Why Bokbunja Raspberry Wine Is 10x More Tempting Than Regular Wine

What is Bokbunja?

Bokbunja (pronounced bock-boon-jar) is a wine made from Korean wild black raspberries. The name “bokbunja” is in hanja, or borrowed Chinese characters. The first is 복 (覆) and can be roughly translated as “flip”; the second, 분 (盆) as “pot”; and the third, 자 (子) as “person”.

Bokbunja has for decades been widely consumed by local residents around the country. Its popularity has been increasing in recent years due to its supposed antioxidant, anticancer and beauty effects. The market for bokbunja-based food and beverages has grown nearly five-fold in seven years to about 200 billion won in recent years, according to the Jebba Food & Beverages Corp.

Bokbunja is a type of wild black raspberry that is native to Korea. It produces edible berries (not true berries in the botanical sense) that are fermented into Bokbunja. In Asia, it is used for making traditional herbal medicine and health supplements to enhance stamina for men and cure diseases in women. The fruit contains four times as many anthocyanins in grapes.

The Fruit Wine That Broke The Chamber Pot

Bokbunja is often described in an oriental legend as a mysterious fruit containing the spirits of the wild. The name Bokbunja comes from an old Korean legend:

Once upon a time, there was a hunter who was lost in the jungle. While he was looking for his way out, he felt hungry and found some wild black raspberries to eat. After finding his way back home he relieved himself. He was so ‘energetic’ that when his urine hit the chamber pot, it turned over due to the strong force.

The meaning of Bokbunja is:

Bun, meaning ‘chamber pot’

Ja, meaning ‘man’

Altogether, Bokbunja roughly translates to ‘man turning over the chamber pot’.

Korean black raspberry wine is known as bok bun ja. “Bok” means overturn, “bun” means urinal and “ja” means fruit. Roughly translated, the name means “the fruit that can overturn a urinal.” The unusual name comes from a Korean legend. An old monk lost his way in the mountains. He found some berries growing on a bush and ate all of them. The black raspberries helped the monk to find his way home. When he relieved himself, his urine stream was so strong that it broke the urinal.

Bokbunja Health Benefits

The black raspberry fruit contains four times as many anthocyanins in grapes. Abundantly concentrated as pigments in berries, anthocyanins are believed to have potential health effects against cancer, diabetes, inflammation, aging and neurological diseases, bacterial infections and fibrocystic diseases, studies indicate. Bokbunja’s strong antioxidative power protects cells from the attack of active oxygen. The fruit could be antioxidative, reinvigorate libido, suppress cancer, reduce blood sugar levels and prevent high blood pressure.

Bokbunja has shown that it can be an effective natural medicine to treat cardiovascular diseases, cancer, and diabetes. Soon, there may be new drug development maximizing the effects of bokbunja.

An experiment using laboratory mice showed that black raspberries were effective in oral cancer, esophageal cancer, colon cancer, and skin cancer. In addition, bokbunja can also lower the risk of cardiovascular diseases due to its ample alpha-linolenic acid and soluble fibers, which help reduce cholesterol and protect arterial functions.

Due to popular reviews on its medical benefits, it has also gained the attention of Western medical studies. Ohio State University, U.S.A. has recently completed a study and released an article on the antioxidant and anti-cancer properties that black raspberries contain. An experiment using laboratory mice showed that black raspberries were effective on oral cancer, esophageal cancer, colon cancer, and skin cancer, the organization said.

The berries used for making traditional herbal medicine and health supplements are said to strengthen stamina for men and used as natural remedies to cure illnesses for women. Some of its medical functions include preventing problems associated with liver and kidney functions. Thus, it is highly recommended to those who are troubled by frequent urination, premature graying, blurred vision, and minor skin disorders.

Is Bokbunja Alcoholic?

Bokbunja ranges between 15% and 19% alcohol by volume, depending on the brand. The alcohol content of Bohae Bokbunja is 14%.

How Do You Serve Bokbunja?

Refrigerate bokbunja until it reaches roughly 1-2 degree Celcius (35 degrees Fahrenheit). bokbunja is traditionally served cold.

Serve Bokbunja by itself or on ice as an aperitif. Or, mix it with equal parts soju or any alcoholic or other beverage that traditionally goes well with dark fruit flavour. A splash or two of soda helps to bring out the bokbunja’s rich flavour.

You can also serve bokbunja with a meal. The chilled drink goes well with vegetarian and seafood Korean, Vietnamese, Thai meals. Basically, anything that is spicy will go well with bokbunja.

Serve bok bun ja as a dessert wine. It goes quite well with chocolate or any other sweet or dessert that will complement the dark berry, pine, floral and honey flavours in the wine.

Alternatively, bokbunja can also be used in sauces and marinades like in our Bokbunja Bak Kwa recipe!

How Is Bohae Bokbunja Different?

Bohae Brewery, a prestigious brewery in Korea with 56 years of experience in traditional wine-making has brought the natural medicinal properties of Bokbunja to life. By dint of the fixed-temperature fermentation process used, the natural function of Black Raspberry is well preserved and left intact in the wine. It was said that the type of water used affects the quality of the wine. Bohae Bokbunja uses natural bedrock water that is 253m underground.

It was of such high quality that It won a silver medal at the 2005 Dallas Morning News International Wine Competition and was attracting great interest among wine critics and health-conscious wine lovers while showcasing. Subsequently, it was chosen as the official dinner wine for the 2005 APEC held in Korea and was served at the 2009 Official Dinner between North and South Korea. It is no wonder that Bohae’s Bokbunja accounts for 80% of the Korean wines export market.

Best Bokbunja Food Pairings

The characteristics of Bokbunja is sweet, sour, slightly warm and alkaline. The color of the wine itself is crimson red. It has a sweet aroma, coming from the black raspberries flavors.

• Chocolate cheesecake
• Vanilla ice cream
• Raspberry sorbet
• Clams
• Oysters
• Broiled eel
• Sashimi
• Vietnamese food
• Thai food

Try Bohae Bokbunja Raspberry Wine today!