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Bamboo is one of the most versatile resources, always readily available to meet human needs. Many villages in China utilize bamboo for various purposes, among which, making wine from fresh bamboo stalks is a rather unique method.
The practice of brewing liquor using bamboo stems originated in Fujian Province, China. Later, many people in neighboring areas such as Sichuan and Guangxi also learned and adopted the method. In recent years, bamboo-brewed liquor has become more widely known, and the number of buyers has increased significantly. Many villages in China have quickly transformed bamboo forests into large-scale liquor production facilities, generating high incomes.
Alcohol is a beverage found in all countries around the world, but bamboo wine is a new drink, praised by many tourists who try it for the first time.
Using a high-pressure injection technique, alcohol is pumped directly into the hollow stems of young bamboo plants. These plants have a high self-healing ability. After 10 days, the holes gradually fill with alcohol. The alcohol is then aged for several months to a year to produce the highest quality product. Bamboo resin and flavones (a natural liquid secreted by the bamboo stem) blend into the alcohol, creating a unique flavor, a mild taste, and a reduced alcohol content as some of it is absorbed by the bamboo stem.
Alcohol will be pumped directly into the hollow stems of young bamboo stalks.
According to locals in Sichuan, they typically use one or two young bamboo stalks in the spring to brew Wuliangye, a type of sorghum wine or Chinese-style rice wine, to make this precious liquor. This wine has a distinctive aroma and is made from sorghum, glutinous rice, corn, and wheat. During the brewing process, some of the alcohol is absorbed by the bamboo stalks, significantly reducing the alcohol content.
Bamboo wine production is gradually becoming known and is developing into a unique tourism service. Visitors will have the opportunity to tour the bamboo forest, witness the wine-making process firsthand, and even taste this special wine on the spot.
Each bamboo shoot takes about a year and a half to grow, and as soon as it's ready, it can be harvested for sale and can be consumed immediately.
Bamboo-fermented rice wine has an attractive pale yellow color and is believed to have detoxifying and lung-beneficial effects. Furthermore, it is claimed that because the wine is grown in bamboo, it contains many vitamins and minerals that are good for health.
Bamboo-fermented wine offers many health benefits.
The liquor brewed in fresh bamboo tubes sells for around 500 yuan (approximately 1.7 million VND) per stick, but many are willing to pay a higher price for its novelty and the health benefits it is believed to offer.
