An ancient 'superfood' sent from heaven
While the first and most primitive beverages made from fermented rice were nothing like the delicious libations we enjoy today, there is evidence of rice alcohol being enjoyed along the banks of the Yellow River in China as early as 7000 BCE, during the Neolithic Age.
Rice liquor has been the cornerstone of alcohol-induced hijinks in many parts of Asia for centuries, if not millennia. It didn't take long after rice started to be cultivated for the ancient peoples to discover what a little fermentation could achieve.
From its ancient and humble beginnings, rice alcohol has since grown into its full potential. Numerous drinks that are culturally important and widely enjoyed around the world are made from rice.
Sake is the iconic Japanese rice liquor seen being sipped by samurai and yakuza alike all across the screen and the pages.
Truly, the journey of turning rice into sake is long and demanding. It has a longer and more complex fermentation process than either wine or beer, and starts with a painstaking process of polishing each grain of raw rice.
After the rice is polished and cooked, it is left to mold and ferment until it becomes the koji, a bacteria culture that is closely monitored and grown over the course of many weeks or months. After the koji has been matured to perfection, it is added to fresh rice, water, and yeast, to form the sake "mash," called moromi.
The sake production process is taken so seriously that brewers and their employees separate themselves for all the long months of winter, when they live and work together at secluded sake brewery houses.
The sake brew master is called the tōji, and they are responsible for much more than just the production of the sake. They also act as the head of a temporary family, and make sure that their employees and assistants remain happy and get along with each other through the hard winter months to make sure production runs smoothly.
Some historians and aficionados argue that sake is the oldest surviving liquor in the world. Indeed, its basic recipe has barely changed in over 4,000 years.
Starting from the early 20th century, Japan has been seeing a steady decline in sake consumption. Most chalk this up to globalization and younger generations preferring beer, whiskey, and other spirits over the more traditional sake.
Soju is enjoyed by countless people around the world, and it's not unlikely that it's served at your local Korean restaurant. It might surprise you to learn, however, that soju is the most commonly enjoyed liquor in the entire world. One specific brand, Jinro Soju, sells the most bottles of liquors around the world—yes, more than any other liquor company.
Soju is the Korean Peninsula's answer to sake, and has been the region's drink of choice for centuries upon centuries.
Drinking soju comes with a set of rules that must be adhered to if you wish to practice good etiquette. Soju should always be poured and received with both hands on the bottle and the cup, and should generally be served by the youngest person in the room.
The unique fermentation process that leads to soju and its delightful taste wasn't actually developed on the Korean Peninsula, but was brought eastward by the Mongols in the 12th century CE.
When it comes to consumption, no drink in China even comes close to baijiu. The fermentation and distillation processes have been preserved for centuries and are still made with manpower rather than factory power.
China's national drink of choice is the challenging and intimidating baijiu. While it is almost universally loved in China, its unique and surprising flavors and smells can scare off some of the uninitiated.
Soju is unique in that its alcohol content can range from a very mild 13%, comparable to wine, to a rather intimidating 53%—a solid 10% higher than your average whiskey.
Chinese rice liquor has been made since at least the Han dynasty, which reigned in China from the 3rd century BCE to the 3rd century CE. Most historians agree that baijiu as we know it today was developed sometime during the 14th century, after the introduction of new distillation technology brought from the Middle East.
Baijiu is made with many different types of ferments, but the two most common are rice and sorghum wheat. The different fermentations add to the varied and distinct flavor possibilities in baijiu.
One of the many things that makes baijiu special is the special qu fermentation culture that is unlike any other in the world. A meticulously mixed collection of yeasts, molds, and bacteria, qu lays the groundwork for baijiu's interesting and sometimes perplexing flavors and aromas.
Baijiu has an impressively wide array of tastes and aromas, to such an extent that they are categorized by odor. Popular categories include nong xiang (strong aroma), jiang xiang (sauce aroma), and feng xiang (phoenix aroma).
Despite the Western world's hesitance to welcome baijiu into its bars, China alone produces and buys 17 billion liters of baijiu every year.
Another popular liquor in Japan is called shōchū, and while it is commonly associated with sake, it is made through distillation as opposed to fermentation.
Shōchū is only around 500 years old, which makes it far younger than sake, but still old enough to fall in and out of popularity over the ages. At the turn of the 21st century, shōchū experienced a huge spike in popularity, and even surpassed sake sales in 2003. New distilleries have steadily popped up, and shōchū continues to rise in popularity over the weaker and more traditional sake.
Batches of baijiu often reach alcohol levels as high as 60%, adding a whole new dimension to the drink's already intimidating stature.
Rice, along with other grains and sometimes vegetables, are distilled to create a spirit that is cleaner and stronger than sake, but just as aromatic. The alcohol content for most shōchū falls between 25% and 30%.
Shōchū is enjoyed year round in Japan, but can be prepared in a variety of different ways, depending on the seasons. During the wintertime, shōchū is commonly mixed with oolong tea or plain hot water, while it can be served chilled or on ice during the summer. Sometimes shōchū is combined with a unique beer-flavored mixer called Hoppy, and served ice cold.
Japanese centenarian Izumi Shigechiyo, who was the oldest man alive until his death in 1986 at the age of 105, swore by a daily dose of shōchū despite his doctor's warnings against it. Shigechiyo is quoted as saying, "Without shōchū there would be no pleasure in life." Maybe he was onto something?
See also: The best and worst alcoholic beverages for your health
Sake is sometimes incorrectly referred to as rice wine, but the sake brewing process is actually much closer to the process of brewing beer. If anything, sake is rice beer, not rice wine.
Wheat, barley, potatoes, and grapes seem to have a pretty tight grip on the global spirits market at first glance. With the notable exception of the juniper berries used to make gin, these four key crops are the starting ingredient for everything from beer and brandy to whiskey and vodka. In many parts of Asia, however, rice reigns supreme.
Indeed, rice has been used to make alcohol for thousands of years, and has a versatility that stands apart from other fermentable or distillable products. From sweet and refreshing low-alcohol drinks like soju, to the fiery and intimidating baijiu, exploring the wonderful world of rice liquor is sure to give your palate a welcome change of scenery.
Ready? Read on to find out all about Asia's favorite rice liquors.
Rice liquor galore! Scrumptious facts about soju, sake, and more
These splendid spirits have rice to thank for their distinct flavors
FOOD Drinks
Wheat, barley, potatoes, and grapes seem to have a pretty tight grip on the global spirits market at first glance. With the notable exception of the juniper berries used to make gin, these four key crops are the starting ingredient for everything from beer and brandy to whiskey and vodka. In many parts of Asia, however, rice reigns supreme.
Indeed, rice has been used to make alcohol for thousands of years, and has a versatility that stands apart from other fermentable or distillable products. From sweet and refreshing low-alcohol drinks like soju, to the fiery and intimidating baijiu, exploring the wonderful world of rice liquor is sure to give your palate a welcome change of scenery.
Ready? Read on to find out all about Asia's favorite rice liquors.