Maotai - Chinese vodka made from rice malt, crushed grain and rice. It has a characteristic smell and yellowish color. In China, maotai is the most famous alcoholic beverage. It got its name in honor of the village of Maotai in Guizhou province, in which its production was established.
Recipe
Chinese vodka made from Shanlan rice is world famous. Initially, the recipe for its preparation was the property of the Li people. Maotai is made from sticky early rice, Shanlan, which is specially grown in the vicinity of the village. Rice is pulverized, then yeast is added to it. Fermentation of the drink occurs at high temperature, which distinguishes this type of alcohol from other types of vodka produced at low or medium thermometer readings.
Crushed and whole grains are mixed in the required proportion and added in two doses to boilers filled with a mixture of rice and yeast. Within a month, the product is fermented, then distillation is carried out. The procedure is repeated eight times, after which the resulting drink is put in the basement and aged for three years. After this, the ripened young Maotai is mixed with older drinks, waiting for their turn in the vaults. This is done to minimize the difference in tastes between different batches of vodka. If maotai is prepared in accordance with all the rules, then we get 53-degree Chinese vodka with an unusual taste, pleasant aroma and exquisite softness.
National treasure
No major event in China is complete without this alcoholic drink. It has become an almost indispensable element at official government meetings in Beijing and at presentations in other countries. More recently, Chinese rice vodka was considered an elite drink inaccessible to mere mortals. However, now it has appeared in the free market and it is used often, especially in solemn occasions: at weddings, holidays, banquets. Despite the fact that the price of this alcoholic beverage is consistently high, Maotai is in high demand.
Currently, Chinese bread vodka began to appear on the tables of ordinary inhabitants of the Middle Kingdom, the prosperity of which sometimes allows you to enjoy this wonderful drink.
Uniqueness
As the main component in the manufacture of vodka, high-quality kaolin is used - a type of sorghum. Kholoyan is resistant to cold and precociousness. Sourdough, on which Chinese vodka is made, is made from wheat, and water is drawn from the purest local sources. The process of making an alcoholic beverage also has no analogues in the world. Eightfold distillation, followed by fermentation, each of which lasts about a month, makes the process of producing vodka very painstaking and time-consuming. At each subsequent manufacturing step, a new yeast is added to the beverage.
The production of each batch of vodka takes at least eight months. Maotai sold after three years of aging. It turns out to be unusually clean. Despite its exceptional strength, the drink does not hit the head, does not burn the mucous membrane and does not upset the stomach.
History
Since time immemorial, Chinese vodka, whose name coincides with the name of the village in which it is produced, has been the favorite drink of creative people in China. It is believed that many of the great minds of the Celestial Empire drew inspiration from this alcoholic drink. The village of Maotai enjoyed the attention of many great people of various dynasties, songs and legends were composed about it.
Maotai has more than 2000 years of history. It is believed that the prototype of the famous vodka - jujiang - began to be produced back in 135 AD. In 1704, the name Maotai appeared. At the beginning of the 20th century, by the end of the Qing Dynasty, the productivity of the factories producing this unique drink was approximately 170 tons per year. By combining the three largest distilleries in China in 1951, the state concern "Maotai" appeared. This event marked the beginning of the modern history of Chinese rice vodka production.
Homeland of Vodka
The village of Maotai enjoys a reputation as a unique place with a favorable climate and very high-quality water. It is called the birthplace of vodka. Of the seven thousand inhabitants of this urban-type settlement, half are engaged in the production of a well-known alcoholic beverage. In other settlements, they also tried to make maotai. However, it turned out that the secret of its unique quality is hidden in a special combination of temperature, humid climate and fertile soil, which is found only in the vicinity of the village of Maotai. Excessive mechanization of production of this type of alcohol will lead to the fact that Chinese rice vodka will lose its traditional unique taste.
There is a legend according to which such a strong alcoholic drink in China was not invented by chance. The fact is that local hard-working rice breeders worked in very harsh conditions: in any weather, regardless of dirt and damp, they went out into the field. In order to keep warm and recover, the peasants in different parts of the country consumed burning strong alcoholic drinks. In the north of China, they made a "hypocrite" from Gaolyan. And in Maotai invented the world famous product.
A drink of Chinese diplomats
Maotai - Chinese vodka, which is one of the three most famous alcoholic beverages in the world. It was used by the statesmen of the Middle Kingdom - Zhou Enlai, Deng Xiaoping, Mao Zedong. At ceremonies, this alcoholic drink is treated to the leaders of states. The Chinese leadership has always appreciated Maotai as a national treasure and an instrument by which important political tasks were resolved. Chinese vodka is included in the list of gifts that diplomats present to leaders of other countries. In addition, maotai is actively exported abroad and has the highest foreign exchange rate compared to other Chinese alcoholic beverages.
Awards and prizes
In 1915, this unique product was presented by the three largest manufacturers to the court of visitors to the Pacific International Trade Fair in Panama. According to legend, during the event several bottles of alcohol were suddenly broken. The aroma spread around conquered the people present, as a result of which Maotai was awarded the highest prize.
International Food Exhibition in Paris in 1985 and 1986. brought this unique product two gold medals. After that, the whole world learned what Chinese vodka is called. In total, at various international exhibitions, the Maotai alcoholic beverage won fourteen gold medals.
Maotai in Russia
Back in 2010, Maotai vodka producers entered the Russian market. The traditional elite alcoholic drink, familiar to the inhabitants of the Middle Kingdom, makes the Russian consumer an ambiguous impression. On the one hand, strong Chinese vodka - 56 degrees - does not cause a hangover and is of good quality. On the other hand, it has a very high price, a specific aroma and taste, which not all Russians can appreciate.
In addition, despite all its sophistication, Maotai has an exceptional strength. According to reviews of some buyers, severe intoxication from it occurs instantly, so you need to use it carefully, sensitively listening to the reactions of the body.
It is known that the shares of the manufacturer Guizhou Maotai (Guizhou Maotai) rose significantly after the Central Television of China showed a story in which Russian President Vladimir Putin in 2014, January 17, during a press conference in Sochi twice positively commented on the famous Chinese vodka.
Snake Drink
China produces a lot of alcoholic drinks, sometimes very exotic ones. One of them is Chinese vodka with a snake. Manufacturers claim that it is not just an alcoholic drink, but a healing tincture that improves the health and well-being of any person. Usually this vodka consists of plants, herbs and ... snakes. She attributed medicinal properties. It is believed that it improves potency, increases vitality, helps to treat arthrosis and arthritis, strengthens the immune system, stabilizes the activity of the brain - it can be endlessly listed. It is difficult to say whether it is so or not. According to some consumers, this alcoholic drink stands out only for its unusual appearance. It tastes little different from traditional Russian vodka.
Conclusion
According to one poet of the Middle Kingdom, three hundred glasses of wine can save him from a thousand years of sadness. If this man tasted Maotai, a few cups would be enough for him. It is no coincidence that this alcoholic drink is considered the king of all Chinese vodkas. It is impossible to say how much it corresponds to the tastes of Russian consumers. Chinese rice vodka, made according to a traditional recipe in compliance with all necessary conditions, is a great gift for any celebration. Try it will be interesting to every connoisseur of elite alcoholic beverages.