Baijiu

Baijiu (báijiǔ, literally 'white liquor') is the world's most consumed spirit by volume and the dominant drinking culture of formal China — present at state banquets, business dinners, weddings and seasonal festivals. Internationally it is barely known; within China it is essentially inseparable from the concept of a serious meal with guests.

The production process is distinctive: grains — sorghum predominantly, but also rice, wheat, corn and sorghum-wheat combinations depending on the style — are mixed with jiuqu, a solid starter block containing bacteria, yeasts and moulds. The mixture ferments dry (solid-state fermentation) in clay-lined pits or above-ground containers for weeks to months, depending on the style. Multiple rounds of fermentation and distillation produce a spirit with an ABV typically between 40 and 65 per cent.

Four aroma classes define the main styles. Strong-aroma (nóngxiāng): the most produced nationally, centred on Sichuan, exemplified by Wuliangye (Yibin) and Luzhou Laojiao (Luzhou); deep, complex, with a characteristic pit earthiness and grain sweetness. Sauce-aroma (jiàngxiāng): associated with Guizhou, exemplified by Moutai (Maotai); earthy, slightly sweet, with a persistent umami quality. Light-aroma (qīngxiāng): from Shanxi, exemplified by Fenjiu; the cleanest and most approachable for newcomers, grain-forward without the funk of other styles. Rice-aroma (mǐxiāng): from Guilin, Guangxi; the gentlest and most delicate.

At banquets, baijiu is drunk neat in small ceramic cups and is typically drained fully rather than sipped — the toast (gānbēi, 'dry cup') is taken seriously. Declining a gānbēi requires tact. The social pressure around drinking culture varies by region and context; business dinners in some regions involve considerable rounds.