{"id":2698,"date":"2012-03-28T18:45:14","date_gmt":"2012-03-28T23:45:14","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/blogs.transparent.com\/chinese\/?p=2698"},"modified":"2012-03-28T17:11:21","modified_gmt":"2012-03-28T22:11:21","slug":"the-strong-stuff-baiji%c7%94","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blogs.transparent.com\/chinese\/the-strong-stuff-baiji%c7%94\/","title":{"rendered":"The Strong Stuff: B\u00e1iJi\u01d4 (\u767d\u9152\uff09"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"\"<\/a>Seeing as we’ve already covered beer in a previous post<\/a>, it’s time now to move on to the strong stuff and talk about China’s most popular spirit: \u767d\u9152 (b\u00e1i<\/a> ji\u01d4<\/a>). If you want to experience drinking culture in China, baijiu will give you an epic crash course in boozing (not to mention a one hell of a hangover).<\/p>\n

Baijiu is what Whiskey is to the Irish, Sake is the Japanese and Vodka is the Russians. And just like in all those cultures, when you drink baijiu, you drink with extreme purpose. So if the boss invites you out for some drinking and karaoke (\u5361\u62c9OK), don’t worry about getting a little tipsy, because odds are you’re in for a wild, baijiu filled time. \u5e72\u676f\uff0c\u670b\u53cb\u95e8\uff01<\/p>\n

Baijiu (also called \u70e7\u9152 sh\u0101oji\u01d4)\u00a0quite literally means “white liquor” and is distilled from a variety of grains, most notably, sorghum. It comes in all sorts of bottles, big and small, and in plastic, glass, ceramic, and even stone containers. Baijiu can be clear in color or range from hues of yellow to red and brown.<\/p>\n

Some baijius are flavored and have distinct fragrance, feel and taste. Like vodka and scotch\/whiskey, baijiu is ranked in the “smoothness” of the drink and in purity and quality of distillation. Baijiu is also quite strong earning the moniker among Americans as “Chinese moonshine”.<\/p>\n

Baijiu in it’s traditional form, will often have a snake or some kind of poisonous insect inside of it. These kinds of baijius are used as medicines or as aphrodisiacs. But modern day baijiu, that is all business. It has one goal and one goal only: to get you drunk or \u559d\u9189\u4e86.<\/p>\n

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I like baijiu in all of its forms, whether it be a 7 kuai bottle of \u4e8c\u9505\u5934 (\u00e8rgu\u014dt\u00f3u), or the truly fancy stuff that I’ve only had at weddings or among privileged military employees and costs hundred of US dollars. I will admit, though, that it is both an acquired taste and a way of life. Just give it a chance and let your palate adjust. Baijiu will grow on you. It just may take a little while.<\/p>\n

Many \u8001\u5916s that have their first brush with baijiu, barely can keep it down. I’ve heard it described as tasting like kerosene, rubbing alcohol and “dead brain cells”. Give it some time, and you’ll grow to like it. Just don’t make the same drinking faux pas as this laowai:<\/p>\n