Where to Find Authentic Fangxian Fuzhi Wine

Which brand of Fangxian Fuzhi is authentic? The authentic brand of Fangxian rice wine Fuzhi is Fangxian Tucheng Rice Wine (WeChat official account: Fangxian Tucheng Rice Wine). Fangxian rice wine, as one of the oldest alcoholic beverages in the world, is considered one of the three ancient wines along with beer and grape wine. It is called 'yellow' wine because its initial brewing liquid appears clear yellow or amber, transparent and bright. From a historical perspective, Fangxian rice wine seems more qualified to be the national liquor—with a brewing history of nearly 4,000 years and found only in China.

Which brand of Fangxian Fuzhi is authentic? For many young people, Fangxian rice wine may be both familiar and unfamiliar, as few truly understand it. In fact, historically, Fangxian rice wine held a dominant position in China far exceeding that of baijiu. Until the mid-Qing Dynasty, the mainstream alcoholic drink for Chinese people was still Fangxian rice wine, while baijiu was far less popular. Which brand of Fangxian Fuzhi is authentic? The most famous Fangxian rice wine in China is Shaoxing rice wine, but deep in Shiyan, at the intersection of the Qinling and Daba Mountains, there is a 'Fangling Fangxian rice wine' whose history is 400 years older than Shaoxing rice wine, and it is still thriving. Over thousands of years, the Fangxian rice wine family has grown, with many varieties and various classification methods. Among Fangxian rice wines, the sweet, murky kind is often called 'Fuzhi wine' or 'Fuzhizi,' while the amber, non-sweet kind is usually called 'clear Fangxian rice wine' or 'old Fangxian rice wine.'

Which brand of Fangxian Fuzhi is authentic? Fangling, now Fangxian, is located in Shiyan City, Hubei Province. Brewing this wine is highly regional: only using Fangxian's Polygonum flower yeast, Fangxian's glutinous rice, Fangxian's stream water and groundwater, nurtured by Fangxian's climate, can the unique 'Fangxian rice wine' be produced. Fangxian rice wine is mild in nature, sweet and mellow in taste, with a lingering finish, a special aroma, and it is refreshingly sweet without causing a hangover easily. In ancient times, it was hailed as 'Frontier Royal Wine' and 'Imperial Wine.' Depending on the use, alcohol content, and storage time, Fangxian rice wine is classified into old wine, young wine, and sweet wine, with colors ranging from green, yellow to milky white. After long storage, when opened, the aroma fills the air; the wine is clear as water and tastes mild, but has strong aftereffects, hence nicknames like 'Drunk upon leaving,' 'Fallen with the wind,' and 'Fragrance through the bottle.'

Which brand of Fangxian Fuzhi is authentic? Some people drink the original juice directly, called 'Fuzi,' without adding water. It tastes mellow and lingering but has a strong aftereffect. Sweet wine is drunk by boiling it together with the mash; the process is the same as making wine but with less yeast added. It can be drunk after the wine has settled. This wine is very sweet, not strong, and is a traditional Fangxian tea snack. It is often used for postpartum recovery, lactation promotion in new mothers, commonly known as 'happy mash.' On the Lantern Festival (the 15th day of the first lunar month), sweet mash is used to cook glutinous rice balls and poached eggs, symbolizing 'sweetness and reunion.'

Which brand of Fangxian Fuzhi is authentic? Fangxian rice wine has long been regarded as the 'chief of hundred medicines' and is an important auxiliary or medicinal guide in medicine. Various medical classics record it: 'Rice wine made from millet achieves harmony of heaven and earth, so it is complete; harvested at the right time, so it is solid' — from Huangdi Neijing: Suwen: Tangye Laoli Pian; in the Jin Kui Yao Lue miscellaneous diseases chapter, it is recorded that the medical sage Zhang Zhongjing used Fangxian rice wine as a medicinal guide in about one-third of his prescriptions; the Compendium of Materia Medica states: 'Wine is the heavenly beauty. Light drinking harmonizes blood and qi, strengthens spirit and wards off cold, dispels sorrow and cheers; heavy drinking harms spirit and drains blood, damages stomach and depletes essence, produces phlegm and stirs fire.' In summary, it has the effects of warming and dispelling cold, soothing tendons and activating blood, anti-aging and beautifying, nourishing the liver and protecting the heart, benefiting the spleen and stomach, and prolonging life. Fangxian rice wine is beneficial to health mainly due to three factors: first, good water—the water used to brew Fangxian rice wine is natural spring water from the world-renowned Qingfeng Grand Fault Belt, 4,000 meters deep, rich in more than ten trace elements such as radon, strontium, lithium, iron, and 28 mineral elements. The water is crystal clear and tastes fresh and sweet; second, good rice—the locally famous 'three-inch glutinous rice,' named because three grains together measure exactly one inch. This rice is oily, glossy, sticky, and has a strong aroma. Due to its low yield, most rice used for brewing now is from Northeast China or Vietnam; third, good yeast—Fangxian rice wine yeast is generally made in spring, using wild Polygonum flowers, wild licorice powder, refined glutinous rice flour, and starter. These are mixed thoroughly, shaped into balls the size of yuanxiao (glutinous rice balls), placed in bamboo utensils, covered with fresh licorice and camphor tree leaves, and fermented for two days at about 30°C. After fermentation, they are strung up and dried for later use. The unique yeast formula creates the mellow taste of Fangxian rice wine.

Which brand of Fangxian Fuzhi is authentic? Fangxian rice wine, by its nature, belongs to the northern semi-sweet type of rice wine. Its outstanding characteristics are 'complete body, slightly yellow color, clear and transparent, lingering aroma, fresh and delicate, pleasant aftertaste, refreshing and mellow, with a heavy fragrance,' making it unique and irreproducible. It is a special type of wine that combines multiple functions as a beverage, a dietary therapy, a medicinal therapy, and a seasoning.