Wikipedia

Rice wine

Rice wine is an alcoholic beverage fermented from rice, traditionally consumed in East Asia, Southeast Asia and South Asia, where rice is a quintessential staple crop. Rice wine is made by the fermentation of rice starch, during which microbes enzymatically convert polysaccharides to sugar and then to ethanol.[1] The Chinese mijiu (most famous being huangjiu), Japanese sake, and Korean cheongju, dansul and takju are some of the most notable types of rice wine.

Bottles of Sombai Cambodian infused rice wines

Rice wine typically has an alcohol content of 10–25% ABV, and is typically served warm. One panel of taste testers arrived at 60 °C (140 °F) as an optimum serving temperature.[2] Rice wines are drunk as a dining beverage in East Asian, Southeast Asian and South Asian cuisine during formal dinners and banquets, and are also used as cooking wines to add flavors or to neutralize unwanted tastes in certain food items (e.g. seafood such as fish and shellfish).

History

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The production of rice wine has thousands of years of history. In ancient China, rice wine was the primary alcoholic drink. Rice wine is one of the oldest fermented beverages, with the oldest evidence of rice wine being a rice and honey drink found in central China about 9,000 years ago.[3] In the Shang Dynasty (1750-1100 BCE), funerary objects routinely featured wine vessels.[4] The production of rice wine in Japan is believed to have started around third century BCE, after the introduction of wet rice cultivation.[5]

As a result of Alexander the Great's expedition to India, the Roman Empire had begun importing rice wine by the first century BCE.[6]

Production

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Despite being called a wine, the rice wine's production process has some similarities to that of brewing beer, reflecting its chief ingredient being a grain rather than a fruit. The specific approaches to making rice wine vary by type. Some rice wine (such as the Chinese rice wine, or mijiu) is made from glutinous rice, while others (such as the Japanese Sake) is made from non-glutinous rice. However, all systems combine rice with some fungal culture in some ways. The fungal culture is called jiuqu in Chinese and koji in Japanese. In the traditional Chinese rice-wine-making approach, the glutinous rice is soaked for several days before being steamed, and subsequently is left to cool in a ceramic vat at near room temperature. Then, the jiuqu is added and mixed with the rice. The primary functions of jiuqu are to supply enzymes to convert starch to sugar and to supply yeast for ethanol production. After a few days, the liquid formed in the ceramic vat is combined with an additional mix of water and fungi to adjust the rice wine's water content.[7]

Types

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Name Place of origin Region of origin Description
Agkud Philippines Southeast Asia Fermented rice paste or rice wine of the Manobo people from Bukidnon
Apong India South Asia Indigenous to the Mising tribe, an indigenous Assamese community from the northeastern states of Assam and Arunachal Pradesh
Ara Bhutan Also made with millet, or maize
Beopju Korea East Asia A variety of cheongju
Brem Bali, Indonesia Southeast Asia
Cơm rượu Vietnam Made from glutinous rice.
Cheongju Korea East Asia Clear; refined
Cholai West Bengal, India South Asia Reddish
Choujiu Xi'an, Shaanxi, China East Asia A milky wine made with glutinous rice
Chuak India South Asia Milky rice wine from Tripura, India
Chhaang Nepal, India, Bhutan Milky rice wine from Nepal, Northeast India, Bhutan
Dansul Korea East Asia Milky; sweet
Gwaha-ju Fortified
Hakka Meizhou, Guangdong, China Made from red yeast rice and glutinous rice
Hariya India South Asia White; watery
Handia White; watery, from Chhattisgarh, Jharkhand, Odisha, Uttar Pradesh and Bihar, India
Hanji South Asia,

Southeast Asia

 Native to Chakma community living in India, Myanmar, Bangladesh. It is a fermented wine made from rice and apparently is white in colour. And is majorly consumed during festive season.
Huangjiu China East Asia Fermented, literally "yellow wine" or "yellow liquor", with colors varying from clear to brown or brownish red
Judima India South Asia Fermented, distinguished by the use of a local wild herb called thembra
Lao-Lao Laos Southeast Asia Clear
Lihing Sabah, Malaysian Borneo Traditional rice wine of the indigenous Kadazan-Dusun usually served during festive including Kaamatan.[8] Produced through a rice fermentation process using glutinous rice with natural yeast, fermentation takes two to three months to produce a drink with a higher alcohol content.[9]
Laopani (Xaaj) India South Asia Made from fermented rice; popular in Assam. Concentrated (pale yellow coloured extract) of the same is called Rohi
Lugdi Milky rice wine from Himachal Pradesh, India
Makgeolli Korea East Asia Milky
Mijiu China A clear, sweet liqueur made from fermented glutinous rice
Mirin Japan Used in cooking
Pangasi Philippines Southeast Asia Rice wines with ginger from the Visayas and Mindanao islands of the Philippines. Sometimes made with job's tears or cassava.[10]
Phú Lộc rice wine Vietnam The spirit is made from sticky rice fermented with a traditional strain of yeast.
Rượu cần Drunk through long, thin bamboo tubes.
Rượu nếp Mildly alcoholic Vietnamese pudding or wine made from fermented glutinous rice.
Rượu đế Made of either glutinous or non-glutinous rice.
Sake Japan East Asia The term "sake", in Japanese, literally means "alcohol", and the Japanese rice wine is usually termed nihonshu (日本酒; "Japanese liquor") in Japan. It is the most widely known type of rice wine in North America because of its ubiquitous appearance in Japanese restaurants.
Sato Northeast Thailand Southeast Asia Sato is a traditional northeastern Thailand (Isan) alcoholic fermented drink that has been made for centuries from starchy glutinous or sticky rice by growers in that region.
Shaoxing Shaoxing, Zhejiang, China East Asia One of the most famous varieties of huangjiu, or traditional Chinese wines
Sra peang Northeastern Cambodia Southeast Asia Cloudy white rice wine indigenous to several ethnic groups in Northeastern Cambodia (Mondulkiri and Ratanakiri).
Sulai India South Asia Rice wine from Assam region
Sonti Andhra Pradesh, Telangana
Sunda Kanji Rice wine from Tamil Nadu
Tapai Austronesia Southeast Asia —
Tapuy Philippines Also called baya or tapey. Clear rice wine from Banaue and Mountain Province in the Philippines
Tuak Borneo Dayak
Leiyi, Zam, Khar, Paso and Chathur India South Asia Varieties of wine and beer from Manipur region[11]
Zutho Rice wine from Nagaland
Zu Rice wine from Mizoram

Typical Chinese Dishes with Mijiu

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Mijiu (米酒) is an important ingredient in many traditional Chinese desserts and dishes.

Egg Drop Mijiu (蛋花米酒) [12][13][14]

First, rice, water, mijiu, and sugar are added in a pot and heat it until it boils. Meanwhile, beat an egg in another bowl. Pour the beaten egg in a circular motion into the boiling mass to create wisps of ribbons. Feel free to add sugar to match your preferred level of sweetness. This dessert is usually served warm and has a smooth creamy texture.

Mijiu Sticky Rice Balls (米酒湯圓) [14]

Bring a pot of water to boil and add sticky rice balls. Let simmer until they float and have a soft, chewy, mochi-like texture and appearance. Once they are cooked, add mijiu to your liking and let it boil again. Some people will add more sugar or slices of ginger to enhance the flavour. This dish is usually served around Lunar New Year.

Mijiu with Eggs, Milk, and Jujube (雞蛋牛奶紅棗米酒) [12]

Bring a pot of water to boil and add pitted jujube. After boiling for 5 more minutes, add mijiu and beaten eggs in a circular motion. While stirring the pot, add goji berries and milk. Feel free to add more sugar to your preferred level of sweetness. This dish is more popular in southern china for women who had just given birth or women who have inconsistent periods.

Chilled Fruit Juice with Mijiu (冰鎮果汁米酒) [13]

Mijiu becomes even sweeter after being chilled. Chill mijiu in the fridge for 2 to 3 days and add to fruit juice of your choice to make this drink. You can also make popsicles in this manner. This dessert is perfect for the summer.

See also

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References

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  1. ↑ Huang, H. T. (2000). Fermentations and Food Science. Science and Civilisation in China. Cambridge University Press. ISBN 978-0-521-65270-4.[page needed]
  2. ↑ Xu, Wenhu; Jiang, Jianzhong; Xu, Qixiang; Zhong, Min (February 2021). "Drinking tastes of Chinese rice wine under different heating temperatures analyzed by gas chromatography–mass spectrometry and tribology tests". Journal of Texture Studies. 52 (1): 124–136. doi:10.1111/jtxs.12571. PMID 33184839.
  3. ↑ Borrell, Brendan. "The Origin of Wine". Scientific American. Retrieved 2023-01-10.
  4. ↑ Poo, Mu-Chou (1999). "The Use and Abuse of Wine in Ancient China". Journal of the Economic and Social History of the Orient. 42 (2): 123–151. doi:10.1163/1568520991446820. JSTOR 3632333.
  5. ↑ "Sake". Britannica.
  6. ↑ Kiple, Kenneth F.; Ornelas, Kriemhild Coneè, eds. (2000). The Cambridge World History of Food. doi:10.1017/chol9780521402149. ISBN 978-1-139-05863-6.
  7. ↑ Miao, Zijian; Hao, Huiyi; Yan, Ruyu; Wang, Xinlei; Wang, Bowen; Sun, Jinyuan; Li, Zexia; Zhang, Yuhang; Sun, Baoguo (December 2022). "Individualization of Chinese alcoholic beverages: Feasibility towards a regulation of organic acids". LWT. 172 114168. doi:10.1016/j.lwt.2022.114168.
  8. ↑ NA, Ismail (28 January 2024). "Kenali 5 Jenis Arak Tradisional Warisan Masyarakat Sabah" [Get to know 5 types of traditional liquor from the heritage of Sabah community]. ILoveBorneo.my (in Malay). Archived from the original on 7 October 2025. Retrieved 7 October 2025.
  9. ↑ "KINOMOL AND LIHING [Introduction and history]". National Department for Culture and Arts, Malaysia. Archived from the original on 18 October 2025. Retrieved 18 October 2025.
  10. ↑ Gico, Emma T.; Ybarzabal, Evelyn R. (20 November 2018). "Indigenous Rice Wine Making in Central Panay, Philippines". Central Philippine University. Retrieved 4 May 2019.
  11. ↑ Luithui, Chonchuirinmayo (August 29, 2014). "Who Killed The Rice Beer?". Kangla Online. Archived from the original on October 25, 2020. Retrieved September 14, 2019.
  12. 1 2 太古风华有机酒酿. "米酒怎么喝？". zhihu.
  13. 1 2 "米酒的几种吃法-百度经验". jingyan.baidu.com. Retrieved 2026-05-10.
  14. 1 2 "米酒吃法：甜米酒如何烹菜加倍提升味感". sn.cri.cn. Retrieved 2026-05-10.

Further reading

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  • Campbell-Platt, Geoffrey (2009). Food Science and Technology. Wiley. pp. 86–91. ISBN 978-1-4443-1648-3.
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