Baijiu

"白酒" redirects here. It is not to be confused with 燒酒.
A glass and bottle of Jiugui brand baijiu
Baijiu

"Baijiu" in Chinese characters
Chinese 白酒
Literal meaning "white (clear) alcohol"
Alternative Chinese name
Traditional Chinese 燒酒
Simplified Chinese 烧酒

Baijiu (Chinese: 白酒; pinyin: báijiǔ), also known as shaojiu or archaically as sorghum wine, is a Chinese alcoholic beverage made from grain. Báijiǔ literally means "white (clear) alcohol" or liquor, and is a strong distilled spirit, generally between 40 and 60% alcohol by volume (ABV).

Báijiǔ is a clear liquid usually distilled from fermented sorghum, although other grains may be used; southern China versions may employ glutinous rice, while northern Chinese varieties may use wheat, barley, millet, or even Job's tears instead of sorghum. The jiuqu starter culture used in the production of baijiu mash is usually made of pulverized wheat grains.[1][2][3][4][5][6]

Because of its clarity, baijiu can appear similar to several other East Asian liquors, but it generally has a significantly higher alcohol content than, for example, Japanese shōchū (25%) or Korean soju (20–45%). It is closer to vodka in strength and mouth-feel.

History

Chinese liquor, which has been made for over 5000 years,[7][8][9] is characterized by a double semisolid-state fermentation using fungi as the main microbial starter for the saccharification. This is a typical feature of liquors produced in the Far East. The brewing of Chinese baijiu mainly uses grain except for a few that use fruit.[10][11][12]

Serving

The Chinese traditionally serve baijiu either warm or at room temperature in a small ceramic bottle. They then pour the baijiu into small cups. Baijiu may be purchased as a set of items consisting of bottles of baijiu, a small heater, and four to six small cups . The serving method and containers are similar to those used for sake and soju, though baijiu differs significantly. Baijiu is generally sold in glass or ceramic bottles and consumed in shot glasses, much like vodka. It is traditional to drink baijiu with food rather than on its own, though the latter is not uncommon.

In 2007, a report in Time magazine mentioned integrating baijiu into cocktails.[13]

Pricing

Low grades of baijiu can be quite 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).[14] Some popular varieties of baijiu include Moutai, kaoliang, erguotou, Luzhou Laojiao, and Wuliangye.

Classification

Crockery jars of locally-made baijiu in a liquor store in Haikou, Hainan, China, with signs indicating alcoholic content and price per jin (500 grams)

Unlike huangjiu, which has a wide variety of classification methods, baijiu are grouped primarily by their fragrance. Baijiu has a distinctive smell and taste that is highly valued in Chinese culinary culture. Connoisseurs of the beverage focus especially on its fragrance. However, taking into account of the thousands of years of baijiu history, this classification according to aroma only started in August 1979, for the convenience of 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. Nowadays, this aroma classification has become a limitation for the further development and continuation of the vast variety of baijiu, many of which taste brilliant but do not have the distinct fragrance types so widely studied in recent decades. Furthermore, many fragrance categories are simply an advertising hype, in order to distinguish a particular brand from other brands.

Types of baijiu

A jar of Gaoliang jiu
A glass and bottle of Zhuyeqing jiu from Shanxi province

Unflavored

Flavored

See also

References

  1. ↑ Zheng, Xiao‐Wei, et al. "Daqu—A traditional Chinese liquor fermentation starter." Journal of the Institute of Brewing 117.1 (2011): 82-90.
  2. ↑ Rong and Fa, Grandiose Survey of Chinese Alcoholic Drinks and Beverages, 2013, http://www.jiangnan.edu.cn/zhgjiu/umain.htm
  3. ↑ Xiaoqing Mu et al Solid-State Fermented Alcoholic Beverages, in Chen, Jian, and Yang Zhu, eds. Solid State Fermentation for Foods and Beverages. CRC Press, 2013.
  4. ↑ Wang, H‐Y., et al. "Characterization and comparison of microbial community of different typical Chinese liquor Daqus by PCR–DGGE." Letters in applied microbiology 53.2 (2011): 134-140.
  5. ↑ Zheng, Xiao-Wei, et al. "Complex microbiota of a Chinese “ Fen” liquor fermentation starter ( Fen- Daqu), revealed by culture-dependent and culture-independent methods." Food microbiology 31.2 (2012): 293-300.
  6. ↑ Xiong, X., et al. "PCR-DGGE Analysis of the Microbial Communities in Three Different Chinese" Baiyunbian" Liquor Fermentation Starters." Journal of microbiology and biotechnology (2014).
  7. ↑ Huang, H. T. "Science and civilisation in China. Volume 6. Biology and biological technology. Part V: fermentations and food science." (2000).
  8. ↑ Huang et al Chinese Wines: Jiu, in Hui, Yiu H., ed. Handbook of food science, technology, and engineering. Vol. 149. CRC press, 2006.
  9. ↑ Shurtleff, William, and Akiko Aoyagi. History of Koji-Grains And/or Soybeans Enrobed with a Mold Culture (300 BCE To 2012): Extensively Annotated Bibliography and Sourcebook. Soyinfo Center, 2012.
  10. ↑ Huang, H. T. "Science and civilisation in China. Volume 6. Biology and biological technology. Part V: fermentations and food science." (2000).
  11. ↑ Huang et al Chinese Wines: Jiu, in Hui, Yiu H., ed. Handbook of food science, technology, and engineering. Vol. 149. CRC press, 2006.
  12. ↑ Shurtleff, William, and Akiko Aoyagi. History of Koji-Grains And/or Soybeans Enrobed with a Mold Culture (300 BCE To 2012): Extensively Annotated Bibliography and Sourcebook. Soyinfo Center, 2012.
  13. ↑ "Global Adviser". Time. 2007-07-16. Retrieved 2010-04-26.
  14. ↑ "Wuliangye Distillery". Cbw.com. Archived from the original on 16 June 2011. Retrieved 2011-06-21.
  15. ↑ Archived May 7, 2005, at the Wayback Machine.
  16. ↑ Archived January 12, 2007, at the Wayback Machine.
  17. ↑ Archived February 23, 2005, at the Wayback Machine.
  18. ↑ "Wuliangye Distillery". Cbw.com. Archived from the original on 16 June 2011. Retrieved 2011-06-21.
  19. ↑ "Wuliangye Distillery – Introduction". Cbw.com. Archived from the original on 16 June 2011. Retrieved 2011-06-21.
  20. ↑ "Xiangjiugui". Xiangjiugui.cn. Retrieved 2011-06-21.
  21. ↑ Archived April 10, 2008, at the Wayback Machine.
  22. ↑
  23. ↑ Jim Yardley (2008-03-08). "Got a Mint, Comrade? Chinese Ban Liquid Lunch". New York Times.
  24. ↑ Archived May 7, 2005, at the Wayback Machine.
  25. ↑ Archived May 7, 2005, at the Wayback Machine.
  26. ↑ Archived May 7, 2005, at the Wayback Machine.
  27. ↑ photo
  28. ↑ Archived February 23, 2005, at the Wayback Machine.
  29. ↑ Archived May 7, 2005, at the Wayback Machine.
  30. ↑ photo
  31. ↑ Archived January 12, 2007, at the Wayback Machine.
  32. ↑ Archived February 23, 2005, at the Wayback Machine.

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