Why is Huangjiu praised as the national wine?

On June 30th, Sun Baoguo, an academician of the Chinese Academy of Engineering, said on the "Forum on Revitalizing the Development of Huangjiu Industry" held in Shaoxing that Huangjiu, with the longest history, deserves to be China's national wine. And Shaoxing should carry forward Huangjiu vigorously.

Academician Sun Baoguo is a chemistry expert on food flavor in China. As the president of Beijing Technology and Business University and the vice president of China Food Science and Technology Society, he devoted himself to the chemical research of wine and put forward the development idea of "producing health and flavor-oriented white spirits". In addition, he has been granted more than 20 invention patents, and has won the national technological invention award and national science and technology progress award for many times.

Academician Sun said that surplus grain is an important prerequisite for Huangjiu making. In November 2016, a [Scientist Proposal" was signed on the "Academic Seminar on the Origin of Rice Cultivating in China" sponsored by the China Association for Science and Technology. The proposal said that China's cultivated rice originated 10000 years ago in the middle and lower reaches of the Yangtze River and its surrounding and south areas, represented by Xianrendong and Diaotonghuan sites in Wannian County, Jiangxi Province. China is the hometown of Huangjiu, and may be the origin area of Huangjiu. Because the first winery about 9000 years ago was discovered in the Jiahu Site in Wuyang County, Henan Province.

It is generally believed that wine has a history of 5000 to 7000 years. And there is a closed relationship between human beings and wine. Georgia is the birthplace of world wine. The 10 grape seeds unearthed in Georgia in 1965 belong to the vitis vinifera sativa D.C grape variety which was cultivated 7000-8000 years ago and is the oldest grape variety in human history.

Beer has a written history of more than 6000 years. The ancient Babylonians used clay plates to record the brewing method of beer. Chinese beer has a history of more than 5000 years. Wang Jiajing and other researchers found that the Chinese people may have mastered the brewing process of beer more than 5000 years ago after they studied the residues on the inner wall of wine pottery unearthed at the Mijiaya site in Xi'an.

Shaoxing Huangjiu has a history of about 7000 years, which can be proved by a large number of artificially cultivated rice and earthenware wine vessels unearthed at the Hemudu site, Hemudu Town, Yuyao City, Zhejiang Province (within the scope of ancient Yue State). Huangjiu brewing technology was relatively popular 6000 years ago in China, which can be proved by Huangjiu brewing and drinking tools unearthed in the Dawenkou Culture Site 6000 years ago. And Huangjiu was recorded officially in the Gou Jian era, which is more than 2500 years ago.

Liquor is one of the four distilled spirits in the world. The history of liquor is shorter than that of Huangjiu in China. The distillation technology of liquor appeared in Han Dynasty, which can be proved by distillers unearthed in the tomb of Haihun Duke (68 B.C. - 8 A.D.). But at that time, Chinese Huangjiu already had a production history of at least 5000 years.

Academician Sun said that the development trend of food is "healthy, delicious, convenient and affordable". We should impart and innovate the flavor of Huangjiu, and we must develop Huangjiu which young people are fond of. In addition, we should introduce Huangjiu to the world by telling healthy stories about Huangjiu. Huangjiu is one of the three ancient wines in the world. However, the degree of internationalization of Huangjiu is the lowest. Thus, we should print English name and introduction of Huangjiu on the product label in an obvious way to promote internationalization process of Huangjiu.