''Rượu cần'' ( or 'straw liquor') is a
fermented
Fermentation is a metabolic process that produces chemical changes in organic substrates through the action of enzymes. In biochemistry, it is narrowly defined as the extraction of energy from carbohydrates in the absence of oxygen. In food p ...
rice wine
Rice wine is an alcoholic beverage fermented and distilled from rice, traditionally consumed in East Asia, Southeast Asia and South Asia. Rice wine is made by the fermentation of rice starch that has been converted to sugars. Microbes are the so ...
indigenous to several ethnic groups in
Vietnam
Vietnam or Viet Nam ( vi, Việt Nam, ), officially the Socialist Republic of Vietnam,., group="n" is a country in Southeast Asia, at the eastern edge of mainland Southeast Asia, with an area of and population of 96 million, making i ...
, in areas such as
Tây Nguyên
Central Highlands ( vi, Cao nguyên Trung phần), Western Highlands ( vi, Tây Nguyên) or Midland Highlands ( vi, Cao nguyên Trung bộ) is one of the regions of Vietnam. It contains the provinces of Đắk Lắk, Đắk Nông, Gia Lai, K ...
or
Tây Bắc
Tây Bắc (literally "Northwest") is one of the regions of Vietnam, located in the mountainous northwestern part of the country. It consists of four provinces: Điện Biên, Lai Châu, Sơn La, and Hòa Bình. Lào Cai and Yên Bái are usua ...
. It is made of fermented
glutinous rice (''nếp'') mixed with several kinds of herbs (including leaves and roots) from the local forests. The types and amount of herbs added differ according to ethnic group and region. This mixture is then put into a large earthenware jug, covered, and allowed to ferment for at least one month. ''Rượu cầns strength is typically 15 to 25 percent alcohol by volume.
''Rượu cần'' is generally consumed by placing long, slender cane tubes in the jar, through which the wine is drunk.
Mountain spirits – Drinking cần wine
/ref> Often two or more people (and sometimes up to ten or more) will drink together from the same jug communally, each using a separate tube.
Varieties
In Montagnard culture, ''Rượu cần'' is typically drunk for special occasions such as festivals, weddings, or harvest feasts. It is often consumed by a fire or in a '' nhà rông'', or community house. People almost always dance and play gong
A gongFrom Indonesian and ms, gong; jv, ꦒꦺꦴꦁ ; zh, c=鑼, p=luó; ja, , dora; km, គង ; th, ฆ้อง ; vi, cồng chiêng; as, কাঁহ is a percussion instrument originating in East Asia and Southeast Asia. Gongs ...
music after drinking. When a guest is invited to drink ''rượu cần'' by the local people, it means that this he/she is seen as a distinguished guest.
K'ho people in Lâm Đồng has an elaborated ''rượu cần'' ritual. K'ho people brew their rice wine with herbs such as the ''Me kà zút''. Liquor jars were considered as lodge of the wine god (Yang Ter Nerm), vintage jars are highly prized.
Tai and Muong people also consume ''rượu cần''.
See also
* Cơm rượu
*Lao-Lao
Lao-Lao () is a Lao people, Laotian rice whisky produced in Laos. Along with Beerlao, lao-Lao is a staple drink in Laos.
Etymology
The name ''lao-Lao'' is not the same word repeated twice, but two different words pronounced with different tones ...
, a similar wine drunk in Laos
*Sra peang
''Sra peang'' ( km, ស្រាពាង, ) is a rice wine stored in earthen pots and indigenous to several ethnic groups in Cambodia, in areas such as Mondulkiri or Ratanakiri. It is made of fermented glutinous rice mixed with several kinds of ...
, a similar wine drunk in Cambodia
*Rice wine
Rice wine is an alcoholic beverage fermented and distilled from rice, traditionally consumed in East Asia, Southeast Asia and South Asia. Rice wine is made by the fermentation of rice starch that has been converted to sugars. Microbes are the so ...
* Rượu nếp
* Rượu thuốc
* Rượu đế
* Sơn Tinh (liquor)
References
External links
Article about ''rượu cần''Article about ''rượu cần''
{{DEFAULTSORT:Ruou can
Rice wine
Vietnamese alcoholic drinks