Rice and Fruit Wines · FFET10459
Jiuniang (sweet fermented glutinous rice, laozao)
Glutinous rice fermented with starter becomes sweet jiuniang, eaten as a dessert or with tangyuan.
Rice wines of the sweet fermented-rice kind, and wines brewed from fruit.
Jiuniang, also called laozao, tianjiu or jiangmijiu, is a sweet food made by fermenting glutinous rice with starter and contains a little alcohol. The rice is steamed, cooled, mixed with starter and kept warm to ferment, without distillation. It can be eaten on its own, in sweet soups or with tangyuan.
What
Jiuniang is a sweet food made by fermenting glutinous rice with starter, also called laozao, tianjiu or jiangmijiu. The rice is served with its liquid and contains a little alcohol; it can be eaten as a dessert or added to sweet soups.1,2,5
When
A history of the Eastern Han records an annual tribute from Yewang of sweet liquor and malt syrup; it does not establish that the present-day jiuniang existed then. The earliest date for jiuniang itself remains unconfirmed. One serving tradition pairs osmanthus jiuniang with tangyuan at the Winter Solstice.2,3
Where
Jiuniang or laozao is described as eaten in Sichuan, Hunan and elsewhere; Dongliu laozao from Dazhu County, Sichuan, is said to be among the best. The available accounts do not establish a single place of origin.1,5
How
Glutinous rice is soaked, steamed and cooled, then mixed with starter and kept warm to ferment. Jiuniang is not distilled; both the rice grains and their liquid are eaten.1,2,4,5
Why
Molds in the starter, such as Rhizopus or Aspergillus, turn rice starch into sugar and a little alcohol, giving jiuniang its sweetness and mild alcoholic flavor.2
Impact and influence
Jiuniang is served as a dessert on its own, added to sweet soups or paired with tangyuan. Osmanthus jiuniang with tangyuan is also eaten at the Winter Solstice.2