Baijiu, part 2. This is the follow up to my previous Baijiu post about the unique Chinese spirit that’s actually the most consumed spirit in the world. Highly recommend checking out that post first if you’re new to baijiu.
Baijiu can be *extremely* funky, and what contributes to its flavor intensity is its unique method of production. At a high level, all spirits are made thru 3 steps:
- get simple carbohydrates (sugars)
- ferment it to create alcohol
- concentrate the alcohol by separating it from water and other molecules (distillation)
In most western spirits, steps 1 and 2 happen sequentially. With fruits/plants already full of simple sugars (i.e. grapes for brandies or sugarcane for rums), step 1 comes for free, and step 2 follows by combining the juices with sugar-hungry microorganisms (yeast) that feast on the sugars and produce alcohol (ethanol) as a “byproduct.” And with grains or starchy complex carbs, step 1 is usually done thru malting (i.e. barley for scotch) and/or cooking (i.e. agave for tequila) to convert the carbs into simple sugars.
In baijiu, processes 1 and 2 happen *simultaneously*. To break down the grains used for baijiu, a solid dry ball laden with yeasts, molds, and bacteria (called the “qu”) is added to simultaneously trigger both the carbohydrate breakdown as well as fermentation. The introduction of these microbes contributes vastly to the flavor development of the spirit by creating more crazy molecular combinations and bonds that we perceive as “flavor” (aka congeners and esters).
PS, this is a “sauce aroma” baijiu with an incomparable fermented sauce funk. 😉