My maternal grandmother is very good at producing homemade glutinous rice wine a.k.a Huang Jiu. Whenever someone in the family is going to deliver a baby, she would make Huang Jiu ahead of time so that it can be used during the confinement period. She would also make Huang Jiu regularly for her daughters who like to use it in their home-cooked dishes. Living halfway across the globe, I have to depend on myself to produce this Huang Jiu base on the method handed down by my maternal grandmother who unfortunately passed away in Jan 2006. So, with no whatsoever experience, I tried to make Huang Jiu so that I could have them after CK was born. And it actually turn out very sweet,which was a great accomplishment for a first timer. I realized more wine is being produced and also taste a lot sweeter when made during summer/warmer months. Well, it is science theory – when it is warm, it increases the fermentation process.

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Ingredients :

  • 1kg Glutinous Rice (8 cups : the small cup that comes with your rice cooker)
  • 20g wine biscuit (酒饼)
  • a small bowl of water to wet your hands
  • 1/2-1 cup of rice cooking wine (百米酒)

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Method :

  1. Cook the glutinous rice in a rice cooker. Mix the rice when halfway to ensure the rice is fully cooked.
  2. Place the cooked rice in a single layer on a tray/cookie sheet and let cool completely. (Hot/warm rice will cause the wine to turn sour)
  3. Grind the wine biscuit into powder form. (I used a mortar & pestle)
  4. NOTE : It is recommended to use a ceramic pot for wine making. I used my slow cooker pot. For 1kg of rice, a 3.5Qt pot is big enough. Since I have a 5Qt pot as well, I will cook 10 cups of rice instead.
  5. Start by sprinkling a layer of powdered wine biscuit on the ceramic pot.
  6. 2nd layer – place a layer of cooked glutinous rice on top. (Do not press the rice. To prevent the rice from sticking on your fingers, dip your hand in the bowl of warm water every now and then)
  7. 3rd layer – Sprinkle another layer of powdered wine biscuit.
  8. Repeat the 1st & 2nd layer until all rice are used.
  9. Pour the water from the bowl on top of the rice.
  10. Wrap the top of the pot with cheesecloth or muslin cloth to prevent insects from falling into it. Then place the pot’s cover on top. Leave the pot in a corner to allow fermentation.
  11. On the 3rd day, you will notice wine has been produced. Pour 1/2-1 cup of cooking wine to it. Cover as in No. 10 and let the fermentation process to continue.
  12. Wine will be ready in 21 day counting from the 1st day you started with the layering process.

Final Stage (day 21):

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  1. Gently scoop the wine to a cooking pot. Use a cloth to sieve it. (I use the same cloth that was used to cover the pot during the fermentation process.) IMG_3151
  2. Do not press the wine out of the rice to prevent thick residue later on when the wine is ready.
  3. When all wine has been scooped, wrap the remainder rice with the cloth and place on a coriander and let the wine drip for sometime.
  4. Finally, bring the wine to a boil at medium heat. Once wine starts to boil, remove from heat to prevent it from overflowing.
  5. Bottled the wine when it is cool.

Voila…now you have your own homemade Huang Jiu.