Rural Liquor and Beverage Feast

Rural Liquor and Beverage Feast

　　   Liquor and beverages, short for alcoholic drinks and non-alcoholic drinks, are referred to as “serving drinks” by Chishui locals when pouring wine or serving tea. Collectively, alcohol, tea, and other beverages are called “liquor and beverages,” representing authentic rural cuisine of Chishui. The area’s specialty liquors include both distilled spirits and fermented wines. Famous ones include the Fuxing “Three Steps Down” liquor, Changsha “Gaodong” liquor, as well as brands like “Chishui Old Kiln,” “Chishui Pure Brew,” and “Jingui Fu.” As for beverages, the term also broadly refers to tea and other drinks. Just in terms of tea, famous varieties include Seven Treasures Tea, Insect Tea, Eagle Tea, and Covered Bowl Tea. Since ancient times, Chishui people have placed great importance on etiquette—visitors are always treated to a feast, and feasts are always accompanied by toasts. Guests are first served tea upon being seated. The saying “No feast is complete without liquor, no guests feel welcome without tea” reflects the customs and culture of this land. On the surface, the term “liquor and beverages” may seem unrelated to banquets, but in fact, it is not only closely tied to them but can even form a full feast on its own. In the past, in Chishui, one could sip eagle tea for just a penny as much as one liked, and drinking strong liquor (gaobai gan’er) without any side dishes was called “drinking a lonely single bowl,” which cost just one yuan. Serving guests with eagle tea or a lonely single bowl, there was no limit on the number of hosts or guests, nor the size of the occasion. The atmosphere was warm, everyone enjoyed themselves, and it had a unique charm. Whenever such moments arose, relatives and friends would gather, serving snacks like sunflower seeds, peanuts, beef jerky, and slices of sausage, along with a few bowls of tofu pudding, offering either tea or a lonely single bowl, creating a feast that brimmed with emotion and laughter. Old leaders and good companions would sit together with a cup of liquor, a pot of tea, and a handful of dried broad beans, making for a feast where one savored the passage of time and life itself.

    Fuxing “Three Steps Down” Liquor: Made from high-quality sorghum through careful brewing, this liquor is highly potent, intensely stimulating, and leaves one feeling euphoric after drinking. Legend says that one should never drink more than three cups at a time—overindulging will cause you to collapse and fall asleep within three steps.

    Sidonggou Insect Tea: A specialty of Chishui and an exceptional grade of tea, rarely found in markets and quite expensive. Only small amounts are sold within the Sidonggou scenic area, while most are kept by local families to serve guests. This tea is made by harvesting tender leaves of wild white tea, fermenting them, and attracting a type of insect known as the “Hydrillodes repugnalis” moth to breed larvae. The larvae feed on the fermented leaves and then excrete tiny pellets smaller than rapeseed, which are collected and dried to make insect tea. Rich in nutrients, delicious, refreshing, and soothing to the eyes and heart, insect tea has medicinal benefits such as refreshing the mind, sobering up, detoxifying, clearing heat, and lowering blood pressure.

    Fish Mint (Houttuynia cordata): Available as either a cold dish or cooked dish. Cold tossed fish mint is crisp, tender, and flavorful, with a uniquely indescribable fragrance that greatly stimulates the appetite. Cooked fish mint has a silvery-yellow color, soft yet slightly crunchy, complementing stir-fried meats perfectly, resulting in an exceptionally delicious and uniquely styled dish. Fish mint helps clear heat, detoxify, reduce swelling, promote urination, stimulate appetite, and regulate qi, offering dietary therapeutic benefits.

    Tofu Pudding: Chishui is known as the hometown of tofu pudding, with its version being uniquely distinctive and widely renowned. Chishui tofu pudding is soft, delicate, snow-white as jade, refreshing upon consumption, and never gets tiresome even with frequent eating, making it beloved by many.