re: #418 ckkatz

“Great rice/noodle divide” - I’d not heard that before, it’s quite descriptive!

And your mention of baiju reminds me that I need to learn more of Chinese alcoholic drink traditions. Of which I know little. I have heard that the Chinese business class has been showing great interest in European wines. But I know zilch of Chinese traditional winemaking. I assume that there is a Chinese beermaking industry. And baiju sounds like a distilled alcohol.

Beer in the global sense of the word has been in China since 1900 or so, when Russians set up a brewery in Harbin and Germans set up one in Qingdao (Tsingtao). Now there are several regional brands and an increasing number of craft breweries.

Grape wine has been in China for thousands of years, but was only enjoyed at the imperial level. Since 2000 though, some national vineyards, assisted by French advisors, have been producing some surprisingly good wines, mostly reds. And as you mention, now wealthy Chinese have become interested in fancy imported labels. One of my former students now has a cushy job working for a French importer in Beijing.

Baijiu is distilled liquor made from a variety of grains, and can be either smooth as silk or as harsh as paint stripper, depending on aging and quality (and price). Traditionally, baijiu is drunk with meals and like Russian vodka each cup must be drained after each toast, leading to quick inebriation if you’re not used to it. Nixon reportedly got pretty sloshed drinking baijiu with Mao and Zhou during his historic visit. In the USA, Moutai is the most common brand.