Millet wine () is a common

wine Wine is an alcoholic drink typically made from fermented grapes. Yeast consumes the sugar in the grapes and converts it to ethanol and carbon dioxide, releasing heat in the process. Different varieties of grapes and strains of yeasts are m ...

in East and Southeast

Asia Asia (, ) is one of the world's most notable geographical regions, which is either considered a continent in its own right or a subcontinent of Eurasia, which shares the continental landmass of Afro-Eurasia with Africa. Asia covers an area ...

. It is also the oldest wine in

Taiwan Taiwan, officially the Republic of China (ROC), is a country in East Asia, at the junction of the East and South China Seas in the northwestern Pacific Ocean, with the People's Republic of China (PRC) to the northwest, Japan to the nort ...

and a traditional beverage of

Taiwanese aborigines Taiwanese may refer to: * Taiwanese language, another name for Taiwanese Hokkien * Something from or related to Taiwan ( Formosa) * Taiwanese aborigines, the indigenous people of Taiwan * Han Taiwanese, the Han people of Taiwan * Taiwanese people, ...

. It is often used in

harvest festivals A harvest festival is an annual celebration that occurs around the time of the main harvest of a given region. Given the differences in climate and crops around the world, harvest festivals can be found at various times at different places. ...

, as a symbol of

harvest Harvesting is the process of gathering a ripe crop from the fields. Reaping is the cutting of grain or pulse for harvest, typically using a scythe, sickle, or reaper. On smaller farms with minimal mechanization, harvesting is the most labor-i ...

Cultural background

For aboriginal culture,

millet Millets () are a highly varied group of small-seeded grasses, widely grown around the world as cereal crops or grains for fodder and human food. Most species generally referred to as millets belong to the tribe Paniceae, but some millets al ...

wine is a cultural symbol. Millet wine is a key part of aboriginal rituals such as Millet Festival, Black Rice Festival,

Harvest Festival A harvest festival is an annual celebration that occurs around the time of the main harvest of a given region. Given the differences in climate and crops around the world, harvest festivals can be found at various times at different places. ...

and Dwarf Spiritual Sacrifice (

Pas-ta'ai Pas-ta'ai (Chinese: 矮靈祭; pinyin: ''Ǎilíngjì''), the “Ritual to the Spirits of the Short eople��, is a ritual of the Saisiyat people, a Taiwanese aboriginal group. The ritual commemorates the ''Ta'ai'', a tribe of short dark-skinned p ...

). Each aboriginal group in Taiwan has its own god or goddess dedicated to millet and their own name for millet wine. For example, the

Atayal Atayal may refer to: * Atayal people * Atayal language The Atayal language is spoken by the Atayal people of Taiwan. Squliq and C’uli’ (Ts’ole’) are two major dialects. Mayrinax and Pa’kuali’, two subdialects of C’uli’, are uniqu ...

tribe call it “Qohozi” and the Puyuma tribe call it "Tinuerau". Libation of millet wine is believed to bring good luck and aid in avoiding evil. Every aboriginal group has developed specific millet wine drinking rites. For instance, the Paiwan tribespeople will tread the ground before drinking millet wine to show their respect to the god in charge of the mountains. On the other hand, Puyuma tribespeople of

Taitung County Taitung County (; Mandarin pinyin: ''Táidōng Xiàn''; Hokkien POJ: ''Tâi-tang-koān''; Hakka PFS: ''Thòi-tûng-yen''; Paiwan: ''Valangaw'';lit:Eastern part of Taiwan) is the third largest county in Taiwan, located primarily on the island' ...

take bring fresh millet wine to the beach. Priests then chant prayers toward the direction of Orchid Island to present their gratitude for their harvest.

Production

Millet wine is made from millet, brewer's yeast and water. In traditional production, tools such as sieves, steamers, pots, pans and jars are used. Millet is immersed in cold water and left to rest during the night. The next morning, the millet is washed with care so as not to squeeze it. The common proportion is about 400 cc per pound of millet. The washed millet is steamed and then mixed with brewer's yeast and cold water which was boiled beforehand. Finally, the mix is put into a container and the opening is sealed. It is left to ferment in a cool place about one month.

References

External links

"Ma La Sun" millet wine made famous in Xiamen by "Cape No. 7"Drinking Kayah Millet Wine: A Valued Tradition
Taiwanese wine Alcohol in Asia Millets {{wine-stub

Cultural background

Production

See also

References

External links