Chinese Baijiu – Discovering the world’s oldest drinking culture!
Bar ohne Namen
Entschlossen verweigert sich Savage, der Bar einen Namen zu geben. Stattdessen sind drei klassische Design-Symbole das Logo der Trinkstätte in Dalston: ein gelbes Quadrat, ein rotes Viereck, ein blauer Kreis. Am meisten wurmt den sympathischen Franzosen dabei, dass es kein Gelbes-Dreieck-Emoji gibt. Das erschwert auf komische Weise die Kommunikation. Der Instagram Account lautet: a_bar_with_shapes-for_a_name und anderenorts tauchen die Begriffe ‘Savage Bar’ oder eben ‚Bauhaus Bar‘ auf.
Für den BCB bringt Savage nun sein Barkonzept mit und mixt für uns mit Unterstützung von Russian Standard Vodka an der perfekten Bar dazu.
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China is one of the world’s leading producers of liquor, yet to the world outside of China, the country’s national drink baijiu remains largely unknown.
Getting invited to dinner in China is not only a chance to try out new dishes, but it is also an invitation to participate in the oldest, most ritualized form of alcohol consumption. While drinking baijiu in China, every gesture, the appropriate amount consumed, as well as with whom to drink and at what time during the dinner is not left to chance but follows an unspoken order of social etiquette.
Everybody remembers his or her first sip of baijiu. It is a taste, entirely unknown to the European palate. For some it takes time to get used to, for others it immediately opens up a whole new world of aroma. Here in Europe, the Chinese liquor is not only widely misunderstood but also still mostly unknown – even by professional in the industry.
About 99 percent of liquor consumed in China is baijiu. It is served in every restaurant and no Chinese festivity, including family gatherings or business meetings, would be celebrated without serving the traditional liquor. As the national drink, baijiu permeates all aspects of Chinese culture and society. It serves as a symbol of history, tradition, quality, and prestige.
Baijiu literally translates as “white alcohol” – bai meaning “white” and jiu meaning “alcohol”. It is not only a translation of liquor per se, but it is a category of its own, entirely different from vodka, whiskey, or rum.
The term baijiu signifies all traditional Chinese grain liquor, usually with an alcohol content of around 50 percent. All types of baijiu consist of three main ingredients: water, grain and Qu. As a unique fermentation starter, Qu consists of yeast and local microorganisms, solely found in East Asia. It is the Qu, that characterizes the typical taste of Chinese baijiu.
The majority of Chinese baijiu is distilled form the grain sorghum. Certain baijiu products include other grains such as rice, glutinous rice, wheat, corn or barley. The grain is first crushed and then turned into a paste by adding moisture. It is then formed into clumps that include bacteria, yeast and other regional microorganisms. This clump is the fermentation starter – the Qu. Whereas liquor producers in Europe first converse starch into sugar and then sugar into alcohol, Chinese baijiu producers use the Qu to perform both steps simultaneously.
Baijiu matures at least six months, with premium baijiu aged for at least three to five years. Chinese distilleries exclusively use clay as aging vessels. The clay forms a porous surface that facilitates oxidization which alters the flavor of the baijiu. Additionally, the minerals inside the clay interact with the alcohol to improve the taste.
Different types of baijiu are not only influenced by regional microorganism that comprise the Qu, but their different flavors are meant to fit the specific cuisine of a region. Baijiu is traditionally consumed while eating, so food pairing is an essential part of consuming baijiu. The Chinese liquor is divided into four primary categories: strong aroma, light aroma, sauce aroma, and rice aroma.
One of the most prominent and prestigious baijiu brands in China is Fenjiu, which is the main representative of light aroma baijiu with an impressive history of over 4000 years. The brand owns the biggest baijiu distillery in Northern China. Fenjiu Baijiu comes from the Chinese province Shanxi, where the cuisine is famous for sour and vinegar flavors. Fenjiu was first celebrated on the world stage when it was awarded the Grand Medal, the highest honor for spirits, at the 1915 Panama Pacific World Exposition. Especially the brand’s high-quality Blue Flower Series of the brand has become a symbol of excellence in the world of Chinese baijiu production. The blue-white ceramic style packaging reflects Fenjiu’s commitment to history, tradition, and thousands of years old quality in distilling Chinese baijiu.
