Shunde Red Rice Wine

Shunde Red Rice Wine

Shunde Red Rice Wine is an intangible cultural heritage of Foshan.

　　Shunde Red Rice Wine is meticulously brewed using regular rice blended with a small amount of red rice. The finished product is a light and palatable liquor that highlights a prominent rice aroma, with a full-bodied, smooth, and mellow mouthfeel.

　　During the Song Dynasty, the Lingnan region was regarded as "remote" and plagued by "miasma," which was highly harmful to the people. Therefore, the Song government offered preferential policies for the area, permitting local residents to brew their own alcohol, which led to a widespread culture of home brewing in Lingnan. Additionally, the region produced abundant rice, and the production process for rice wine was simple and quick. Its light and refreshing taste also gained great popularity among locals. Among various types of rice wine, Red Rice Wine stood out for its distinct rice aroma and mild, savory flavor, securing an irreplaceable place in Lingnan’s drinking culture. Shunde, in particular, is one of the key birthplaces of Cantonese-style Red Rice Wine.

　　According to *Yan Fan Lu · Chi Mi* (Expanded Records on Red Rice) by Cheng Dachang of the Song Dynasty, “Red rice still exists today, commonly known as ‘red haze rice.’ It is planted in higher, drier fields due to its early maturation and drought resistance...” As early as the Qing Dynasty, there are records of red rice cultivation in Shunde. According to Chapter 4, “Agricultural Planting,” of the *Shunde County Annals*: “In the late Qing Dynasty, the main rice varieties in the county included Xinxing White, Hongtou Chi, Xiazhi White, Jinfengxue, and Jinbian Chi.” Since red rice had an inferior taste, locals were reluctant to eat it. Coupled with food shortages, Shunde distillers resorted to using locally grown red rice as a brewing ingredient. They fermented a mixture of regular rice with a small amount of red rice along with traditional fermentation agents, then aged the brew with preserved meat to create a uniquely flavored rice wine that suited the local palate. Due to the faint red hue of red rice and its rich content of trace elements, vitamins, and minerals, the resulting wine exuded a refined rice aroma with a gentle, sweet profile. The color red inspired the name, and because it became widely loved by locals, this distinctive rice wine came to be known as Shunde Red Rice Wine.