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Guangdong Hakka Mother Wine

Hakka Mother Wine

Guangdong Hakka Mother Wine(广东客家娘酒) as one kind of the oldest wine species in the Hakka areas, also called "Hakka Niang wine", "old wine", "rice wine", enjoys a long history of more than 5,000 years. At present, it mainly appears in Meizhou, Guangdong province and mostly brewed by Hakka adult females at home rather than in the factory. Drinking rice wine is a common custom of Hakka people. The Local not only treat guests with it in festivals but also give women who give birth to babies to drink so that they can recover in the postpartum period as soon as possible.

A Legendary Story of Guangdong Hakka Mother Wine

According to custom, Hakka Niang Wine was made by a god. During the period of Barbarians' Invasion of China from 304 AD to 439 AD, the Hakka people immigrated to the South of China. However, they were exhausted due to the long distances. The god in his mercy taught them the methods of brewing the wine as refreshment. Hakka ancestors regarded the mother liquor with special medical effects as treasure and passed on it from generation to generation.

Traditonal Methods of Makimg

In the Hakka areas, the methods of traditional Hakka rice wine not only still spreads in the hands of some housewives, but also forms a standard production process in industry:

1. Selection of main raw materials: glutinous rice, Hongqu(red yeast rice) and water.

2. Macerating rice. Water should be poured into a big round urn bfore rice and then stired to make them mix evenly.

3. Steamed rice. In general, an appropriate requirement of steamed rice features softness, transparency, and no agglomeration.

4. Cooling. To cool the steamed rice until the temperature drops to the degrees from 30 to 35.

5. Fermentation. Put Hongqu into the cooling steamed rice, add water, stir evenly, and seal for fermentation. The fermentation temperature is controlled between 20 to 30 degrees and the time lasts about 7 days.

Mother Wine Chicken

Mother wine chicken(娘酒鸡), also known as ginger wine chicken, fried chicken wine, a traditional Hakka relishing dish eaten in winter, is made with main ingredients like ginger, chicken, and wine. To start with, minced ginger and chopped chicken are fried together, and then with a moderate amount of glutinous rice wine boiled. The flavors of both chicken and wine complement each other with a wonderful aroma and appetizing taste.

This kind of nutritious dish usually appears in some important occasions, such as in the Hakka family union, and the Spring Festival. Men and women, old and young, all can drink and eat it, which has posotive effects of promoting blood circulation and dispeling the wind according to statements in traditional Chinese medicine. In particualr, it is quite a good nutritional supplement for delivery women.