A few articles
Fragrant and fragrant Shaoxing wine
Holding an oil-paper umbrella, wandering alone in the long, long and lonely rain alley, I hope to meet a lilac. A girl with sorrow and resentment...
The green mountains and green waters of the south of the Yangtze River not only raised many talented people, but also raised beautiful daughters.
The gentle breeze and drizzle in the water town not only created the beautiful appearance of Shaoxing’s daughters, but also created their emotions that are like water and song. They are delicate and affectionate, they are graceful and sensitive, their eyes are bright and their teeth are white, and their clothes are flying. Just like the tea trees all over the mountains and plains, they are lush and green. Like this white and elegant gardenia, it is fragrant and intoxicating.
In the season of plum drizzle, the light rain lasts for several days, coming in tight bursts, making the sky and the earth wet. The flower walls along the avenue were wet, and the bluestone paths in the alleys were also wet. This weaves a piece of lovesickness and a drizzle of love, making Jiangnan's daughter's heart wet.
Walked into a small hotel deep in an alley. Although the store is not big, it embodies the owner's sophistication everywhere, with antique tables and chairs, simple and elegant furnishings, and Jiangnan-style fans hanging on the walls. The fan is an elegant ink painting. After a few side dishes were put on the table, the landlady came over. A bottle of Shaoxing's fine wine - "Ner'er Hong" was brought. I have known about Erhong wine for a long time. It has a sweet taste, orange-red color, sweet and smooth taste in the mouth, and has an excellent taste. After opening the bottle, a fragrant aroma of rice wine hit my face. We laughed and asked about the origin of the name "Nuer Hong". The landlady told us that in ancient Yue folk custom, when a daughter was born, a few jars of locally brewed wine would be sealed in the wall or cellar, and would be dug up when the daughter got married at the age of 18 as a dowry gift or to entertain guests. . Yes, "Nv'er's Red", this "Ner'er's Red" that has been buried for eighteen years, has condensed so much family affection, so much lovesickness, and so many tears. Maybe it's because so much emotion is brewed into this wine that it makes it rich and rich. Such a beautiful story is really touching. Even though I don’t know how to drink, I can still think about it. It’s like a wedding banquet full of guests. Red wine is poured into white porcelain bowls. People are laughing and drinking. The hijab bride's beautiful cheeks will also show the red wine color, making her even more shy and cute... I am deeply intoxicated in this beautiful and Ai Wan's story.
The "Zhuangyuanhong", which is as famous as "Nervhong", is also the most famous traditional rice wine in Shaoxing. It was stored in the family when a boy was born, and was tasted when the boy became famous. This is a product of traditional culture and cannot be created in the current social environment.
"Nv'er Red" and "Zhuangyuan Red" are available in large and small stores, but they are so delicately painted that they look like handicrafts, so I really don't dare to pay attention to them. As for ordinary wine, we tasted a little bit of it, from individual drinks to bottles and jars. Some are clear and elegant; some are sweet and fragrant. Even if they are not too authentic, they will leave a fragrance on your cheeks and teeth after drinking, and they will have a lingering aftertaste. It can be seen that the so-called authentic or not authentic is a comparison.
If you want to find good wine in Shaoxing now, you should go to Jianhu Lake. Although this lake in the southwest of Shaoxing is not big, it is the main water source of Shaoxing. Its water quality is relatively mellow and is especially suitable for making rice wine, so it is The cradle of Shaoxing old wine. The best Shaoxing rice wine brewing spots are near Jianhu Lake, where you can buy genuine products with authentic taste. As long as you know how to drink wine, a thousand cups will be too little. May the water of Jianhu Lake continue to flow and Shaoxing rice wine be full of vitality.
Yellow wine is a specialty of Shaoxing. Shaoxing is famous for its rice wine. “Chinese rice wine is as numerous as Shaoxing’s, and the fragrance of wine lingers for ten miles in Shaoxing.” Shaoxing is a famous historical and cultural city and also a "wine city". Shaoxing wine has a long history of brewing. For thousands of years, Shaoxing has been immersed in an atmosphere of wine and intoxication.
As one of the three ancient wines in the world (the other two being wine and beer), the history of rice wine can be traced back at least to the Shaokang era more than 5,000 years ago. Spring and Autumn Period. It originated from China and is a unique type of wine in China. There are many varieties of yellow rice wine, such as Jimo old wine from Shandong, Fujian old wine, Guangdong pearl red wine, Wuxi Huiquan wine, etc. However, it is recognized by the wine-making industry that the only one that best represents the essence of Chinese yellow rice wine is Shaoxing yellow wine.
Shaoxing rice wine, also known as "old wine", is basically divided into three types: Zhuangyuanhong, Jiafan and Shanniang. As early as more than 2,000 years ago, Gou Jian, the king of Yue, dedicated this fine wine to the king of Wu. The soldiers of the state of Wu drank heavily and accumulated it into a mountain. By the Southern Dynasty more than 1,400 years ago, Shaoxing rice wine had been listed as a tribute.
The "Jiu Jing" written by Wang Ji in the Tang Dynasty has a relatively detailed record of the characteristics and production of Shaoxing wine. The well-known poem "The wine of Yue is the best in the world, and the tourists will never return drunk" was written by Lu You, a poet of the Southern Song Dynasty. Shaoxing wine is specifically mentioned in the 63rd chapter of the famous classic novel "Dream of Red Mansions", "A Night Banquet with Shouyi Hongfang"; Chapter 70 of "Flowers in the Mirror" also has a description of Shaoxing's "Daughter's Red Wine". When Zhao Gou, Emperor Gaozong of the Southern Song Dynasty, built the temporary capital in Shaoxing, he designated Shaoxing rice wine as the royal wine of the palace, and it was known as "Huang Feng Gong Wine" in history. There are rice wine, Huadiao wine, Hongdiao wine...
Shaoxing old wine is a fermented wine without distillation. It is brewed using refined white glutinous rice and high-quality wheat as the main raw materials, and drawing on the unique water of Jianhu Lake. Jianhu water is filtered and purified by rock formations and gravel. The water is clear, sweet and delicious, and contains a variety of minerals. It is a unique natural resource for brewing Shaoxing wine. This wine has a unique style of orange and clear color, fragrant aroma, sweet and mellow taste, and has the advantages of becoming more fragrant with age and lasting for a long time. People say that it has the "style of the elders".
Due to the use of different ingredients and brewing methods, Shaoxing old wine is divided into Jiafan, Yuanhong, Shanniang, Xiangxue, Huadiao and other varieties. Each wine has its own unique flavor. Rice wine is made by adding glutinous rice to a certain ratio of water and rice, because it requires more rice than other rice wine varieties. Therefore, it is thick in texture, sweet in taste, and has a particularly mellow taste, so it is called "Jiafan wine" and is a representative variety of Shaoxing wine. Shanjiujiu is made by using old wine instead of water and using wine to make wine. Its taste is particularly mellow. Xiangxuehai is made by adding rice and distiller's grains to make shochu instead of water, and then processing it into wine, which is called "xiangxue". Zhuangyuan red wine is made from red yeast rice, which is dark in color and rich in flavor.
When you come to Shaoxing, you must not forget to taste Shaoxing’s old wine. It is mellow, sweet, mellow and delicious, leaving people with endless aftertaste. Among them, Zenyang is the best, but the most famous one is Jiafang, because Zenyang is sweet and a bit cloying. Shaoxing old wine has a low alcohol content, a soft nature, and a unique color, aroma, and is said to be particularly suitable for women. "Nv'er Hong" and "Zhuangyuan Red" are the best among them. It contains more than ten kinds of nutrients and has a nourishing effect on the human body. It is a good product among beverages and wines. It can also be used as cooking wine and cooking. It can also avoid fishy and add flavor. Using Shaoxing old wine as seasoning can add deliciousness to cooked dishes. It is An indispensable cooking product. Shaoxing wine is also an ideal ingredient for dispensing Chinese patent medicines. Shaoxing wine is the favorite type of wine among Japanese people. Currently, the annual sales volume in Japan reaches 2,000 tons. Shaoxing wine is exported to nearly 30 countries and regions, with annual export sales of more than 5,000 tons, ranking first in my country's rice wine exports.
It goes without saying that Shaoxing wine is mellow and fragrant, but those who drink it because of its reputation are mostly influenced by Lu Xun's novels such as "Kong Yiji" and "The Storm". Located on Lu Xun Road in Shaoxing, the Xianheng Hotel, with its curved-foot-shaped counter, wooden benches and antique decoration, reproduces the original appearance of history.
Nowadays, the place is crowded with customers every day, and tourists from out of town always go to the Xianheng Hotel to sit down and have a drink. Drink a few glasses of Shaoxing wine and a plate of fennel beans to appreciate the old town hotel style. Similarly, the Xianheng Brewery in Shaoxing also became famous at home and abroad because of Lu Xun's articles.
Shaoxing rice wine still continues the traditional craft for thousands of years. Even today, when productivity is highly developed, clay pots, bamboo rakes, bamboo baskets, and even lotus leaves, bamboo leaves, and yellow mud are still indispensable production materials in rice wine brewing.
The brewing of Shaoxing rice wine involves soaking rice, steaming rice, spreading rice, placing the rice in the vat, fermenting, raking, filling the jar, pressing, and frying the wine. Generally speaking, 1 catty of rice can make 1.7 or 1.8 catties of rice wine.
The winery starts making wine from the beginning of winter until the beginning of spring next year, which is called "winter brewing". This is the only time in the whole year that is suitable for making rice wine. Dongpu Town, Shaoxing is the birthplace of Shaoxing wine making. Almost everyone in the town can make wine, and every family makes wine every year. Dongpu Winery produces all four series of Shaoxing rice wine, namely: Yuanhong (dry type, sugar content below 15%), Huadiao or Jiafan (semi-dry type, sugar content 15-40%), Xiangxue (sweet type, sugar content above 100%) , Good brew (semi-sweet type. Sugar content 40-100). Glutinous rice is used to make rice wine, and stem rice is used to make Yuanhong (local people call it "Geng Yuanhong" or "Tushao"). All brewed by hand. The degree of fermentation directly determines the quality of the wine. If it is over-fermented, the wine will be too sour. If it is not fermented enough, the wine will be 'tender' and tasteless.
The seemingly crude clay jars that fill the factory are also very particular.
At least so far, the role of clay jars in the entire yellow wine making process is just like wine and oak barrels, which are also a unique and perfect match. The unique fine air permeability of pottery is very important to the "viability" of fermented bacteria. In fact, there is no vessel that can replace this ancient wine jar. Moreover, the new jars cannot be used to hold finished wine, only the old jars that have been used to hold semi-finished wine. Because newly made clay jars will inevitably have small leaks or hard-to-find flaws, which will cause oxidation and deterioration of the finished wine.
Rake is a very important step in the production process of rice wine. Whether the wine tastes sour or sweet is determined in this step. The raking master is very prestigious in the local area and is known as the "wine head". Every winery will invite wine masters to be present when raking the wine. They will judge the surface color of each vat of wine and the "sizzling" inside the vat. Determine whether to "start raking" based on the sound and temperature felt by your hands.
After raking, the rice wine still needs to undergo processes such as pressing (filtering out impurities in the wine), decoction (sterilizing by boiling at high temperature), and finally filling jars and packaging. Today, hand-made Shaoxing old wine is still filled in Yixing pottery jars and sealed with Ruo leaves and yellow mud. Although the ancient yellow clay seal has long been away from modern life, in the view of the brewery, it is still one of the hallmarks of the flavor of Shaoxing handmade rice wine.
In today's digital age, the ancient Shaoxing rice wine still abides by the rules that have been in place for thousands of years and has not changed. In a sense, there is no need to change at all. Guyuelong Mountain, Kuaiji Mountain and Nerhong. They are the "Three Musketeers" of Shaoxing rice wine. The long view of the lake has created the profound national cultural connotation of Shaoxing rice wine in history, and also created its long-lasting reputation. Our state banquet wine is rice wine, produced by Zhejiang Guyue Longshan Shaoxing Wine Co., Ltd., a subsidiary of China Shaoxing Rice Wine Group Company. Its main product "Guyue Longshan" is the only well-known Chinese trademark in the rice wine industry and the only rice wine specially used for state banquets. In 1915, "Kuijishan" Jiafan Wine won the first international gold medal for Shaoxing and Chinese wine at the "Panama Pacific International Exposition" held in San Francisco, USA. Its manufacturer is Shaoxing Dongfeng Winery. It is located in the middle and upper reaches of the Jianhu Lake water system in Shaoxing. The water quality is particularly clear and clear, providing a unique high-quality water source for brewing wine. Today, the factory is one of the largest rice wine production bases in China, and its economic benefits and foreign exchange earnings from exports rank first in the same industry in the country. The "Ner Hong" rice wine exclusively developed and produced by Shaoxing Ner Hong Brewing Company has a color like amber, is yellow and transparent, tastes better than wine, is mellow, sweet and fresh, has a harmonious body, drips into the mouth, leaves a fragrance on the lips and teeth, and is rich in a variety of amino acids. . At the 1910 Nanyang Entrepreneurship Association, the 1915 Panama Games and the 1925 West Lake Expo, Shaoxing old wine won special certificates and gold medals. After the founding of the People's Republic of China, Shaoxing Old Wine was one of the 18 famous wines in the country. It was awarded the Gold Medal Award for Quality at every national wine appraisal meeting and won the National Gold Cup Award in 1984. In 1985, he won another gold medal at the Madrid International Wine Awards in Spain.
After a glass of "Daughter's Red", as the wine gets stronger, I immediately feel my blood boiling, and I feel a little lost in the past and present. At this time, I immediately discovered the benefits of Shaoxing people’s salty, dry, moldy and other methods of preparing food. Some of the sages of Shaoxing once made explorations, and Lu Xun was one of them. He said: "I would like to find out in the future how many times Shaoxing has encountered severe famines that frightened the residents. They like to store dry food. If there are vegetables, they will be dried in the sun. If there is fish, they will be dried in the sun." There are beans, and they are dried in the sun..." Lu Xun's words made sense, but he didn't expect that he himself would also enter such a sun-cured culture.
The remaining energy of the wine reminded me of Zhu An, Mr. Lu Xun’s first wife. Lu Xun knew about this arranged marriage, but why did Lu Xun want to "save" Zhu An and let the years dry out Zhu An's youth? I felt uneasy about putting a woman in such a passive position from the beginning. Lu Xun called for women's liberation and paid attention to the fate of Xianglin's wife, but he was unable to do anything about Zhu Xian at home - he could neither love nor abandon her. Lu Xun was bent in front of his mother, and he fled in front of Zhu An. "It turns out that great people have no choice but to hesitate in front of powerful people; it turns out that Lu Xun was once young and never had a high level; it turns out that Lu Xun was also not as good as Lu Xun."
Looking at us, we are really drunk, the boss lady Use a bright orange brass pot to wet a pot of fragrant rice wine, then add a little sugar, and finally add an egg. The warm and moist feeling can penetrate into the heart.
The boss lady saw my doubts and explained: In our local area, those who don't know how to drink or are too old to drink too much, eat eggs steamed with rice wine, just like eating stewed eggs. Girls are generally not good at drinking, so they eat rice wine and eggs. 4 liang each of glutinous rice, brown sugar, etc. can be steamed and eaten, which has the effect of tonifying the kidneys...
The last ray of the setting sun spread in the ripples of the wine, and then disappeared. Time has its own power. The smooth stone well railings were broken into pieces, the tall honey locust trees were even taller, the purple mulberries were not yet mature, and the Polygonum multiflorum near the base of the short mud wall began to grow densely... And Ms. Zhu An's small boat that had been shelved was now only Made a failed flower specimen.
Continue to raise a bowl of wine and toast to a woman's sorrow and a hint of guilt. When dusk suddenly enveloped me, I gently put down the two wine bowls that I had drained. I thought, I must be drunk.
Visit Shaoxing
Ever since I was in primary school, Mr. Lu Xun’s works have always been my favorite chapters. I once thought that the hometown that appeared in such clear and clear words must be the most beautiful place in the world. Later I learned that it was Shaoxing, a water town in the south of the Yangtze River where countless people find their hometown complex and spiritual home.
At that time when I was a young man who didn’t know what it was like to be sad, the song "The Hairpin-headed Phoenix" lingered in my heart. I once sketched out such a garden engraved with worldly love, which would surely dwarf many gardens and pavilions in the world. Later I learned that Shen Yuan, who was hurt by separation, was in Shaoxing. A sensational ancient city that produced "red cakes and yellow vine wine" and left behind eternal sighs of "wrong, wrong, wrong".
Based on these alone, Shaoxing in my heart is worth a visit. This kind of thinking was prompted by some encouragement from sexy movie friends, and it came true on a sunny day in May. So we put our camera and simple luggage on our backs and let's go to Shaoxing.
Wupengjiang came across the bridge
Ping, who traveled with the group, was an intern in a news unit. It is unimaginable that she, who is born with exquisite temperament, is also a persistent fan of Lu Xun. As soon as she settled in Shaoxing, she read with relish the chapters in Lu Xun's works about Sanwei Bookstore and Baicao Garden, about Kong Yiji and the young Runtu, about awning boats and social opera. Therefore, under the guidance of the hometown complex that was highly exaggerated in Lu Xun's works, Lu Xun Middle Road, which has the richest cultural heritage, became our first choice. So tired that he couldn't take care of washing that night but had been driving all the way, he hurriedly found the Xianheng Hotel and went to the Quchi counter to buy a bowl of old wine and a plate of fennel beans amidst the sight of people with southern and northern accents. Then, he took one sip after another, until the mellow aroma and strength of the old wine made him drunk unconsciously, and then he tactfully touched Kong Yi's bowed hand molded at the door and pulled away.
Early the next morning, we started our journey from Sanwei Bookstore to Baicao Garden on the stone road with shadows of trees. Sanwei Bookstore is built near the water. The stone steps on the wall that extend toward the water, the wet moss on the corner of the wall facing the river, the black oiled bamboo door, and the antique door and window eaves tiles are still the same, and the scenery is different. In the study room, there are paintings of sika deer and ancient trees under the flat panel, as well as long tables, desks and other furnishings, just like the descriptions in the middle school textbooks. The early morning sunlight floats quietly in the courtyard, along the aisles, and in the bamboo grove, making people vaguely feel the distant fragrance of calligraphy and ink flowing in this old-time private acquaintance. Such a pure land is enough to compete with the bustling and hustle and bustle outside the wall. A hundred steps away from Sanwei and out of the house, there are Lu Xun's ancestral residence, Lu Xun's former residence and Lu Xun Memorial Hall. My favorite is the interesting Herb Garden hidden behind the former residence of Lu Xun. This childhood paradise composed of green vegetable fields, tall honey locust trees, short mud wall roots, and smooth stone well railings is now a rare place to hear "Call the Emperor" and the chirping of oil bollworms and crickets. Even so, when I looked at a quiet corner and the garden full of fallen flowers in early summer, I was still surrounded by the pure atmosphere of childhood. Lu Xun has gone on a yellow crane, but Baicao Garden has stayed, the aura of his words has remained, and a colorful world of childlike interest has remained. This kind of childlike world may be what everyone is fascinated by. No wonder Ping's face was full of joy and greed when she asked fellow photographers to take photos of her on the commemorative stone with "Baicao Garden" engraved on it, and her expression was extremely devoted. After Lu Xun later left Shaoxing, he never returned to his hometown or Baicao Garden to enjoy the taste of mulberries and raspberries. Presumably, the smell in Baicao Garden must be the eternal warmth at the center of his stormy life.
The courtyard is deep
After visiting Lu Xun’s hometown, the strong smell of fried stinky tofu and moldy dried vegetables wafted through the streets, which made us realize that we were hungry.
So we had a delicious lunch at Sanwei Restaurant. Walk 100 meters along Lu Xun Middle Road to Shen Garden.
The aura of Shen Yuan needs to be experienced with your heart. In the background music of guzheng gurgling, the pond full of wild lotus leaves, the pavilions and pavilions built beside the water, and the small stone bridges shaded by bamboo trees seem to bring the encounter between Lu You and Tang Wan 800 years ago from Chinese Derive it from the textbook and repeat it again and again in front of visitors from all over the world. But that encounter was a bitter pill to swallow, a prelude to a long separation. Don't you know that the willow color in your eyes always highlights the pain of farewell? A person who cannot love but cannot walk through the shade of the willow trees swaying in the wind in Shen Garden will feel heartbroken. No wonder Lu You wrote in "The Hairpin Phoenix" that "the city is full of spring scenery and willows on the palace walls" suddenly turned into "the east wind is evil and happiness is thin". And the tender heart of the infatuated Tang Wan could not bear an unsolvable mistake. Let the mundane wind and rain turn the deep feelings in your heart into dust and mud. In the midst of overwhelming grief, the words "the world is thin and human nature is evil" soon withered like flowers in melancholy. It is better not to meet each other when we go to a different place. It turns out that ancient love also has the same face: the deeper the love, the more painful it becomes. The tragic story of Lu You and Tang Wan finally became the last song of yesterday, but the intertwined love of bitterness and joy still goes through thousands of twists and turns in the world. As a result, the two soul-stirring poems engraved on the black wall of the stele are like deep imprints, imprinted on the hearts of tourists who walk out from here. And the Shen Garden, where "the green spring waves under the sad bridge were once the shadow of a startled grandson" has cast a layer of deep sadness on this tender ancient city.
After traveling to Lu Xun’s hometown, enjoying Shen Garden, and looking through the travel brochures in my hands, I was surprised to realize that the strings of familiar names and the stories behind them that could not be taken away by the years turned out to be there. In this hometown of celebrities, it is spread among the neighbors, historical sites and former residences of celebrities. Gou Jian, the King of Yue, who endured hardships while working hard; Yu who persevered in water control; Wang Xizhi who wrote the classic "Preface to the Orchid Pavilion Collection" with pen and ink; Qiu Jin, the majestic and upright heroine of Jianhu Lake... But Xiao Miao, a movie fan, has long been unable to resist the temptation of the natural landscape of the ancient water town. It is frequently suggested to change the perspective. So I used the less than half a day left to walk around the streets, take a awning boat, and experience the real heartbeat of rural Shaoxing.
Anchang Ancient Town is said to be the largest prosperous market town in Shaoxing at that time. There were surprisingly few tourists when we arrived. Just when I was concentrating for a moment at the entrance of the town to appreciate the vague shadow of Lu Zhen in Lu Xun's works, a slender awning boat was already floating on the river. The boatman wearing a black felt hat simply quoted the price of 5 yuan and then enthusiastically helped us onto the boat. He used his hands and feet along the way, rowed the oars, and talked to us in an incomprehensible dialect. . The enthusiasm and friendliness revealed on that ravaged face made people feel warm in their hearts. Such a person is in the awning, and the awning is in the water. As far as the eye can see are the whitewashed walls and black tiles of Zhenhe houses and Taimen buildings, the twists and turns of stone alleys, the mottled ancient bridges across the river, and the figures of village women in coats, as if the water of time has made a whirlpool here, turning the Some things from the past settled down and were gently stirred up. After saying goodbye to the old boatman and going ashore, everything was so lazy and poetic. We either strolled along the bluestone old streets along the river, lingered at the bridge and posed for photos, or went into the deep Shiye Mansion to find out. From time to time, I unfolded the guide map in my hand and compared it with the villagers to ask for directions. Unexpectedly, even the gray-headed old ladies here were smiling and calm. Although I was not lucky enough to encounter the wedding ceremony and social drama on the water, the breath of the water town in Anchang made me drifting and I didn't know where I was. A kind of dreamlike feeling of being close to the south of the Yangtze River penetrated deep into my heart.
Jiangnan Water Alley
In the evening, while there was still the afterglow of the sunset, we hurried back to the city and went straight to the Cangqiao Straight Street area that we had never forgotten. Walking in such a historic street, there is always a constant flow of people, coming and going from north to south. But when you listen to the sound of the loose stone slabs under your feet rattling from time to time, see the simple banners erected outside the doors of time-honored stores, and the sunset hitting the tiled roofs like caressing the face of time, you can’t help but think Linger here again and again. In the water alley parallel to the houses next to the street, the water that has been flowing for thousands of years still lives day and night; every stone bridge and every stone step on the river is allowed to be eroded by the dust of the years, and it is still faithfully recorded through the clouds and smoke of history. There are traces of all kinds of past events, and the present is recorded in the history; the realm of "small bridges and flowing water, people's houses" still has a misty charm, allowing passers-by to let the bustling and impetuous wander around while walking through the awning, and still feel calm in their hearts. chrysanthemum.
Shaoxing, for Lu Xun, you were his hometown and a spiritual paradise, but for outsiders and for us passers-by in a hurry, how could you not be the same?
Now that I have reached this point, I will stop here tonight. I really hope that I will get lost and not know the way back.