.

  1. [encykorea-gyugon] Encyclopedia of Korean Culture (한국민족문화대백과사전), Academy of Korean Studies, 규곤시의방 (閨壼是議方), article by Hwang Hye-seong, read 2026-10book
  2. [s1] Korean Wikipedia, 음식디미방 (read 2026-10-16; source of the liquor list)wiki