Jiuniang

Jiuniang (酒酿, also called láozāo, 醪糟, or jiāngmǐjiǔ, 江米酒) is a sweet, soup- or pudding-like dish in Chinese cuisine made by fermenting glutinous rice with a starter (酒藥) containing yeast and Aspergillus oryzae. It was first developed as a by-product of mijiu production.

Although jiuniang is similar to an unfiltered rice wine in that it is mildly alcoholic, it contains whole rice grains and is often made with Sweet Osmanthus flowers; if made with Sweet Osmanthus flowers the dish is called guihua jiuniang (桂花酒酿).

Jiuniang is often served together with small unfilled tangyuan during the Dongzhi Festival, a Chinese winter holiday dedicated to the ancestors. When served in such a manner it is called jiuniang tangyuan (酒酿汤圆) or "jiuniang yuanzi" (酒酿圆子), or, with Sweet Osmanthus, guihua jiuniang tangyuan (桂花酒酿汤圆). All forms of jiuniang are typically eaten with a spoon.

It is very similar to the southern Vietnamese dish cơm rượu, which usually contains balls of rice. It is also similar to the Korean sikhye and Japanese amazake, although these are a bit thinner in texture and considered drinks rather than soups or puddings.

External links

• Jiuniang page

See also

• Rice pudding
• Mijiu