🥃 Baijiu

Baijiu (白酒) is a Chinese spirit made from grain, most often sorghum, by solid-state fermentation with qu starter and distillation. The Chinese national standards of the GB/T 10781 series describe it by aroma type: there are more than twelve, and the most common, strong aroma (nongxiang), accounts for about 70% of production.

Qu is a mix of yeasts, molds and bacteria grown on grain; it comes as daqu, xiaoqu and fuqu. Xiaoqu is used mainly in the south for light-aroma baijiu, daqu and fuqu in the north. The fermented grain is distilled in a conical still called a zeng, and the young distillate is first stored in ceramic jars. Strong-aroma baijiu ferments in mud pits of 6–8 m³; its key aroma compound is ethyl hexanoate.

The standards are being updated in parts: GB/T 10781.1-2021 (strong aroma) has applied since 1 April 2022, GB/T 10781.2-2022 (light aroma) since 1 February 2023, GB/T 10781.4-2024 (soy-sauce aroma, jiangxiang) since 1 June 2025, and GB/T 10781.3-2025 (rice aroma) since 1 May 2026. General terms and the classification of drinks are set by GB/T 17204-2021, and separate parts of the series describe the liquid-state and blended methods.

Traditional jiangxiang, according to a 2023 draft standard, is made from glutinous sorghum and wheat with daqu produced at temperatures above 60 °C, and without edible alcohol. The classic cycle has 9 steamings, 8 fermentations in piles, 8 in pits and 7 distillations. Soy-sauce aroma baijiu is usually aged for three years or longer. In 2021 China produced about 7.1 billion liters of baijiu.

Why this matters to you. Baijiu is not one drink but a family: the aroma type and the GB/T standard number on the label tell you how it was made. The mark 固态法 means the traditional solid-state method, while 液态法 and 固液法 mean liquid-state and blended. Strength varies, so check the % ABV figure. WHO reminds us: there is no safe dose of alcohol.