Korean Alcoholic Beverage Fair 2011 - Bulo Makgeolli and Tomato Lycopene Wine

Bulo Makgeolli - Have you heard that Makgeolli boom is not only heating up in Korea but also in Japan? 

60-year-old Bulo Makgeolli, Daegu’s representative traditional fermented alcoholic drink made out of rice, won the top prize at Korean Alcoholic Beverage Fair 2011.

A glass of Makgeolli is beneficial to health which contains lactobacillus, organic acid, vitamins etc.

Tomato Lycopene Wine

Tomato Lycopene Wine won Participation Prize.

They created world first tomato wine and the result was pretty successful.

The winemakers ferment the tomatoes grown in Nongong, Dalsung-gun, Daegu into this wine.

Then, what is this unfamiliar word, Lycopene? Let’s look it up on Wiki~~

Lycopene is a bright red carotene and carotenoid pigment and phytochemical found in tomatoes and other red fruits and vegetables, such as red carrots, watermelons and papayas (but not strawberries or cherries).

Lycopene is not an essential nutrient for humans, but is commonly found in the diet, mainly from dishes prepared from tomatoes. When absorbed from the stomach, lycopene is transported in the blood by various lipoproteins and accumulates in the liver, adrenal glands, and testes.

Because preliminary research has shown an inverse correlation between consumption of tomatoes and cancer risk, lycopene has been considered a potential agent for prevention of some types of cancers, particularly prostate cancer. However, this area of research and the relationship with prostate cancer have been deemed insufficient of evidence for health claim approval by the US Food and Drug Administration (see below under Antioxidant properties and potential health benefits).

Sounds healthy, right?

I hope we will be able to boost Daegu’s brand power through this special Tomato Wine~~