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 Bottles of mijiu | |
| Type | Rice wine |
|---|---|
| Origin | China,East Asia |
| Alcohol by volume | 15%-20% |
| Proof (US) | 30-40 |
| Colour | Clear |
| Ingredients | Glutinous rice |
| Related products | Huangjiu,jiuniang,sake,cheongju |
| Mijiu | |||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Traditional Chinese | 米酒 | ||||||||||
| Simplified Chinese | 米酒 | ||||||||||
| Hakka | miˋ jiuˋ | ||||||||||
| |||||||||||
Mijiu (Chinese:米酒;pinyin:mǐjiǔ;Wade–Giles:mi-chiu;lit. 'rice wine'), also spelledmichiu, is aChineserice wine made fromglutinous rice, with thealcohol content ranging between 15% and 20% v/v.[1] It is generally clear in appearance with a balanced taste of sweetness and acidity, similar to its Japanese counterpartsake and Korean counterpartcheongju, and is usually drunk warm likesake andcheongju. A particularly popular category ofmijiu ishuangjiu or 'yellow wine'. An unfiltered form ofmijiu containing whole rice grains is calledjiǔniàng (酒酿) orláozāo (醪糟), with extremely low alcoholic content and often consumed by children. A type ofbaijiu (Chineseliquor) calledrice baijiu (Chinese:米白酒;pinyin:mǐ báijiǔ) is made via furtherdistillation frommijiu.
Beverages similar tomijiu are noted on oracle inscriptions from the lateShang dynasty circa 1200–1046 B.C.E., and archaeological evidence confirms that the production of alcoholic beverages containing rice as part of a mix of fermentables (often including honey and/or fruit) dates back to over 8000 years ago.[2] Rice wine production then spread toKorea,Japan,Vietnam, and otherEast Asian countries around theSinosphere during the height of theHan andTang dynasties. It played an important cultural role in historical Chinese life, with prominent poets such asLi Bai being some of the most famous drinkers. Although largely overtaken by the much strongerbaijiu since theMongolYuan dynasty,mijiu is still a traditional beverage in parts ofsouthern China and some of the families still follow the custom ofhomebrewing rice wine. It is sometimes served as anaperitif believed to be beneficial in improving metabolism and skin and is also frequently mixed withherbs and made into medicinal wines such assnake wine anddit da jow.
Today,mijiu is mainly produced and consumed in southernMainland China andTaiwan. In Taiwan, theTaiwan Tobacco and Liquor Corporation (Monopoly Bureau) is the main manufacturer, branded as "Taiwan red label" with analcohol content of 19.5%.Mijiu is also used frequently inChinese cuisine as acooking wine, commonly used inseafood and exotic southern dishes such as gingerduck,drunken chicken, andthree-cup chicken.[3] The cookingmijiu available inAsian grocery stores are generally of lower quality and often contain addedsalt to avoid an alcohol tax.
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The traditional way to use mijiu is to boil three bottles and evaporate the alcohol while cooking with the chicken. It is believed that by using this recipe one can help women's rehabilitation wound. Mijiu is also used in Jiuniang which is a dish that consists of rice wine, rice particles, and sometimes glutinous rice balls.[4]
Mijiu is used in Chinese desserts such as:
