Why is sauce-aroma Baijiu also known as Daqu sauce-aroma?

What is distiller's yeast?

The original distiller's yeast is moldy or sprouted grains.

During the Shang Dynasty, the Chinese referred to moldy grains as "qu" and sprouted grains as "niè".

Why can these two things be used to make wine?

This is because when grains sprout or become moldy, microorganisms such as mold will proliferate. These microorganisms secrete an enzyme that has a biological catalytic effect, capable of decomposing and converting the starch in the grains into sugar, and then decomposing and converting the sugar into alcohol.

"If you want to make wine or sweet rice wine, you need only fermentation."

So, music is the indispensable medium between grains and wine. Without this crucial element in wine-making, grains will remain grains no matter how long they are stored.

Quye wine brewing is the essence of Chinese wine brewing.

What is Daqu?

The good liquor in our country is generally brewed using Daqu. But what is Daqu?

There are mainly three types of koji used in brewing: Daqu, Xiaoqu, and Fuq.

Daqu is primarily made from wheat and forms into relatively large koji blocks. Its shape is generally like a brick or earthenware, hence the common name "Daqu" due to its large size.

Xiaoqu is a type of food made primarily from rice and glutinous rice, shaped like tangyuan or pancakes. Due to its small size, it is commonly known as xiaoqu.

Bran koji is a type of koji made primarily from bran and chaff. Due to its shape resembling scattered bran, it is commonly known as bran koji or san koji.

Daqu is a product that has only existed since the Ming and Qing dynasties. Due to its high manufacturing temperature, the fermentation ability of Daqu, which refers to its ability to decompose and convert starch in grains into sugar, is weak.

Using the same grain to make liquor, Daqu requires a large amount and incurs high costs. However, the liquor brewed from mold selected and preserved through high-temperature manufacturing processes of Daqu boasts superior quality and a fragrant taste.

Xiaoqu has a longer history in China, and its fermentation ability is significantly higher than that of Daqu. Most of China's yellow rice wine and rice-aroma Baijiu are brewed using Xiaoqu. The quality of liquor brewed with Xiaoqu is generally average, and its taste is much worse than that of liquor brewed with Daqu.

Bran koji is a product of modern bioengineering after the founding of the People's Republic of China. It is produced by inoculating mold on bran, which gives it strong fermentation ability. The quality of liquor brewed from bran koji is not good, neither fragrant nor delicious. Many distilleries add other aroma-producing yeast to compensate.