Korean Drink Shunned In Korea, Popular In Lagos

Sales of Koryo ginseng liquor, manufactured by Lotte Liquor but no longer sold in Korea, are booming in Nigeria.

Packaged in transparent bottles containing ginseng root known for its health benefits, the alcoholic drink has gained a near mystical reputation in Nigeria.

Lotte Liquor said on Monday that exports of Koryo ginseng liquor to Nigeria have been rising steadily, from $600,000 in 2008, $638,000 in 2009, and $770,000 last year.

First produced by the company in 1972, the beverage is made by placing four-year-old ginseng roots in liquor and fermenting for a year. It is sold in 700 mL bottles, with a 28 proof version exported to Hong Kong and Japan, and a 35 proof version shipped to other parts of the world.

The liquor was not popular until exports to Nigeria began. Sales were almost nonexistent in the domestic market, while exports made up to a mere $140,000 a year.

In 2007, Lotte Liquor began to focus solely on exports of the product after stopping local sales.

“The product seems to trade on Asian ginseng root’s mystical reputation for healthy benefits in Nigeria,” the company said. It is sold mostly in restaurants in Nigeria for around $40 about N6,000 a bottle.