Baijiu (Chinese: ??; pinyin: báiji?), also known as shaojiu, is a category of at least a dozen Chinese liquors made from grain. Báiji? literally means "white (clear) alcohol" or liquor.
Báiji? is a clear liquid usually distilled from fermented sorghum, although other grains may be used; some southeastern Chinese styles may employ rice or glutinous rice, while other Chinese varieties may use wheat, barley, millet, or even Job's tears (yìy?) in their mash bills. The jiuqu starter culture used in the production of baijiu is usually made from pulverized wheat grain or steamed rice.
Because of its clarity, baijiu can appear similar to several other East Asian liquors, but it often has a significantly higher alcohol content than, for example, Japanese sh?ch? (25%) or Korean soju (20-45%). Despite being a white spirit, it more closely resembles a dark spirit like whisk(e)y in terms of complexity and mouthfeel.
It is the most widely consumed spirit (alcohol) in the world, with 5 billion litres sold in 2016.
Video Baijiu
History
Liquor has been distilled in China since at least the Yuan Dynasty, though baijiu began to resemble its current form around the Ming Dynasty. Baijiu is characterized by solid-state fermentation and distillation using a grain culture called qu, which allows for simultaneous saccharification and fermentation. This is a typical feature of liquors produced in the Far East. Chinese baijiu is always distilled from grain, produced in batches and blended.
Maps Baijiu
Serving
The Chinese traditionally serve baijiu neat at room temperature. Baijiu is served in small cups or glasses, though drinkware varies by region. into small cups. It is traditional to drink baijiu with food rather than on its own, though it is often infused with fruit or medicinal herbs and spices. In 2007, a report in Time magazine mentioned integrating baijiu into cocktails, and in the years since several bars around the world have added baijiu to their cocktail programs.
Pricing
Low grades of baijiu can be inexpensive; a bottle of roughly 250 ml (8 oz) may be purchased for the same price as a can of beer . However, higher grades, which are often aged for many years, can command much higher prices. The highest grade of Wuliangye retails for CN¥26,800 (US$3,375). Some popular baijiu brands include Kweichow MoutaiMaotai, Red Star Erguotou, Luzhou Laojiao, and Wuliangye. Baiju is becoming more available in some Western markets with brands such as Vinn Distillery, Ming River, and others.
Classification
Unlike huangjiu, which has a wide variety of classification methods, the Chinese government classifies baijiu linguistically by its aroma, though styles are distinguished by production methods, ingredients and other regional variations. Baijiu has a distinctive smell and taste that is highly valued in Chinese culinary culture, and connoisseurs focus especially on its fragrance. This classification system began in 1952 and was updated in August 1979 at the third nationwide baijiu competition held in the city of Dalian. Even so, during the competition, experts rated various baijiu based on their taste rather than aroma.
The four major categories of baijiu, accounting for the overwhelming majority of the market, are strong aroma, light aroma, sauce aroma, and rice aroma. The following aroma categories are direct translations of the current Chinese classifications.
- Sauce aroma (??, jiàngxi?ng): A highly fragrant distilled sorghum liquor of bold character, named for its similarity in flavor to Chinese fermented bean pastes and soy sauces. It is made from sorghum repeatedly fermented in stone brick pits. To the Western palate, sauce fragrance baijiu can be quite challenging. It has large amounts of ester compounds, which impart a layered umami flavor. To the initiated, it is quite delicious and is considered the perfect complement for fine preserved and pickled foods (??, jìangcài). This class was formerly known as "Mao-aroma" (??), after the best known liquor of this class, Maotai.
- Strong aroma (??, nóngxi?ng): A class of distilled liquor that is sweet tasting, unctuous in texture, and mellow, with a gentle lasting fragrance contributed by the high levels of esters, primarily ethyl acetate, which give the spirit a strong taste of pineapple, banana and anise. Most liquors of this class are distilled from sorghum, sometimes in combination with other grains, continuously fermented in mud pits. This style is formerly known as "Lu aroma" (??, lúxi?ng), after the supposed inventor of the style, the Luzhou Laojiao Distillery in Luzhou. Other notable examples of this type of liquor is Wuliangye from Yibin, Jiannanchun from Mianzhu, and Yanghe from Suqian.
- Light aroma (??, q?ngxi?ng): Delicate, dry, and light, with a delectable mellow and clean mouthfeel. The flavours of this distilled liquor is contributed primarily by ethyl acetate and ethyl lactate, and give the spirit a taste of dried fruit with floral notes. It is made from sorghum fermented in a stone vessel with qu made from wheat bran or a combination of barley and peas. The two primary styles of An example of this kind of liquor are Fenjiu (??, fénji?) from Shanxi and erguotou (???, èrgu?tóu) from Beijing, the latter of which is known as Kaoliang (??, g?oliáng, lit. "sorghum") in Taiwan. Formerly this style was called Fen-aroma (??, f?nxi?ng) after the Xinghuacun Fenjiu Distillery.
- Rice aroma (??, m?xi?ng): The character of this class of liquor is exemplified by baijiu distilled from rice, such as Sanhuajiu (???) from Guilin. This type of liquor has long history and is made using rice-based Rhizopus spp.-type qu starters (??, xi?oq?, lit. "little qu"). It has a clean mouth-feel and is slightly aromatic aroma, dominated by ethyl lactate with lesser flavour contributions by ethyl acetate.
- Phoenix aroma (??, fèngxi?ng): A class of distilled liquor fermented in mud pits and aged in rattan containers. Liquors of this class have a fruity taste similar to strong-aroma baijiu, but also an earthier quality and an expanding finish. An example of this type of liquor is Xifengjiu from Fengxiang County in Shaanxi.
- Mixed aroma (??, ji?nxi?ng): A class of distilled liquors that is a blend of two or more varieties of baijiu. As such, liquors of this class vary widely in their aroma, mouth-feel, and dryness.
- Sesame aroma (???, zh?maxi?ng): A class of liquor distilled from sorghum, millet or barley in stone pits with mud floors. Invented by the Jingzhi Distillery in the 1950s, sesame aroma employs similar production techniques to sauce-aroma baijiu, and has a charred, nutty flavor.
- "Chi" aroma (??, ch?xi?ng)
- Medicine aroma (??, yàoxi?ng)
- Extra-strong aroma (???, fùyùxi?ng)
- Special aroma (??, tèxi?ng)
- "Laobaigan" aroma (????, l?obáig?nxi?ng)
- Small-qu light aroma (????, xi?oq? q?ngxi?ng)
Types
Winemaking in China predates baijiu by thousands of years. When liquor arrived there were already a number of regional variations in alcohol production technique across the country, and some of these have been incorporated into baijiu making. The practice of infusing alcohol with herbs, spices, fruits and other ingredients has its roots in traditional Chinese medicine, but is also done purely for flavor. The practice of infusing spirits is a common practice throughout China.
Sub-categories and Regional Variations
- Fenjiu (??, fénji?): this liquor dates back to the Northern and Southern Dynasties (AD 550). It is the original Chinese sorghum baijiu. Alcohol content by volume: 63-65%.
- Erguotou (???, èrgu?tóu, lit. "head of the second pot") is a strong, clear distilled liquor. It is often inexpensive and thus particularly popular among blue-collar workers across northern and northeastern China. It is probably the most commonly-drunk baijiu in Beijing and is frequently associated with that city. Red Star (??, Hóngx?ng) is a popular brand.
- Kaoliang wine (???, g?oliángji?): Kaoliang is an old spelling for the Chinese word for a specific type of sorghum. The liquor originates from Dazhigu (???, located east of Tianjin), first appearing in the Ming Dynasty. Nowadays, Taiwan is a large producer of Kaoliang wine. Alcohol content by volume: 54-63%.
- Daqujiu (???, Dàq?ji?): Originally from Sichuan, with 300 years of history. This liquor is made with sorghum and wheat and is fermented for a long time. Alcohol content by volume: 52%.
- Sanhuajiu (???, S?nhu?ji?, lit. "Three Flowers Liquor"):photo a rice liquor made in Guilin with allegedly over a thousand-year history. It is famous for the fragrant herbal addition, and the use of spring water from Mount Xiang in the region. Alcohol content by volume: 55-57%.
- Shuangzhengjiu (???, shu?ngzh?ngji?, lit. "double-distilled liquor") and Sanzhengjiu (???, s?nzh?ngji?, lit. "triple-distilled liquor", formerly known as "samshu"): Two varieties of rice-aroma baijiu from the area of Jiujiang in Jiangxi and in Guangzhou Province, made by distilling twice and three times respectively. Alcohol content by volume: 32% and 38-39% respectively. "Samshu" was the name by which most foreign travelers knew baijiu during the Qing Dynasty.
Brands
- Yanghe (??, yánghé): Yanghe Daqu was first made in the Sui and Tang dynasties. It began to flourish in the Ming and Qing dynasties, and was presented as tribute to Qing royals. After the founding of the country, the famous liquor was able to be enjoyed by citizens across the nation. Carrying on millennia of traditional craftsmanship, Yanghe Daqu uses only the highest quality sorghum as a base, and only the best wheat, barley and peas as high-temperature fermenting agents.
- Luzhou Laojiao (????): Luzhou Laojiao is one of the most popular liquors within China, with history extending over 400 years. It is famed for the quality of its distillation along with its unique aroma and mouth-feel, the latter of which is due to the unique clay used within the brewing environment, which infuses the spirit with the taste it is so renowned for.
- Liulingzui jiu(???):Brand of Liulingzui originates from Wei and Jin Dynasties, and till now has nearly two- thousand years of history. The wine is made by strictly following the traditional process of Five Untensils. Its special quality is favored by the consumers. Liulingzui has achieved a lot of prizes and awards, such as: Special Gold Award of the Paris Exposition, the first batch of China Food Cultural Heritage, the first batch of China's Time-honored Brand, National Geographical Indication Products and the National Key Cultural Relics Protection Units.
- Wuliangye (???, W?liángyè) is a strong, aged distilled liquor produced in the city of Yibin in southern Sichuan. Its factory includes a Liquor History Museum on its grounds. Wuliangye uses five grains (sorghum, rice, glutinous rice, corn, wheat) as its raw material, hence the name "Five-Grain Drink". The water which is used to brew Wuliangye is from the middle of Min River.
- Jiugui (??, ji?gu?, lit. "drunk ghost" or "drunkard") is a clear distilled liquor made from spring water, sorghum, glutinous rice, and wheat. It is produced by the Hunan Jiugui Liquor Co., Ltd. in the town of Zhenwu near Jishou in the Xiangxi Tujia and Miao Autonomous Prefecture in the western part of Hunan. It ranges from 38% to 54% alcohol by volume.
- Gujinggongjiu(????, g?j?inggongjiu, lit. "Tradition liqueur from well") is a traditional Chinese liqueur made from water from a well in Bozhou, Anhui Province. The history began in Southern and Northern dynasty (AD196), people lived in Bozhou found that there was an old well that produced very clean and sweet, so they started use the water to produce the tea and liqueur. Then, it was famous in ancient China so people contributed this liqueur to the king, Xie Liu who is the emperor of Han. It is produced by the Bozhou Gujinggongjiu Liquor Co., Ltd. at Anhui Province. It ranges from 38% to 50% alcohol by volume.
- Kweichow Moutai (????, Guìzh?u Máotái): this liquor has a production history of over 200 years, originally coming from the town of Maotai in Guizhou. It is made from wheat and sorghum with a unique distilling process that involves seven iterations of the brewing cycle. This liquor became known to the world after winning a gold medal at the 1915 Panama-Pacific Exposition in San Francisco, California. Mao Zedong served Moutai at state dinners during Richard Nixon's state visit to China, and Henry Kissinger once remarked to Deng Xiaoping that, "if we drink enough Maotai, we can solve anything". Alcohol content by volume: 54-55%.
- Guotai (???, Guotai Spirits) is distilled seven times to produce a crisp, clear flavor, that is perfect for any occasion. The authentic spirit is made from wheat and a special grain - lush Red Sorghum which is meticulously cultivated in China's agricultural heartland. Asia's highest quality brand of Baijiu, Guotai uses an ancient Chinese distillation process, resulting in an exceptional hand-crafted spirit that honors tradition.
- Yuk Bing Siu Zau (????, Yùb?ng Sh?oji?) or roulaoshao (???, ròuláosh?o): a Cantonese rice liquor with over 100 years of history, made with steamed rice. After distillation, pork fat is stored with the liquor but removed before bottling. Its name probably derives from the brewing process: in Cantonese, "jade" (yuk) is a homophone of "meat", and bing means "ice", which describes the appearance of the pork fat floating in the liquor. Cantonese rice wine breweries prospered in the Northern Song Dynasty, when the Foshan area was exempted from alcohol tax. Alcohol content by volume: 30%.
- Xifeng Jiu
Popular Infusions
- Mei Kuei Lu Chiew (????, méigu?luji?, lit. "rose essence liquor"): A variety of baijiu distilled with a special species of rose and crystal sugar. Alcohol content by volume: 54-55%.
- Osmanthus wine (???) is a distilled liquor flavored with sweet osmanthus flowers. Its alcohol content is 17-18%.
- Wu Chia Pi Chiew (????, W?ji?píji?): a variety of baijiu with a unique selection of Chinese herbal medicine (including Angelica sinensis) added to the brew. Alcohol content by volume: 54-55%.
- Chu Yeh Ching (????, zhúyèq?nqji?, lit. "bamboo-leaf green liquor"): this sweet liquor, produced in Shanxi, is made from Fenjiu brewed with a dozen or more selected Chinese herbal medicines. One of the ingredients is bamboo leaves, which gives the liquor a yellowish-green color and its name. Its alcohol content ranges between 38 and 46% by volume.
- To Mei Chiew (???, túwéiji?) is a Cantonese liquor produced in Xiaolan Town near Zhongshan in Guangdong. It is made from rice baijiu, with added to mei flowers and crystal sugar syrup. Aged for more than one year. 30% alcohol by volume.
- Pi Lu Chiew (???, bìl?ji?, lit. "jade green liquor"): From Wuhan, this liquor is infused with Chinese medicinal herbs and sugar.
- Imperial Lotus White Chiew (????, Yàlián báiji?): This is a variety of baijiu infused with twenty medicinal herbs. It was first produced for the Chinese royal family in 1790.
- Chajiu (??, cháji?, lit. "tea liquor") is a product of fairly recent origin. It consists of baijiu flavored with tea leaves and hawthorn berries. It is usually a light reddish-brown in color (similar to oolong tea) and varieties made with oolong, green, and black tea are available. Chajiu is produced by several manufacturers, primarily in the Sichuan province. Although the strength differs according to the brand and variety, chajiu ranges between 8% and 28% alcohol by volume.
See also
- Chinese alcoholic beverages
- Wine in China
- Huangjiu
- Oghi
- Soju
References
Further reading
- Derek Sandhaus, Baijiu: The Essential Guide to Chinese Spirits (Penguin Australia, 2014).
External links
- Baijiu Case Study
Source of the article : Wikipedia
0 Comments