Baijiu Addiction

Food & Beverage > Alcoholic

Description

Baijiu (Chinese: ç�½é��; pinyin: bÃ¡ijiÇ�), or shaojiu (ç�§é��) is a Chinese distilled alcoholic beverage. The name baijiu literally means "white liquor," "white alcohol" or "white spirits". Baijiu is often mistakenly translated as "wine" or "white wine," but it is actually a distilled liquor, generally about 80 to 120 proof, or 40-60% alcohol by volume (ABV) (ethanol).

Baijiu is a clear drink usually distilled from sorghum, although sometimes other grains may be used; baijiu varieties produced in southern China are typically made from glutinous rice, while those from northern China are generally made of sorghum, wheat, barley, millet, or occasionally Job's tears.

Because of its clarity, baijiu can appear similar to several other liquors, but generally has a significantly higher ABV than, for example, vodka (35-50%), Japanese shÅ�chÅ« (25%), or Korean soju (20-45%), and its flavour is distinctive and unique.

Serving

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 which are used to serve sake and soju, although as a drink baijiu differs significantly from the latter two beverages. Baijiu is generally sold in glass or ceramic bottles and consumed in shot glasses much like vodka. It is traditional to consume baijiu together with food rather than drinking it on its own, though the latter is not uncommon.

In 2007, there was a report in Time magazine that mentioned integrating baijiu into cocktails.[1]

Taste

There are a number of accounts in English which comment unfavorably on the taste of baijiu, comparing it with, for example paint thinner, rubbing alcohol or diesel fuel. The typically high ABV of much baijiu is commonly cited as the reason for these impressions.[1][2]

Pricing

Low grades of baijiu can be quite inexpensive; a bottle of roughly eight ounces may be purchased for the same price as a can of beer. However, higher grades, which are often aged for many years, can be quite expensive; the highest grade of Wuliangye (äº�ç²®æ¶²) retails for 26,800 yuan (US$3,375).[2] Some popular varieties of baijiu include Maotai jiu, gaoliang jiu, erguotou, and Wuliangye.

Classification

While Chinese fermented wines, or huangjiu, have a wide variety of classification methods, baijiu are grouped primarily by their fragrance.

* "Sauce" fragrance (é�¬é¦�; pinyin: jiÃ ng xiÄ�ng): A highly fragrant distilled liquor of bold character. To the Western palate, sauce fragrance baijiu can be quite challenging. It has solvent and barnyard aromas, with the former, in combination with the ethanol in the liquor, imparting a sharp ammonia-like note. It has been described as stinky tofu crossed with grappa. To the initiated, it is quite delicious and is considered the perfect complement for fine preserved and pickled foods (é�¬è��, jÃ¬ang cÃ i). This class is also referred to as "Mao xiang" (è��é¦�), after the best known wine of this class, Maotai.
* Heavy/thick fragrance (æ¿�é¦� or ç��é¦�; pinyin: nÃ³ng xiÄ�ng or lÃº xÄ«ang)ï¼� 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. Most liquors of this class are made using Aspergillus type starters. Example of this type of liquor is Five Grains Liquid (Wuliangye, äº�ç²®æ¶²) of Yibin.
* Light fragrance (æ¸�é¦� or æ±¾é¦�; pinyin: qÄ«ng xiÄ�ng or fÄ�n xiÄ�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. An example of this kind of liquor is Fen jiu (æ±¾é��; pinyin: fÃ©n jiÇ�) of Shanxi.
* Rice fragrance (ç±³é¦�; pinyin: mÇ� xiÄ�ng): The character of this class of wine is exemplified by baijiu distilled from rice, such as Tri-Flower Liquor (San Hua jiu, ä¸�è�±é��) of Guilin. This type of wine has long history and is made using Rhizopus spp. type starters ("Small starter"). It has a clean mouthfeel and is slightly aromatic aroma, dominated by ethyl lactate with lesser flavour contributions by ethyl acetate.
* Honey fragrance (è��é¦�; pinyin: fÄ�ng xiÄ�ng): A class of distilled liquor with the fragrance of honey. Liquors of this class are subtle in flavour and sweet in taste.
* Layered fragrance (å�¼é¦� or å¾©é¦�; pinyin: jiÄ�n xiÄ�ng or fÃ¹ xiÄ�ng): A class of distilled liquors that contain the characters of "Sauce", Heavy, and Light fragrance distilled liquors. As such, liquors of this class vary widely in their aroma, mouthfeel, and dryness. An example of this type of liquor is Xifeng Jiu (è¥¿å�¤é��; literally "Western Phoenix Liquor"), produced in Fengxiang (Phoenix Flying, å�¤ç¿�) County of Shaanxi.

Types of baijiu

Unflavored

* Fen jiu (æ±¾é��; pinyin: fÃ©n jiÇ�): this liquor dates back to the Northern and Southern Dynasties (550 A.D.). It is the original Chinese white liquor made from sorghum. Alcohol content by volume: 63-65%.[3]
* Erguotou (äº�é��å¤´; pinyin: Ã¨rguÅ�tÃ³u; 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 (çº¢æ��, hÃ³ng xÄ«ng) is a popular brand found in Beijing homes everywhere.
* Maotai jiu (è��å�°é��; pinyin: MÃ¡otÃ¡i jiÇ�): this liquor has a production history of over 200 years, originally coming from the town of Maotai, 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 maotai 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."[2] Alcohol content by volume: 54-55%.
* Gaoliang jiu (é«�ç²±é��; pinyin: gÄ�oliÃ¡ng jiÇ�): "Gaoliang", commonly written "Kaoliang", is the Chinese word for a specific type of sorghum. The wine originates from Dazhigu (å¤§ç�´æ²½, located east of Tianjin), first appearing in the Ming Dynasty. Nowadays, Taiwan is a large producer of gaoliang jiu. Alcohol content by volume: 54-63%.[4]
* Daqu jiu (å¤§éº´é��; pinyin: dÃ qÅ« jiÇ�): Originally from Sichuan with 300 years of history. This wine is made with sorghum and wheat and is fermented for a long time. Alcohol content by volume: 52%.
* Shuang zheng jiu (é��è�¸é��; pinyin: shuÄ�ng zhÄ�ng jiÇ�; lit. "double distilled wine") and San zheng jiu (ä¸�è�¸é��; sÄ�n zhÄ�ng jiÇ�, lit. "triple distilled wine"): two varieties of rice wine from the area of Jiujiang, Jiangxi, made by distilling twice and three times respectively. Alcohol content by volume: 32% and 38-39% respectively. [5]

* Wuliangye (äº�ç²®æ¶²; pinyin: wÇ� liÃ¡ng yÃ¨) is a strong, aged distilled liquor produced in the city of Yibin, in southern Sichuan. [6] Its factory includes, on its grounds, a Liquor History Museum. [7]
* Jiugui (é��é¬¼; pinyin: jiÇ� guÇ�; lit. "drunkard" or "alcoholic"; also called Sot) 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, in Jishou county-level city, Xiangxi Tujia and Miao Autonomous Prefecture, in the western part of the Hunan province, and ranges from 38% to 54% alcohol by volume. [8]

Flavored

* Meiguilu jiu (ç�«ç�°é�²é��; sold as Mei Kuei Lu Chiew; pinyin: mÃ©iguÄ«lÃ²u jiÇ�; lit. "rose essence liquor"): a variety of gaoliang jiu distilled with a special species of rose and crystal sugar. Alcohol content by volume: 54-55%. [9][10]
* Guihua chen jiu (æ¡�è�±é��é��) is a distilled liquor flavored with Sweet Osmanthus flowers. Its alcohol content is 17-18%. [11]
* Wujiapi jiu (äº�å� ç�®é��; sold as Wu Chia Pi Chiew; pinyin: wÇ� jiÄ� pÃ jiÇ�): a variety of gaoliang jiu with a unique selection of Chinese herbal medicine (including Angelica sinensis) added to the brew. Alcohol content by volume: 54-55%. [12]
* Yuk Bing Siu Zau (ç��å�°ç��é��; Mandarin: yÃ¹ bÄ«ng shÄ�o jiÇ�; less commonly known as è��é�ªç��, Mandarin: rÃ²u lÃ¡o shÄ�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, yuk ("jade") 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%.
* Sanhua jiu (ä¸�è�±é��; pinyin: sÄ�nhuÄ� jiÇ�, 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 Elephant in the region. Alcohol content by volume: 55-57%.[13]

* Zhuyeqing jiu (ç«¹è��é��é��; pinyin: zhÃºyÃ¨ qÄ«nq jiÇ�, lit. "bamboo leaf green liquor"; also spelled Chu Yeh Ching):photo this sweet liquor, produced in Shanxi, is fen jiu 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 percent by volume. [14]
* To Mei Chiew (è�¼è��é��; Mandarin: tÃº wÃ©i jiÇ�) is a Cantonese liquor produced in Xiaolan Town, Zhongshan prefecture-level city, Guangdong province, from rice wine, with added to mei (è�¼è��) flowers and crystal sugar syrup. Aged for more than one year. 30% alcohol by volume. [15]
* Pi Lu Chiew (ç¢§ç¶ é��; pinyin: bÃ¬ lÇ� jiÇ�; lit. "jade/emerald green liquor"):photo Of Wuhan origin, this liquor is infused with Chinese medicinal herbs and sugar. [16]
* Imperial Lotus White Chiew (å¾¡è�®ç�½é��; pinyin: yÃ liÃ¡n bÃ¡i jiÇ�; lit. "court lotus white liquor"): This is a variety of kaoliang jiu (sorghum liquor), infused with twenty medicinal herbs. It was first produced for the Chinese royal family in 1790.[17]
* Chajiu (è�¶é��; pinyin: chÃ¡ jiÇ�, literally "tea liquor") is a product of fairly recent origin. It consists of gaoliang jiu 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.
* Xifeng Jiu

References

1. ^ Jim Tharpe (2008-04-07). "Dry Perdue makes do in wet China". The Atlanta Journal-Constitution. http://www.ajc.com/metro/content/business/stories/2008/04/07/chinaperdue.html.
2. ^ a b Jim Yardley (2008-03-08). "Got a Mint, Comrade? Chinese Ban Liquid Lunch". New York Times. http://www.nytimes.com/2008/03/08/world/asia/08china.html.