Wine of fruit wine have generally been confined to regions in which the fruits were native or introduced for other reasons. Mead, also called honey wine, is created by fermenting honey with water, sometimes with various fruits, spices, grains, or hops. As long as the primary substance fermented is honey, the drink is considered mead. Mead was produced in ancient history throughout Europe, Africa and Asia, and was known in Europe before grape wine. Other beverages called "wine", such as barley wine and rice wine (e.g. sake), are made from starch-based materials and resemble beer more than traditional wine, while ginger
Korean alcoholic drinks A regional, slightly-creamier variant, originally from Gyeonggi-do, is called "dongdongju". Another variety, called "ihwaju" (hangul: ; hanja: ; "pear-blossom wine") is so named because it is brewed from rice with rice malt which ferments during the pear-blossom season. "Ihwaju" is often so thick that it is eaten with a spoon. A similar drink is known as "Gamju"; this name is also used for non-alcoholic sweet drinks, including "Sikhye" (). "Cheongju", or "yakju", is a refined rice wine made from steamed rice which has undergone several fermentation stages. Also known as "myeongyakju" or "beopju", it is distinguished from "takju" by its