Baijiu is a crystal-clear alcoholic spirit that is typically distilled from a base of water, sorghum (a flowering plant) and grains such as wheat or barley, rice, glutinous rice, or other grains. Its history as a cultural and culinary pillar in China is long and deep-rooted, dating back thousands of years to when alcohol was consumed not only for pleasure, but for medicinal or religious purposes.
Baijiu is very strong - typically 40 - 60% alcohol - and yet it offers a complexity of fruit, citrus, floral and umami flavours.
How is Baijiu made?
All Baijius have three things in common’ says Derek Sandhaus, founder of Ming River Baijiu and author of 'Baijiu: The Essential Guide to Chinese Spirits' and 'Drunk in China: Baijiu and the World's Oldest Drinking Culture, grain is the only ingredient in the mashbill (the building block of fermentation) - they are fermented and distilled in a solid form using a grain-based culture called Qu (pronounced chew), and aged in natural surfaces, which traditionally means terracotta jars.
Aside from these common factors, every Baijiu is unique to its distillery and it is the combination of grains and the Qu that define its aroma and flavour, along with the length of fermentation.
What does Baijiu taste like
While the central component of Baijiu’s flavour can be described as ‘savoury’, there is a vast range of complex differences in the flavour profiles of regional varieties. According to Chockie Tom, Baijiu rep and expert, these range from salty, earthy, soy-sauce-like umami notes all the way to rice, funky, overripe tropical fruit.
