Shizhu Zajiu (Suck Wine)

Shizhu Zajiu

　　When you come to Shizhu, you must try the local Zajiu. So-called Zajiu is actually a type of rice wine—what ancient people often referred to as "sweet liquor." The famous Han Dynasty poet and essayist Sima Xiangru once sang its praises: "In the south of Shu there is this brew, its fragrance wafts far and wide; it stirs my deepest thoughts, inspiring me to set pen to paper and compose verse."

　　The brewing process of Zajiu is simple yet unique: fermented sorghum or barley is stored in an earthenware jar, which is then sealed with mud at the opening. After about eight days, the grains begin to seep out a clear, translucent liquid—that is Zajiu.

　　To drink Zajiu, cold water is poured into the jar, and a small bamboo tube is inserted through the opening. You simply sip through the tube, making it very convenient. During major festivals or joyous occasions, the Tujia people prepare Zajiu either to enjoy themselves or to warmly entertain visiting guests. When drinking, several people gather around the jar, each inserting their own bamboo straw to sip while chatting and laughing merrily. As they drink, more water is added to dilute the brew, but the taste remains sweet and mellow. A single jar of Zajiu can be enjoyed three times by adding hot water each time—the rich, aromatic sweetness remains undiminished. The wine is sweet and fragrant, and even when consumed in large quantities, it's unlikely to cause intoxication due to its very low alcohol content.

　　The Tujia custom of drinking Zajiu originates from a magical legend. It is said that during the late Sui Dynasty, when warlords vied for power and chaos reigned, a young Tujia man named Axiong was forcibly conscripted into the army. On New Year’s Day one year, as he passed near his hometown on a military campaign, he could not resist the longing for his wife, Amei, and went home to see her. As the couple shared their sorrow over the separation, the call to arms sounded. Axiong, who hadn’t even had a bite of food, reluctantly bid farewell to his wife and continued on his military journey. After he left, Amei kept the cooked rice he had left behind, hoping every day that he would return to eat it. Eventually, the rice fermented into a sour, wine-like mash—but still, her husband did not return. Later, she learned that he had died in battle, and in despair, she took her own life. Amei’s story moved the entire mountain village. From then on, the Tujia people would prepare rice wine each year to honor the memory of Axiong and Amei, celebrating their loyal love. The famous Tang Dynasty poet Bai Juyi also used Zajiu as a means to soothe his heart. In the spring of 819 AD (the 14th year of the Yuanhe era), Bai Juyi was transferred from his post as Sima (prefectural governor) of Jiangzhou to become the Prefect of Zhongzhou (modern-day Zhong County in Chongqing). At that time, Shangyuan County was known as Nanbin County and was under the jurisdiction of Zhongzhou. During his tenure in Zhongzhou, Bai Juyi, frustrated by unfulfilled ambitions and reflecting on life’s hardships, often turned to Zajiu and poetry to ease his sorrows—leaving behind timeless verses about drinking Zajiu:

　　White clouds drift over plum blossoms floating in the stream,

　　New green willow tips emerge beyond the city wall.

　　Leisurely I pluck a banana leaf to write poems on,

　　Melancholy, I take a vine branch to sip and taste wine.

　　It is evident that Zajiu was already widely popular and beloved as early as the Tang Dynasty.

　　Tujia Zajiu is made by fermenting a mixture of various grains. At the entrance to Liangyu Pedestrian Street in the county town, there stands a sculpture depicting a Taiping Rebellion general lying sideways, holding an earthenware jar in both hands, sipping from it through a straw, his expression leisurely and heroic. That Taiping general is none other than Shi Dakai, the Wing King; and the jar contains the renowned Tujia specialty—Zajiu.

　　In the first month of the first year of the Tongzhi reign during the Qing Dynasty (1862), the Wing King of the Taiping Rebellion, Shi Dakai, passed through Shizhu on his western campaign. He defeated the Shizhu garrison commander Shen Yinggang and the Tujia chieftain Ma Jia, then occupied Shizhu County town (now the Shizhu county seat). He punished the local landlords and gentry, standing up for the common people. The grateful Tujia people presented him with their homemade Zajiu. After drinking it, the Wing King was filled with heroic inspiration and composed a poem on the spot:

　　A thousand pearls unite in one bowl,

　　Even kings and nobles bow their heads before it.

　　Five dragons uphold the sky-supporting pillar,

　　Sucking up the Yangtze’s waters till they flow backward.