Despite being called “wine”, jiuniang contains little alcohol (less than 3%) and gets its name from the unique fermented aroma. It’s sweet without adding sugar, and when chilled it tastes like a dessert soup or pudding (see below on ways to serve it!). The flavor is quite distinct, so you’ll have to try it yourself to get a sense of what it tastes like!
Ingredients
See bottom of post for science/questions!
Glutinous/sticky rice: Sticky rice differs from regular rice in carbohydrate composition. This results in a different texture—stickier and chewier. Purple glutinous rice also works. Black rice (non glutinous) may not work, but I added a few grains to color my jiuniang purple. Regular rice does not work as a substitute.
Rice wine yeast (酒曲, jiuqu): These can be bought online (search for “Chinese Rice Wine Yeast” or “Shanghai Yeast Balls”) or at an Asian supermarket. See below for the brand I use. Regular baking yeast will not work.
Rice wine yeast balls bought at Ranch 99
Serving
Dried osmanthus flower (and egg): Beat the egg (if using). Bring some water to a boil (about 2 cups per egg) and swirl the egg into the boiling water, stirring to create fine streaks of egg (like in egg drop soup). Turn off the heat immediately, add the osmanthus flowers, and serve with as much jiuniang as you’d like.
Rice balls/sago/tapioca: Another traditional dessert is to boil some rice balls (汤圆/元宵, tangyuan/yuanxiao) and serve it with the jiuniang (and egg/dried osmanthus).
As an ingredient: Use it in savory dishes, breads, soups, and anywhere else that calls for sugar. It’ll lend its fermented aroma to create another layer of flavor.
Plain: Serve chilled in the summer or warm in the winter for a light snack or dessert.
Soak the rice in cold water overnight in a clean bowl. The water level should cover the rice with room to expand.
Day 2
Rinse the jar and grinding tools of choice with boiling water to sanitize them.
Arrange the soaked rice in a cloth-lined steamer or on a wide plate. Steam for 45 minutes or until the rice grains turn transparent and are softened, but still chewy and let it cool.
Grind the yeast in a bowl with a rolling pin, back of a spoon, or in a mortar and pestle.
Combine the water, cooled rice, and powdered yeast into a sterilized jar. Level out the rice, and make a hole in the top of the rice.
Put the closed jar in a safe place for fermentation, and check it every day.
Fermentation is done when the rice wine in the hole is level (or close to) the top of the rice (after 2-3 days). The rice will look like an iceberg—a big floating chunk. Using a clean spoon, taste the wine. It should be sweet and slightly boozy and the rice grains should break apart easily.
Keep the jiuniang in the fridge to stop fermentation.
Notes
For extra safety, used boiled water that has been cooled to room temperature.
Science/Questions
Why won’t regular rice work? It could, but the texture might be very different. The main fungus in rice wine yeast is Rhizopus oryzae, which secretes an enzyme called isoamylase outside the cell. This enzyme breaks down amylopectin, the type of starch that is much higher in sticky rice compared to regular rice, which has mostly amylose starch. A characteristic of jiuniang is the soft, easily smushed rice grains, and that is probably due to the isoamylase breaking down amylopectin.
What happens during fermentation? The fungus breaks down large macromolecules into their component parts while also producing carbon dioxide (you might see/hear bubbles when you first open your wine!), alcohol, and compounds that contribute to the aroma. The sweetness comes from breaking down starches into sugars (saccharification). Link to more specific functions: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Q%C5%AB#Functions
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