Fangxian Huangjiu [Hubei Fangxian Specialty]

What is Fangxian Huangjiu? Authentic specialty of Fangxian County, Hubei Province: Fangxian Huangjiu

Summary:Do you want to know what Fangxian Huangjiu is? This article is a detailed introduction to the special product of Fangxian County, Hubei Province - Fangxian Huangjiu. It was compiled and edited by the editorial team of China Specialty Network after reviewing and collecting relevant information on Fangxian Huangjiu. The full text takes about 13 minutes to read, mainly including the basic introduction of Fangxian Huangjiu and its nutritional value? What are the product characteristics of Fangxian Huangjiu? How did the history of Fangxian Huangjiu come about? The production method of Fangxian Huangjiu, etc

Basic Introduction to Fangxian Huangjiu

"Fangling Huangjiu" has a long history and was formerly known as "Fengjiang Imperial Wine" and "Emperor Fenghuang Huangjiu". According to historical records, Shaoxing Huangjiu was first produced during the reign of King Goujian of Yue in 492 BC, while "Fangling Huangjiu" had already become a "frontier imperial wine" as early as 827 BC during the Western Zhou Dynasty

Usage Content

There are many classification methods for Fangxian Huangjiu, which can be divided into Daqu liquor and Xiaoqu liquor according to the different tunes used. Daqu liquor is easy to produce on a large scale, but drinking it can cause headaches. The production of Xiaoqu liquor is low, but the quality of the liquor is high

Huangjiu is made by mixing glutinous rice wine with cold water, separating the grains to make the wine, and then storing it in a jar. After several layers of stacking and storage for a period of time, the wine turns light yellow and has a relatively strong alcohol content. There are also those who drink the original juice directly, namely Fuzi, without adding water. The taste is mellow and long-lasting, but the aftertaste is strong. Drinking hot water after drinking alcohol will make you drunk faster

The uniqueness

lies in its strong regional brewing, which means that only the small koji, glutinous rice, streams, and groundwater from Fang County can be used to brew unique and precious products on the land of Fang County. Fang County Huangjiu has a mild nature, a sweet and mellow taste, and a long-lasting aroma. It is fresh, sweet, and delicious, and does not cause excessive discomfort when consumed. It has the effects of nourishing the meridians and skin, nourishing the spleen and liver, relaxing tendons and promoting blood circulation, refreshing the mind, keeping warm, increasing appetite, strengthening the body, and prolonging life

During the reign of King Xuan of Zhou, the King of Chu sent Yin Jifu, a resident of Fangling (the author of the Book of Songs), as an envoy to pay tribute to King Xuan of Zhou. Yin Jifu brought a jar of "white thatch" (yellow wine) produced by the residents of Fangling and presented it to King Xuan of Zhou. The treasure was presented to the hall and the altar was filled with incense. King Xuan of Zhou tasted it and praised its beauty, then conferred the title of "Fengjiang Imperial Wine". And someone was sent to divide the annual supply of "white thatch" from Fangling into jars of different sizes, and according to the "white thatch", the territory was sealed and rewarded to the feudal lords. Yin Jifu was appointed as the Grand Tutor to support the government. Later on, Yin Jifu became a great man of the generation who was able to govern the country through literature and maintain peace through martial arts

Related Events

During the Han Dynasty, Fangling Huangjiu was widely popular and became a burial item for high-ranking officials and nobles. In 1974, a large number of wine utensils containing Huangjiu were discovered in a Han tomb excavated from Qilihe in Fang County, and one of the large jars still retained the Huangjiu from that time

The second step is to steam rice.

To make wine, first soak the glutinous rice in water for 3-4 hours, then rinse it off, control the water, steam it, and cool it to 27 ℃, which is called "drying rice". Some also pour cold water to cool it down, which is called "pouring rice paste". Grind the rice lumps, then sprinkle the crushed rice flour into it and mix it well, and mix it with some cold water appropriately. Place it in a clay pot or jar, leaving a bowl with a thick bottom in the middle for ventilation and watering

The third is temperature control.

Place the prepared raw materials into the prepared wine pit (made of straw for insulation), control the temperature at 27 ℃ -30 ℃, and generally ferment within 24 hours. When the wine pit is filled with water, use a spoon to scoop the water and evenly pour it onto the surface of the wine lees (called "daotou" in local dialect), then cool it down to 24-25 ℃ appropriately. After 1-2 days, transfer it to a jar and store it in a sealed container for some days. Take it out and pour it into the wine with warm or cold water. The usual ratio of wine is 1:3, that is, one bowl of wine lees is mixed with three bowls of water. After the wine lees float on top, insert a wine strainer (bamboo strip). A woven bamboo basket is used to extract the grains for 24 hours, resulting in a fragrant and delicious yellow wine. If stored for a long time, it is necessary to stack the wine once or twice. The clear wine should be transferred to another container, and the remaining turbid substance (called "wine liang zi" in the local dialect) should be stored separately for making dough or other uses. The resulting bread has a fragrant, sweet, soft, and unparalleled aroma. Huangjiu, after several twists and turns, becomes increasingly clear and turns into a beige color. It is suitable to drink warm or cold depending on the time. In winter, when it is hot, drink Huangjiu to keep warm, and in summer, drink Huangjiu to cool down and quench thirst. To make wine, the first step is to soak the glutinous rice well, usually from breakfast until three or four o'clock after lunch. Then take out the soaked glutinous rice and put it in a broom to drain. When there is no more dripping, it can be steamed in a basket. Add water to the pot, preferably to submerge the bottom three inches of the steamer. Heat up until boiling, cover the pot with a lid, and let it cool down. When the fog inside the cage is full and thick, you can serve glutinous rice. There are rules to using glutinous rice. You can't pour it all over the basin, you need to shake it off spoonful by spoonful and spread it evenly layer by layer. In this way, the steamed "medium" (cooked glutinous rice) will be heated evenly and will not contain lumps. This step is called 'leaping qi', and it is very important to make good wine. After adding glutinous rice, wrap a towel around the top edge of the steamer to prevent it from being breathable, and heat and pressure it up. By the time the heat couldn't be contained and the pot lid was pushed upwards and drilled outwards, it was almost ready. Open the lid and use chopsticks to stir it evenly. If it doesn't scatter or stick, and turns into a soft and bright color, it means it's completely cooked and ready to be released. This cooked 'medium' mixed with sugar is delicious. It's like fatty meat, eating too much can also make one feel bored. Take out some of these "media", add sugar, rub vigorously, knead, squeeze, grind into a cake shape, and stick it to the kang in the pot. This is "rice cake". It is sturdy, resilient, and easy to pull, delicious. Let these "media" air dry until warm, mix them evenly with the crushed music, put them in a jar, and inject appropriate water, which should be warm in winter and cool in summer. If it's winter, it's best to wrap straw, rice bran, or broken cotton fluff around the jar to keep it warm. Everything is ready, just wait for it to ferment and eat sweet lees