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Osmanthus wine

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Osmanthus wine
Bottles of osmanthus wine
Chineseかつらはなしゅ
Transcriptions
Standard Mandarin
Hanyu Pinyinguìhuājiǔ
Wade–Gileskuei-hua-chiu
Alternative Chinese name
Chineseかつらさけ
Transcriptions
Standard Mandarin
Hanyu Pinyinguìjiǔ
Wade–Gileskuei-chiu
Aged osmanthus wine
Traditional Chineseかつらはなひねしゅ
Simplified Chineseかつらはな陈酒
PostalKuei Hua Chen Chiew
Literal meaningOsmanthus reserve wine
Transcriptions
Standard Mandarin
Hanyu Pinyinguìhuā chénjiǔ
Wade–Gileskuei-hua ch'en-chiu
A dessert made of Nu Er Hong and Kuei Hua Chen Chiew Cocktail Jelly

Osmanthus wine, also known as cassia wine or Kuei Hua Chen Chiew, is a Chinese alcoholic beverage produced from weak baijiu and flavored with sweet osmanthus (Osmanthus fragrans) flowers. It is distilled but typically has an alcohol content less than 20%.

While the plant itself is sometimes associated with cinnamon,[1] the blossoms' lactones impart a flavor closer to apricots and peaches.[2]

Owing to the time at which Osmanthus fragrans flowers, 'cassia' wine is the traditional choice[3][4] for the "reunion wine" drunk during the Mid-Autumn Festival.[5] Because of the homophony between さけ ("alcohol") and ひさ ("long", in the sense of time passing), osmanthus wine is also a traditional gift for birthdays in China.[6] It is also considered a medicinal wine in traditional Chinese medicine.[7] Li Shizhen's Compendium of Materia Medica credits sweet osmanthus with "curing the hundred diseases" and "raising the spirit".[8]

Within China, osmanthus wine is associated with Xi'an[9] and Guizhou,[1][10] but production now occurs throughout China, including Beijing[11] and at the Hong Jiang Winery in Hunan.[12]

References

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  1. ^ a b Small, Ernest. Top 100 Food Plants, p. 179. NRC Research Press (Ottawa), 2009. Accessed 8 November 2013.
  2. ^ Chartier, Francois. Taste Buds and Molecules: The Art and Science of Food, Wine, and Flavor, p. 199. John Wiley & Sons (Hoboken), 2012. Accessed 8 November 2013.
  3. ^ Qiu Yaohong. Origins of Chinese Tea and Wine, p. 121. Asiapac Books (Singapore), 2004. Accessed 7 November 2013.
  4. ^ Liu Junru. Chinese Food, p. 136. Cambridge Univ. Press (Cambridge), 2011. Accessed 7 November 2013.
  5. ^ Li Zhengping. Chinese Wine, p. 101. Cambridge University Press (Cambridge), 2011. Accessed 8 November 2013.
  6. ^ Li Xiaoxiang. Origins of Chinese People and Customs, p. 101. Asiapac Books (Singapore), 2004.
  7. ^ Flaws, Bob. Chinese Medicinal Wines & Elixers, p. 17. Blue Poppy (Boulder), 1994. ISBN 0936185589. Accessed 8 November 2013.
  8. ^ "ひゃくびょう,养精しんかず颜色,为诸药先聘通使ひさふく轻身不老ふろうめんせいこう华,こびこうつね如童." – 时珍 [Li Shizhen]. 本草ほんぞう纲目》 [Compendium of Materia Medica]. Op. cit. "[1]". Sichuan Online. 22 September 2013. Accessed 8 November 2013.(in Chinese)
  9. ^ Xiang Yang. Xi'an – China's Ancient Capital, pp. 90 ff. Foreign Languages Press (Beijing), 1993.
  10. ^ China Directory of Industry and Commerce and Economic Annual, Vol. 2, pp. 429–430. Xinhua Publishing, 1984.
  11. ^ China Market, Issue 11, p. 15. China Market Publishing Corporation, 1987.
  12. ^ Zhonghua Mei Jiu, p. 408. 中国ちゅうごく轻工业出版しゅっぱんしゃ, China. 食品しょくひんこう业局. 轻工业出版しゅっぱんしゃ, 1985. Accessed 8 November 2013.
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The beverage is referenced many times in the game Genshin Impact as the favorite beverage of the character Zhongli, the Geo Archon. The wine is also frequently referenced in Chinese period dramas (often referred to as Xianxia or Wuxia).