Hanzhong Egg Glutinous Rice Wine

Hanzhong Egg Glutinous Rice Wine

　　People in Hanzhong love glutinous rice wine very much. Mr. Xu Yongji, a well-known calligrapher in Hanzhong City, said that not only is it essential to make it during festivals and holidays, but they also make it regularly. Especially in the areas of Hanzhong where rice is the main crop, locals will reserve a plot of land specifically to grow sticky rice for making glutinous rice wine. During the commune era, when people couldn't grow their own, they would still try to trade for some, and at the very least, they had to make it for the Spring Festival. If absolutely necessary, they would even make it using corn grits. When a woman is about to give birth, her family will definitely prepare glutinous rice wine because egg glutinous rice wine is highly nutritious for new mothers. It is also served to guests at weddings, funerals, and house-building ceremonies such as the roof-raising event. The preparation process is generally the same: first, steam the glutinous rice to about 80% doneness, then mix it with wine yeast, let it cool to a warm temperature before placing it in a jar, and cover it with a quilt—during winter, it must be placed near the stove. Differences in yeast types, quantities used, and temperatures during the process determine the level of sweetness and acidity. Ideally, it should taste slightly sweet with a hint of sourness. When eating it, besides stirring in beaten eggs or poached eggs, there are many unique ways to enjoy it: one way is to soak it with fried dough twists; another is to tear apart dried persimmons, add them to the wine soup, and cook them together; yet another is to chop walnuts, mix them with lard, and cook them with the wine. In summer, people enjoy cold water glutinous rice wine—just a spoonful of the wine mixed with some cold water is incredibly refreshing, instantly dispelling the day’s heat.

　　Glutinous rice wine is also a type of alcoholic drink, though it is relatively mild and usually does not cause intoxication. However, if consumed in large quantities, especially the uncooked, undiluted glutinous rice wine mash, the resulting drunkenness can be deeper and harder to shake off. The Ming Dynasty scholar Li Shi wrote in "Shu Yu" ("Sichuan Dialects"): “Unstrained wine is called glutinous rice wine, made from cooked sticky rice, hence the lees are not removed—it is the ancient 'lao li' or 'tou lao'.” Both "Zhuangzi · Dao Zhi" and "Book of the Later Han" contain records of glutinous rice wine, showing that it indeed has a long history, dating back to the Qin and Han dynasties.