Chinese cuisine would be incomplete if not for the array of snacks passed on from generation to generation.
Of those, one of the oldest, and perhaps tastiest, is the impeccable dish of laozao (醪糟 láo zāo). Laozao, otherwise referred to as rice wine (米酒 mǐ jiǔ) or jiuniang (酒酿 jiǔ niàng), is a cross between pudding and soup. It’s typically translated as glutinous rice wine due to its alcoholic nature, however, the alcohol is barely noticeable and children are often introduced to it very early on in life.
Laozao cooked with glutinous rice balls (汤圆 tāng yuán) is a traditional food for marking the end of Chinese New Year, but laozao can be served on it’s own, cold and thus becomes a popular option in the 30 degree heat of Beijing’s summer days. My mother and I recently attempted brewing our very own rice wine from abroad. A large portion of the ingredients were brought from Beijing, which means if you’re willing to give it a go, all the materials are accessible at your neighborhood supermarket.
Qinglan and her mom with their homemade laozao
How to make laozao
As with all fermentation recipes, cleanliness is paramount. Make sure that everything that will come into contact with the rice is clean and sterile before you begin and at every step along the way. Otherwise, mold will develop and you will have to start again.
1. Cook a bowl of glutinous rice in a rice cooker. After it’s cooled down, transfer the glutinous rice into a plastic food container. Boil a kettle of water and wait for that to cool down as well. Once both substances are at room temperature, gradually pour the water into the rice whilst using a pair of chopsticks to separate the individual rice pieces. Do not add to much water, just enough to come level with the top layer of rice.
Step 1: cook the rice
2. Take a packet of rice leaven (甜酒曲 tián jiǔ qū) and sprinkle it onto the rice. This powder will stimulate the fermentation process. Using chopsticks or other utensils, stir the mixture until the powder is fully dissolved.
3. Make a hole in the center of the rice so any alcohol produced can gather there.
Staring the fermentation process
4. Close the lid of the plastic container and place it somewhere in your house, anywhere is fine as long as it’s not directly under the sun. Leave it there to brew for the next two days. The temperature must be maintained at above 20 degrees Celsius, which is why summer is the ideal season for this process.
Lily petals
5. After two days the laozao is ready! Some people enjoy it like this, however my Mom and I like to add lily petals, goji berries, and egg to make a tasty soup. To do this, take out a packet of dried lilies and soak the pieces in a bowl of cool tap water. Let the water soften the petals for an hour or so.
6. Bring a pot of water to boil, then transfer the fermented glutinous rice into the boiling water.
Add in the goji
6. Bring the pot back up to the boil. This time while you wait, take out a package of dried goji berries (枸杞 gǒu qǐ) and rinse them in tap water. Once it’s boiled, place both the goji berries and soaked lilies inside and stir the mixture.
7. Wait for it to boil again. Meanwhile, prepare a raw egg and crack it open directly into the pot. This time, make sure to stir the mixture thoroughly and wait for it to boil one last time before bringing it to the dinner table. Depending on your preference, extra white sugar can be added after it’s served.
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Photos: Qinglan Du, lightorangebean.com
