The essential guide to baijiu

At a glance

Baijiu is a strong distilled spirit made most often from grains. It's generally 40 to 60 percent alcohol by volume. It's also the world's most popular liquor thanks to the Chinese population.

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Tracing back to thousands of years ago, baijiu production is usually a five-step process that includes the preparation of ingredients, preparation of jiuqu (fungi as the main microbial starter), saccharification and fermentation, distillation and aging.

Baijiu mostly comes in five major varieties based on its smell. These are strong aroma, light aroma, sauce aroma, rice aroma and mixed aroma.

Tips from the author

1. Don't ever tell others you are a good drinker, because they inevitably want to put you to the test.

2. Pair local baijiu with local food. Pair salty, bland Beijing food with Erguotou and spicy stir-fried Sichuan cuisine with Shuijingfang.

3. There are no rules concerning how best to consume the drink, though you can smell it first for warming-up. Generally, just pour it, smell it and drink it.

4. There are other ways to make friends in China, but it's much faster and easier to drink baijiu with people.