Longji Rice Wine

Longji Rice Wine

　　Longji Rice Wine is an authentic local brew. Though not widely known, it enjoys great renown across the county and is praised as a fine liquor by people of all ethnic groups. This genuine traditional wine is hailed as the "Magic Water of the East." With a mellow and refreshing taste that moistens the spleen and stimulates saliva, it’s definitely worth a try—but don’t overindulge. The rice wine is made purely from the juice of premium glutinous rice, brewed with traditional yeast, sealed, and then blended with sweet spring water. It has a mellow, refreshing taste, moistens the spleen, stimulates saliva, and is rich in nutrients. It’s said that the people of the thirteen villages in Longji have rosy complexions and enjoy long, healthy lives thanks to their regular consumption of this fine brew. Among them, there is a premium-aged cellar wine considered top-notch: dozens of pounds of glutinous rice are fermented into a small lump that sinks to the bottom of the jar. This wine is crystal clear, dripping in silky strands, and clings to the lips upon drinking. Its flavor is sweet and fragrant like honey, extremely refreshing, and hard to resist. However, beware of its strong aftereffect—though the intoxication sets in slowly, once it hits, it knocks you out cold, and it may take days to fully recover. This kind of wine is hard for most people to try, as visitors need to be deeply welcomed by Zhuang families, treated as honored guests or even close family, to have a chance to taste it.

　　 When it comes to Longji, the first thing that comes to mind is undoubtedly the world-renowned Longji Terraces, the idyllic beauty of the terraced fields, and the rich folk customs of the Zhuang and Red Yao peoples. Of course, if you ever visit Longji, hiking up to the mountain villages and having a bowl of Longji Rice Wine hand-brewed by the locals, while enjoying their warm hospitality, will make your trip truly worthwhile.

　　 Longji Rice Wine is a unique delicacy among the Zhuang people. With its sweet, refreshing, and fragrant taste, it is specially reserved to welcome distinguished guests. Many tourists have found themselves enchanted and intoxicated by its rich aroma amidst the green mountains and waters of the Zhuang villages, leaving them with unforgettable memories and a deep longing to return.

　　 As the year draws to a close, many Zhuang households begin brewing rice wine to entertain guests. A reporter visited a Zhuang village, eager to taste a bowl of the captivating Longji Rice Wine.

　　 Brewed with spring water, sweet and fragrant

　　 In winter, the Longji mountains stretch endlessly, serene and majestic, as the warm sunlight spills generously over the hills and fields. In a small Zhuang village at the foot of the mountain called Jiangbian Tun in Jinjiang Village, villagers are busy preparing for the Spring Festival—some carrying firewood, some smoking meat over fires, and others brewing rice wine.

　　 In a stilt house at the edge of the village, 63-year-old Meng Cuixiu and her daughter Meng Jianting sit by the stove, cooking and starting to brew traditional Longji Rice Wine. “The Spring Festival is coming soon, so we’re brewing some rice wine to serve our Zhuang guests,” Meng Cuixiu says with a smile. The elderly woman explains that the Zhuang people on Longji are hospitable and love drinking, with both men and women having a decent tolerance for alcohol. Therefore, it’s customary to welcome honored guests with rice wine, especially when sharing treasured home-brewed varieties—believed to be the proper way to show respect and hopefully “drink a bowl of Longji Rice Wine and make a bosom friend.”

　　 “The main ingredients for brewing are the high-quality glutinous rice from here, wine yeast, and the spring water from the Longji Mountains,” Meng Cuixiu says. The brewing process for “Longji Rice Wine” is simple, and most Zhuang people, both men and women, know how to do it. First, the glutinous rice is soaked overnight until it swells, then rinsed the next day and placed into a wooden steamer, which is then put into an iron pot and steamed over a fire. When steam rises and “tears” trickle from the steamer, the rice is done. The steamed rice is then poured into an iron basin, spread out, and cooled with cold water. Meanwhile, one can gather herbs collected from the mountains to make wine yeast, which is ground into powder during the wait. Once the rice cools, sprinkle in the yeast at a ratio of one cake per five pounds of rice, mix well, and then place it in a wine jar. Depending on the ambient temperature, let it ferment for three to four days or up to ten days. After full fermentation, add mountain spring water at a ratio of one pound of rice to one pound of water, seal it, and after about a month, it’s ready to drink. Since it doesn’t require distillation, it’s called rice wine.

　　 “The tighter and longer the wine is sealed, the richer and more fragrant the taste becomes,” Meng Cuixiu says. If the jar is well-sealed, it can be stored in a cellar or buried underground for years without spoiling. At that point, the rice wine drips in silky strands, clings to the fingers when touched, and tastes sweet, mellow, and fragrant—refreshing to the soul. This is considered the finest grade of Longji Rice Wine.

　　 The Zhuang people’s “daughter’s red,” intoxicating yet delightful

　　 As they speak, Meng Cuixiu quietly goes into a small room behind the main hall, brings out a small jar, finds a stick in the room, and gently taps open the wine lid sealed with yellow mud. Instantly, a sweet aroma wafts out. Looking inside, the rice wine is a light orange color, yet clear and not murky. The elderly woman finds a large bowl, cradles the jar with both hands, and pours a bowl for each member of the visiting group. The reporter takes a sip—the taste is indeed as sweet as syrup, fragrant and lingering, making one want to drink bowl after bowl.

　　 “These wines were brewed around the Double Ninth Festival and have only been aged for three months—they’re not yet the finest quality,” Meng Cuixiu says with a smile. The period around the Double Ninth Festival features mild weather and ideal temperatures, making it the best time to brew “Longji Rice Wine.” During that time, whenever they have free time, the Zhuang people often brew several jars to store away, which is why “Longji Rice Wine” is also known as “Double Ninth Wine.”

　　 Inhaling the wine’s rich aroma filling the room, the reporter asks for another bowl, but is playfully advised by Xiao Zhang, a friend who accompanied the reporter that day: “The rice wine is sweet, but don’t drink too much.” While sipping the wine, Xiao Zhang chats about a story from the past. It turns out Xiao Zhang is from Nanning and over a decade ago visited the home of a university classmate in Longji with friends. Amidst the poetic beauty of the green mountains and waters, they first tasted the sweet, mellow flavor of Longji Rice Wine. The young men were excited and bold. Encouraged by the host’s generous hospitality, they drank bowl after bowl, round after round, and before they knew it, they were deeply intoxicated by the Zhuang people’s sweet wine and warm feelings—sleeping soundly for two days before waking up.

　　 “These Zhuang rice wines taste sweet on the palate and are good for casual drinking or health benefits, but their aftereffect is very strong. A little carelessness can easily lead to a deep, multi-day drunken stupor,” Xiao Zhang says with a laugh. Of course, although Longji Rice Wine is intoxicating, it has little alcohol smell—one doesn’t get a hangover or feel nauseous. Perhaps because of his bond with the Zhuang rice wine, or perhaps because he fell in love with the landscapes and folk culture of Longji, Xiao Zhang, who has been nostalgic for Longji ever since, eventually settled in Longsheng. Whenever he has free time, he grabs his camera and immerses himself in the mountains and rivers.

　　 “Our Longji Rice Wine is not only used to entertain guests daily but is also an essential drink for weddings and weddings—it’s practically the Zhuang people’s ‘daughter’s red,’” Meng Cuixiu’s daughter Meng Jianting says with a smile. In the past, when a child in the Zhuang village reached marriageable age, parents would often brew the rice wine one or two years—or even several years—in advance, bury it underground, and dig it up to entertain guests on the wedding day. Meng Jianting still remembers her own wedding over a decade ago, when her mother Meng Cuixiu brewed three or four hundred pounds of Longji Rice Wine for her. On her wedding day, relatives and friends toasted each other amid the festive joy, and many ended up drunk and asleep in the small building.

　　Source: Longsheng Tourism Network