Sweet Osmanthus Thick Wine

Sweet Osmanthus Thick Wine

　　Sweet Osmanthus Thick Wine was commonly sold in the markets of Chang’an during the Tang Dynasty, where it was known as “Jade Floating Beam.” The unfiltered original brew was called “skimmed mash” wine. Made from glutinous rice, it involves soaking, steaming, fermenting, filtering with raw water, and then mixing in sweet osmanthus paste—hence the name. It is served boiled. Characterized by its pure white color and smooth, richly aromatic taste, it offers benefits such as aiding digestion and moistening the lungs.

　　Currently, the most authentic versions of this thick wine are produced by renowned Xi’an time-honored restaurants such as “Shaanxi Cuisine Authentic” Xi’an Restaurant, Lao Sunjia Restaurant, and Qujiangchun Restaurant.

　　The distinctive dishes of Shaanxi have gained increasing recognition and popularity among travelers for their rich historical allusions and cultural charm. In banquet settings, food and drink naturally go hand in hand, which has led to the widespread popularity of Shaanxi’s most famous beverage: Sweet Osmanthus Thick Wine. Today, from high-end hotels to neighborhood snack shops, steaming cups of thick wine are everywhere, to the extent that many elderly locals and children in Xi’an can even share legends about Yang Guifei and the thick wine with visitors.

　　Sweet Osmanthus Thick Wine is a sweet rice wine brewed from glutinous rice and small koji, named for the fragrant sweet osmanthus added to it. The wine resembles liquid jade—smooth, sweet, fragrant, and with a long-lasting aftertaste. Its history is said to trace back to the “brewed spirits” of the Zhou Dynasty. Research confirms that before the invention of distilled spirits, our ancestors drank this kind of rice wine. Especially during the Tang Dynasty, as Li Bai wrote, “A whole bucket of wine for a hundred poems, I sleep in taverns of Chang’an. Though summoned by the Emperor himself, I won’t board his boat—I am a celestial drinker!” The “bucket of wine” mentioned by Du Fu refers to this thick wine. Recent archaeological findings support this: in 1992, in the Wei family tomb unearthed in Nanliwang Village, Chang’an County, there is a mural depicting a courtyard banquet. Two young girls are shown carrying wine to the guests from either side. Archaeologists point out that the wine in the painting is being freshly pressed and served, much like the scene described in Li Bai’s poem, “The willow catkins fill the tavern with fragrance as the wind blows, while a Wu maiden presses the wine and offers it to guests.” The key lies in the word “press”—using manual force to separate the wine from the lees. This scene can still be seen today in some “time-honored” restaurants in Xi’an.

　　Thick wine in Xi’an is mostly made through family recipes, produced manually in small batches across generations, so quantities are limited—but the unique flavor has been preserved. Over time, thick wine tends to ferment further or sediment, so it is generally best consumed fresh. That’s why many outsiders often lament, “The thick wine is delicious, but it can’t be taken beyond Tong Pass,” which, in a way, adds to the preciousness of Sweet Osmanthus Thick Wine. Recently, packaged thick wine from Xi’an Restaurant has hit the market, suggesting major progress in this area.

　　The production process of thick wine is not particularly complex, yet some of the “secrets” involved are unknown to outsiders. As a result, premium thick wine that is crystal-clear like liquid jade is often dismissed by many as “not authentic,” while thick wine that pours out thick and mushy like paste is considered “authentic”—based on the belief that “thick wine must be thick!”

　　In fact, the production of Sweet Osmanthus Thick Wine follows a strict procedure. For example, the term “sweet osmanthus” refers to the process of infusing the wine with osmanthus paste made from fresh osmanthus flowers and white sugar, which is then filtered—a single step that distinguishes the authentic from the imitation. As for its thickness, the key factor is actually taste—not necessarily the thicker, the better.

　　Back in the day, Guo Moruo drank a cup of steaming Sweet Osmanthus Thick Wine at Xi’an Restaurant and was overjoyed, exclaiming that it was “not wine, but better than wine.” The historically minded literary master then picked up his brush and wrote the elegant and flowing characters for “Xi’an Restaurant.” Perhaps, amid the fragrant mist of the thick wine, he was reunited with the wine immortal Li Bai in an ancient Xi’an tavern.

　　Source: Xi’an Municipal Chronicles Office