A Step-By-Step to Homemade Laozao Sweet Fermented Rice
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Chinese cuisine would be incomplete if not for the array of snacks passed on from generation to generation.
Of those, one of the oldest, and perhaps tastiest, is the impeccable dish, 醪糟 láozāo, otherwise referred to as 米酒 mǐ jiǔ rice wine or 酒酿 jiǔ niàng. This seeming cross between a pudding and soup is typically translated as glutinous rice wine due to its alcoholic nature, however, the alcohol is barely noticeable and children are often introduced to it very early on in life.
Laozao cooked with glutinous rice balls (汤圆 tāngyuán) is a traditional food for marking the end of Chinese New Year, but laozao can be served cold and thus becomes a popular option in the 30-degree heat of Beijing’s summer days. My mother and I recently attempted brewing our very own rice wine from abroad. A large portion of the ingredients were brought from Beijing, which means if you’re willing to give it a go, all the materials are accessible at your neighborhood supermarket.Qinglan and her mom with their homemade laozao
Steps:
1. Cook the rice
2. Take a packet of rice leaven (甜酒曲 tiánjiǔqū) and sprinkle it onto the rice. This powder will stimulate the fermentation process. Using chopsticks or other utensils, stir the mixture until the powder is fully dissolved.
3. Make a hole in the center of the rice so any alcohol produced can gather there.advertisement
Staring the fermentation process
4. Close the lid of the plastic container and place it somewhere in your house. Anywhere is fine as long as it’s not directly under the sun. Leave it there to brew for the next two days. The temperature must be maintained above 20 degrees Celsius, which is why summer is the ideal season for this process.
Soaking the lily bulbs
5. After two days the laozao is ready! Some people enjoy it as-is, but my mom and I like to add lily bulbs, goji berries, and egg to make a tasty soup. To do this, take out a packet of dried lilies and soak the pieces in a bowl of cool tap water. Let the water soften the petals for an hour or so.
6. Bring a pot of water to boil, then transfer the fermented glutinous rice into the boiling water.
Add in the goji
6. Bring the pot back up to boil. This time while you wait, take out a package of dried goji berries (枸杞 gǒu qǐ) and rinse them in tap water. Once it’s boiled, place both the goji berries and soaked lilies inside and stir the mixture.
7. Wait for it to boil again. Meanwhile, prepare a raw egg and crack it directly into the pot. This time, make sure to stir the mixture thoroughly and wait for it to boil one last time before bringing it to the dinner table. Depending on your preference, extra white sugar can be added after it’s served.READ: Local Gem: Is a Bowl of Noodles Ever Worth a 30 Minute Wait?
This article originally appeared on our sister site, beijingkids.
Photos: Qinglan Du, lightorangebean.comadvertisement
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