In the early stages of human history, with the advent of human beings, wine also began to quietly emerge. From the initial fermented liquor to the later distilled liquor, after thousands of years, fine liquor has witnessed the development and progress of human society, and at the same time, it has also created China's brilliant liquor culture.
Research shows that the wine culture that exists widely in modern society is mainly rooted in the Tang, Song, Yuan, Ming and Qing dynasties. During the Tang and Song dynasties, the term "soju" became popular; In the Yuan, Ming and Qing dynasties, distillation techniques were introduced in China, and the use of this technology, such as fire burning and pot burning, laid the foundation for the concept of "shoguo liquor" and "shochu" and promoted its development and growth. Nowadays, the development history of liquor such as Wuliangye, Luzhou Laojiao, and Fenjiu, which are well-known at home and abroad, can be traced back to this period.
Therefore, it can be said that soju is the pinnacle of China's liquor industry and a catalyst for social progress.
With the passage of time, wine culture has also become a distinctive representative of traditional Chinese culture. From "no wine, no feast" to "poetry and wine", shochu is not only closely related to our daily lives, but also an indispensable part of achieving a better life.
So, why is soju closely related to the development of human society? Why is it seen as a product of progress and so universally popular in modern society?
From quantitative to qualitative changes, Chinese soju appeared
If the state-owned harvest is abundant, the market will prosper, and the people will make wine if they have surplus grain. There is a cloud in "Huainanzi": "The work of the ploughing begins to see the beauty of Qingang." "With the advancement of agricultural technology and the continuous improvement of winemaking technology, the quality of sake is also improving.
The history of Chinese liquor is long, and it can be roughly divided into two main stages: the 5,000-year-long era of fermented liquor, and the history of soju for nearly 800 years. From fermented spirits to distilled spirits, this is a huge step forward.
Whether it's fermented sake or shochu, there are two key production factors in their brewing process: raw materials and koji. The "raw materials" used in ancient winemaking mainly included various grains such as rice, fruits such as grapes, and animal products such as goat's milk. "Koji medicine" includes loose koji and small koji.
The development of Chinese wine follows the logic of quantitative change to qualitative change. It has experienced the origin of fermented wine in the Xia, Shang and Zhou dynasties, followed by batch fermentation in the Qin and Han dynasties, and the rise of famous cultural liquors in various places during the Northern and Southern Dynasties. Chinese liquor has completed a long-term technological accumulation in the fermentation stage, while in the Tang, Song, Yuan, Ming and Qing dynasties, the winemaking technology and social economy have reached a new height and achieved a qualitative leap.
The Tang and Song dynasties can be said to be a turning point in the development of Chinese liquor, the degree of liquor gradually increased, and the color gradually tended to high-grade yellow and amber. At the same time, the wine is sterilized by heating technology to promote the maturation of the sake, so that the sake can be preserved for a longer time and the flavor is richer.
The real qualitative change in Chinese liquor occurred during the Yuan Dynasty, when the distilled spirits technology popular in Central Asia, Arabia and Europe was introduced to China. Foreigners used this technique to make grape shochu, and Mongolians used it to distill milk wine. During the Yuan Dynasty, the Chinese were the first to invent grain soju, also known as "fire wine", "sweat wine", "wine dew" or "gas wine".
And the liquor we know now is also a type of soju.
In the middle of the Ming Dynasty, the former shop and the back workshop in Chengdu City (the picture shows the ruins of the workshop).
With the passage of time, especially in the Ming and Qing dynasties, the manufacturing technology of Daqu became more and more mature, and the raw materials for liquor were expanded from the original rice to sorghum, corn, wheat and other grains, making grain shochu gradually close to the form of modern liquor. Officially and privately, the concept of "shochu" has gradually come to refer specifically to grain shochu and no longer includes grape distilled spirits.
Specifically, the development of Chinese soju can be roughly divided into five important stages:
From grape shochu to rice wine, the lees are burned to form a dregs flavor liquor.
From dregs to rice roast - the birth of rice-flavored liquor.
From rice roast to sorghum roast - the development of fragrant liquor.
From fermentation in the ground tank to fermentation in the cellar - the introduction of strong aromatic liquor.
From fermentation in the cellar to accumulation in the drying hall - forming a sauce-flavored liquor.
Since then, there have been 12 major flavor types of Chinese liquor. It can be said that the emergence of soju is not only the foundation of Chinese liquor, but also lays a solid foundation for the world-class expression of Chinese liquor culture.
Shochu pandemic
In the third volume of the Drink and Eat is about to be eaten, it is mentioned: "The above good wine is steamed and boiled to obtain fine wine, and it becomes Araki." This sentence clearly expresses the excellent quality of shochu, which has the characteristics of "strong and fragrant". As a result, since the advent of shochu, it has quickly gained popularity and has gone hand in hand with many fermented liquors. Even, people who originally liked to drink rice wine gradually became very interested in soju.
The first is the widespread popularity of soju across the country. In the "Fang Bao Collection", the "Qingding Jing Zhi Zi" records: "In the middle of the Ming Dynasty, soju was all the rage, and all kinds of grains became its raw materials. "There are hundreds of shochu workshops in the five northwestern provinces, and the number of them is huge. The Records of Qing Shizong also describes the prosperity of soju in the northeast: "Outside the mouth of Shengjing, where Mongolia borders, residents from the interior have devoted themselves to the production of soju. ”
Even in the fertile areas of the south, there is large-scale production of soju, as stated in Wu Shusheng's "Yishui Sangma Words": "There are about 200 shochu workshops in the Yishui area......*The daily drinking needs of the locals. ”
Although it is difficult to accurately record the consumption of soju in the Ming and Qing dynasties, it can be glimpsed from the attitude towards soju.
With the rapid growth of shochu production, especially during the Kangqian period of the Qing Dynasty, food consumption increased dramatically. To this end, Kangxi, Yongzheng and Qianlong successively issued decrees prohibiting the production of soju. Kangxi clearly stipulated that "an edict banning soju should be issued every year", and even in the later period of social and economic stability, the ban on soju was only slightly loosened. By the Qianlong period, the ban on the production of soju was more stringent, and orders to reduce the production of soju were repeatedly issued.
The ruins of the winery in Dongming, Hengshui.
Despite the strict controls, the Qing Dynasty basically followed the principle of "prospering in good years and prohibiting brewing in bad years". Coupled with the emergence of private workshops in an endless stream, the actual production of shochu is not low, further fueling the pandemic in the production and consumption of shochu.
Not to mention today, baijiu has become one of the most commonly consumed alcohols by Chinese. Globally, "soju" is the most popular type of liquor, whether it is Chinese baijiu, or foreign whiskey, vodka, gin, rum, brandy, tequila, are widely recognized as "shochu".
Why do people love "shochu" so much? As a drink, it is naturally because of the unique cultural characteristics of shochu.
Ancient winemaking and evaluation methods mainly focused on the characteristics of "heavy". Whether it is fermented liquor represented by rice wine or distilled liquor represented by shochu, people believe that "mellow" and "thick" are the connotations of good liquor. This standard of tasting is still in place today, and as a result, rich and mellow shochu has become the mainstream choice for high-end scenes such as business occasions and gifts.
Drinking shochu is a more advanced way of life
Research in the field of modern biology and teaching has pointed out that Chinese soju is a precious drink obtained through the fermentation of grains and microorganisms in nature, so it contains thousands of alcohols, lipids, aldehydes and other compounds in addition to water and ethanol.
These compounds work together to give the shochu a rich aroma and taste, including the aroma of flowers and fruits, the aroma of roasting, the aroma of herbs, and even the ......smell of fermentationSome shochus are even aged in oak barrels to give it a richer taste.
In addition to the strong material culture of soju, the reason why it has been popular for nearly a thousand years is also because it can meet people's spiritual needs.
People drink or indulge, on the one hand, to relax the body and mind, soju helps to promote blood circulation and relieve fatigue; On the other hand, in order to pursue happiness and eliminate sorrow, soju can help promote the secretion of dopamine and endorphins, making people feel excited; In addition, drinking alcohol can also strengthen relationships.
Overall, with wine, life becomes healthy, enjoyable, and good. Shochu, which has the strength of alcohol and the richness of flavor, brings consumers a richer and more wonderful sensory enjoyment.
Wine often opens people's minds and stimulates creativity. As an important part of culture, and even the driving force of culture, wine is not only a part of daily life, but also closely related to literature and art, poetry and poetry, socio-economic, political and military aspects.
During the Tang and Song dynasties, the prosperity of poetry was inseparable from the prevalence of wine culture.
Chinese people are usually more restrained and reserved, and many times they can only be released when drinking, so since ancient times, Chinese people have a special preference for shochu. By the Ming and Qing dynasties, the prosperity of soju prompted people to pursue freedom. In terms of cultural development, not only literary forms such as poetry have reached their peak, but also literary carriers such as ** have also reached unprecedented development.
Researchers of wine culture point out that modern people drink soju mainly to share and express: sharing, that is, sharing happiness, sharing happiness, and sharing feelings; Expression includes the expression of family, friendship, love and other emotions.
Therefore, the taste of soju is not only contained in history and integrated into cultural classics, but also continues to evolve in the changing times and has become a part of people's life pursuits.
Shochu is in dire need of "cognitive reshaping".
The term "shochu" has swept the world along with words such as shoju wine and knives. It is a symbol of the most glorious period of Chinese liquor culture, during which the popular famous shochu emerged in Beijing, Shandong, Shanxi, Sichuan-Chongqing, Northeast and Northwest.
"Shochu" has become synonymous with high-quality liquor, reaching a peak of production and consumption across the country, and has even been borrowed from Japan, South Korea and other places, and should have continued to be a representative name of Chinese liquor. However, after the founding of the People's Republic of China, the industry began to replace "soju" with the concept of "baijiu", and "soju" only became a basic concept, lacking specific industry standards and brands.
Baijiu is just one type of "soju". Now, only distilled spirits made from grains and grains through solid-state fermentation can be called baijiu, and their alcohol content is extremely high. Baijiu has become a drink for formal social occasions such as business banquets and gifts. With the development of social economy and the improvement of consumers' independent choice and health awareness, the demand for "de-liquor", "de-serious" and "de-high" is also increasing.
The new alcohol consumption environment requires people to redefine the concept of "shochu": conceptually, "shochu" broadly refers to all alcoholic beverages that have been distilled; In terms of scenes, soju is the first choice to meet people's pursuit of a free and relaxed drinking experience.
Even, with the increasing demand for alcoholic beverages, the flavoring of "shochu" will also become the main development direction.
Only in this way can "shochu" truly become an intoxicating drink that adds color to life.
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