Yellow wine

Huangjiu is a Chinese national specialty, also known as rice wine (rice wine), which belongs to brewed wine and occupies an important position among the world's three major brewed wines (huangjiu, wine and beer). The brewing technology is unique and has become a typical representative and model of the oriental brewing industry. Among them, wheat koji rice wine represented by Zhejiang Shaoxing Huangjiu is the oldest and most representative product of Huangjiu. It is a grain wine brewed from rice as raw material. Unlike white wine, Huangjiu is not distilled and has an alcohol content of less than 20%. Different types of Huangjiu also show different beige, yellow-brown or reddish-brown colors. Shandong Jimo Laojiu and Henan Shuanghuangjiu are typical representatives of northern corn Huangjiu; Fujian Longyan Chengangjiu and Fujian Laojiu are typical representatives of red yeast rice Huangjiu.

The efficacy and function of rice wine

Huangjiu is a type of brewed wine that uses rice, millet, corn, millet, wheat, etc. as the main raw materials, and is made through steaming, adding koji, saccharification, fermentation, pressing, filtering, frying, storage, and blending.

Yellow wine contains physiologically active ingredients such as polyphenols, melanoidins, glutathione, etc., which have physiological functions such as scavenging free radicals, preventing cardiovascular diseases, anti-cancer, and anti-aging.

There are 18 kinds of inorganic salts detected in rice wine, including calcium, magnesium, potassium, phosphorus, iron, zinc, etc. The content of vitamin B and E in rice wine is also very rich, mainly from raw materials and yeast autolysis products.

The protein content in rice wine is the highest among all wines. The protein content of Shaoxing Jiafan wine is 16g per liter, which is 4 times that of beer. The protein in rice wine is mostly in the form of peptides and amino acids, which are easily absorbed by the human body. Peptides have nutritional functions, biological functions and regulatory functions. There are as many as 21 kinds of amino acids in Shaoxing rice wine, and 8 kinds of essential amino acids are included. The essential amino acids in each liter of Jiafan wine are 3400mg, while the essential amino acids in beer and wine are only 440mg or less.

Yellow rice wine is rich in functional oligosaccharides, such as 6g of isomaltooligosaccharide, panose and isomaltotriose per liter of Shaoxing Jiafan wine. These oligosaccharides are produced by the action of microbial enzymes during the brewing process. After entering the human body, functional oligosaccharides are hardly absorbed by the human body and do not generate heat, but they can promote the growth and development of beneficial microorganisms bifidobacteria in the intestines, improve intestinal function, enhance immunity and promote human health.

Nutritional value of rice wine

Yellow wine has a strong aroma, sweet taste, mellow flavor, and contains amino acids, sugar, vinegar, organic acids and various vitamins. It is one of the indispensable main condiments in cooking.

The nutritional value of rice wine exceeds that of beer and nutritious wine. In addition to the main ingredients such as ethanol and water, rice wine is also rich in 8 kinds of amino acids that cannot be synthesized by the human body, lactic acid, glucose, maltose, succinic acid, a small amount of aldehydes, multiple vitamins, and macro and trace elements such as calcium, iron, potassium, sodium, zinc, copper, magnesium, and selenium. Therefore, some people call rice wine "liquid cake".

Medicinal value of rice wine

Yellow wine is rich in nutrition and is known as "liquid cake". Its nutritional value exceeds that of beer, which is known as "liquid bread", and nutritious wine.

1. Rich in amino acids: In addition to ethanol and water, the main components of rice wine also contain 18 kinds of amino acids, 8 of which are essential but cannot be synthesized by the human body. The content of these 8 amino acids in rice wine is one to several times higher than the same amount of beer or wine.

2. Easy to digest: Yellow rice wine contains many nutrients that are easily digested by the human body, such as dextrin, maltose, glucose, lipids, glycerol, higher alcohols, vitamins and organic acids. After storage, these ingredients eventually make yellow rice wine a low-alcohol beverage with extremely high nutritional value.

3. Relaxing muscles and promoting blood circulation: Yellow wine has a bitter, sweet and spicy taste. Drinking yellow wine warm in winter can promote blood circulation, dispel cold, dredge meridians and activate collaterals, effectively resist cold stimulation and prevent colds. Drinking it regularly in moderation can help blood circulation, promote metabolism, and nourish blood and nourish the skin.

4. Beauty and anti-aging: Yellow rice wine is a good source of B vitamins, rich in vitamin B1, B2, niacin and vitamin E. Long-term drinking is beneficial to beauty and anti-aging.

5. Promote appetite: Zinc is an important component of energy metabolism and protein synthesis. When zinc is deficient, appetite and taste will decrease, and sexual function will also decline. The zinc content in rice wine is not small. For example, every 100 ml of Shaoxing Yuanhong rice wine contains 0.85 mg of zinc. Therefore, drinking rice wine can promote appetite.

6. Protect the heart: Yellow rice wine contains a variety of trace elements. For example, the magnesium content is 20-30 mg per 100 ml, which is 10 times higher than white wine and 5 times higher than red wine; the selenium content in Shaoxing Yuanhong Yellow Rice Wine and Jiafan Wine is 1-1.2 micrograms per 100 ml, which is about 20 times higher than white wine and about 12 times higher than red wine. In cardiovascular diseases, these trace elements have the effect of preventing high blood pressure and thrombosis. Therefore, drinking yellow rice wine in moderation has a protective effect on the heart.

7. Ideal medicine guide: Compared with liquor and beer, yellow wine has a moderate alcohol content and is a more ideal medicine guide. Although liquor has a better effect on dissolving Chinese medicine, it is more irritating when drinking, and people who are not good at drinking are prone to diarrhea, itching and other phenomena. The alcohol content of beer is too low, which is not conducive to the dissolution of the effective ingredients of Chinese medicine. In addition, yellow wine is also an important auxiliary raw material for Chinese medicine pastes, pills, pills, and powders. Yellow wine is often used in Chinese medicine prescriptions to soak, boil, steam and roast Chinese herbal medicines or prepare pills and various medicinal wines. According to statistics, more than 70 kinds of medicinal wines need to be prepared with yellow wine as the base wine.

Side effects and contraindications of rice wine

1. Do not drink on an empty stomach: People absorb alcohol slowly when they are full, but absorb it quickly when they are empty, making them easily drunk.

2. Don’t drink fast: You should taste rice wine slowly, relax your rhythm, be calm, and fully enjoy the taste of the wine. This is the real way to drink. Shaoxing wine is rich in nutrition, and drinking it slowly is easy to absorb. It is a good way and a good state of mind.

3. Do not mix drinks: Drinking different types of alcohol together can easily make you drunk and produce side effects, causing stomach discomfort and headaches, etc.

4. Don't drink too much: Huangjiu tastes mild, but don't underestimate it, because it has a strong aftereffect after drinking. Generally, if you drink half a catty of white wine, don't drink more than eight ounces of Huangjiu. And drinking it regularly in moderation is good for your health.

5. Don’t take a bath after drinking: Taking a bath after drinking can easily consume the glucose stored in the body. A sharp drop in blood sugar levels can cause a sharp drop in body temperature, and in severe cases can cause shock.

How to make delicious rice wine

1. Drink warm rice wine

The most traditional way to drink rice wine is, of course, warm drinking. The distinctive feature of warm drinking is the strong aroma and soft taste of the wine. There are generally two ways to warm the wine: one is to put the wine container into hot water to heat it, and the other is to heat it over a fire. However, the heating time of rice wine should not be too long, otherwise the alcohol will evaporate and it will become bland and tasteless. Generally, warm drinking is popular in winter.

The best tasting temperature for rice wine is around 38°C. During the heating process of rice wine, trace amounts of organic compounds such as methanol, aldehydes, and ethers that are harmful to human health will evaporate as the temperature rises. At the same time, lipid aromas will evaporate as the temperature rises.

2. Chilled rice wine

Among young people, a way of drinking iced rice wine is popular, especially in Hong Kong and Japan. It is popular to drink rice wine with ice. To make homemade iced rice wine, you can buy rice wine from the supermarket and put it in the refrigerator. If it is a temperature-controlled refrigerator, the temperature should be controlled at about 3℃. Put a few pieces of ice in the cup when drinking, and the taste will be better. You can also put plums, lemons, etc. in the wine according to your personal taste, or add some Sprite, cola, or juice. It has the effect of cooling off and promoting appetite.

3. Yellow wine as a side dish

The pairing of rice wine with food is also very particular. Different dishes can be paired with different wines to better appreciate the unique flavor of rice wine. Take Shaoxing wine as an example: dry Yuanhong wine is suitable for vegetables, jellyfish and other cold dishes; semi-dry Jiafan wine is suitable for meat and hairy crabs; semi-sweet Shanniang wine is suitable for chicken and duck; sweet Xiangxue wine is suitable for beets.