Hakka Glutinous Rice Wine

Hakka Glutinous Rice Wine

　　Southern Jiangxi Hakka glutinous rice wine, commonly known as yellow wine. With its golden-yellow hue, intoxicating aroma, and sweet, mellow flavor, it’s simply irresistible. Every Hakka household knows how to make this rice wine. After cooking the glutinous rice, they mix it with wine yeast, place it in a large vat, cover the opening, and let it ferment for four or five days until the wine begins to form. The newly brewed wine is then transferred into earthenware jars, which are tightly sealed with mud. Charcoal fires are lit around the jars, and the wine is simmered over low heat for three or four hours. When the jar is finally opened, a pot of golden, fragrant glutinous rice wine is ready.

　　Brewing Hakka glutinous rice wine may sound simple, but achieving a batch that is neither bitter nor astringent—sweet, mellow, and delicious—is no easy feat. Otherwise, why would the Hakka people say, “Brewing wine or making tofu? Don’t call yourself a master.” Mastering the amount of wine yeast and water added directly affects the yield and sweetness. Simmering the newly brewed wine requires precise control of the heat.

　　Hakka glutinous rice wine is not only clear in color and pleasant in taste, but also gentle on the head. Cooking it with red dates, brown sugar, ginger, and native chicken makes it an excellent tonic for Hakka women during their postpartum confinement. The hospitable people of southern Jiangxi are incredibly welcoming. The moment you step into a farmhouse, the host will immediately present you with a bowl of golden, fragrant glutinous rice wine: “Have a bowl of rice wine to quench your thirst.” Just seeing their warmth and inhaling the enticing aroma is enough to make even a teetotaler want to take a sip. In southern Jiangxi, just stroll through the local market’s wine stalls, and you’ll see a lively scene of vendors lined up. A big bowl of glutinous rice wine costs only fifty cents—that’s truly great value. Chilled, it’s sweet from throat to heart; warm, it’s richly aromatic. Once you’ve downed a bowl of the hot brew, your face flushes and your whole body smells of wine. Travelers from near and far, free from the formalities of banquets, face the golden, gently swaying nectar and tilt their heads back—bottoms up. Refill, another bowl. Sip slowly, savor it. Mmm, such good wine, such good wine. Chatting and laughing, the sounds of finger-guessing games fill the air. The scene, the atmosphere—it makes one forget worries, forget fatigue, and feel an uplifting, otherworldly sense of euphoria. In this world of wine, those who drink deeply proclaim, “Not drunk, not drunk, another bowl!” While those who don’t drink say, “The aroma alone has me tipsy…” (Wu Tanglin)