Cheng County Persimmon Wine

Cheng County Persimmon Wine

　　Cheng County, hailed as the “Little Jiangnan” of Longnan, enjoys a moist climate, lush forests, and abundant grain production, with extensive persimmon tree cultivation. In the main producing areas, some farmers, due to objective constraints, cannot store the persimmons for long periods or take them to market after harvest. Therefore, every September, persimmon growers begin picking the fruit and processing it into persimmon wine. To make persimmon wine, they first pick orange-yellow persimmons that are free of insect bites and have not yet shed their leaves, then sun-dry them in the yard. Next, they select high-quality local sorghum, boil it in a pot, let it cool, and mix it with sweet wine koji for fermentation. Then, the persimmons and wine mixture are placed in unpolluted large jars, with a layer of persimmons followed by a layer of sorghum. Once the jar is full, it is covered with leaves used for steaming buns (a type of local leaf used as a base when steaming bread) and wooden boards, and sealed with mud. After one or two months, the jar can be opened for tasting. Through this processing method, the persimmon wine loses all its astringency, resulting in a sweet taste with a slight hint of alcohol. It helps quench thirst, relieve hunger, aid digestion, promote urination, reduce internal heat, and soothe sore throats, making it a delicious fruit loved by many. The processing of persimmon wine not only meets market demand but also adds value to the persimmons, becoming an additional source of income for many farmers.