Sweet Rice Wine

Sweet Rice Wine

　　Made by mixing cooked rice with sweet wine starter (also called koji) and keeping it warm for a certain period. The key agent in this process is a microorganism called rhizopus, which breaks down starch into glucose. Rhizopus is suitable for making sweet rice wine. It can grow on various cereal ingredients, converting starch into sugar, so whether the rice used is glutinous or regular, once it's cooked into rice, it makes good material for sweet rice wine. Typically, at around 30°C, after about 48 hours, the rhizopus will grow vigorously, its mycelium covering the rice. Enzymes secreted by the mycelium convert the starch into sugar, softening and sweetening the rice — thus creating sweet rice wine. Recommended restaurant: Gulou Snacks (located along the uphill path from Lijiang’s bar street to Wangu Tower)