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Rice wine - from grains of rice to old memories
Vietnamese liquor originates from rice. This may seem obvious at first glance, but it actually carries a profound meaning. Rice is staple food, the foundation of survival, the result of a year's labor. When rice is cooked, fermented, and flavored, it transforms into a different version – the version of strong, rice-flavored liquor. The past practice of brewing liquor in Vietnam reflects the abundance of bountiful harvests, of prosperity and surplus. Each grain of rice has provided sustenance for the Vietnamese people, and now there is enough to brew liquor for celebratory occasions.
Vietnamese rice wine, regardless of the region, bears the imprint of the land and its people. In the North, the yeast is usually made from glutinous rice, resulting in a rich, flavorful wine with the aroma of ripe glutinous rice. In the Central region, the yeast has a spicier taste, reflecting the harsh climate. The South, on the other hand, prefers light, fragrant, and easy-to-drink wines, reflecting the free-spirited nature of the region. Therefore, Tet wine is not just a product of technique, but a crystallization of geography and cultural character.
Vietnamese rice wine originates from rice grains – the embodiment of sweat and the abundance of bountiful harvests.
Why is rice wine, a drink originating from the countryside, revered as the "national soul and essence," transcending geographical boundaries and social classes to be present in both folk celebrations and urban banquets? The answer lies not in its alcohol content, but in the cultural depth it carries.
A batch of delicious rice wine is not the result of chance, but the culmination of generations of inherited knowledge. From selecting the right glutinous rice variety to sow in low-lying fields where the soil retains sufficient moisture, to the brewing, fermentation, and yeast blending techniques that adapt to the weather. The wine cannot be brewed on days that are too hot or too cold, the fire must be just right, and the brewer must constantly monitor the pot because even a moment of inattention can ruin the entire process. Hidden behind these seemingly simple steps is a complex system of experience accumulated over many generations.
Beside the pot of simmering rice wine, stories of Tet (Vietnamese New Year) of yesteryear resurface.
Therefore, rice wine is not just a product of rice and yeast, but the result of care, patience, and contemplation. The wine initially tastes smooth and sweet, but the yeast slowly infuses it, making the drinker intoxicated without realizing it. This intoxication isn't intense, but soft and profound, leaving the drinker in a state of blissful euphoria. Thus, the wine becomes a conduit connecting people to their villages, to loved ones, and to past Tet celebrations. In each glass of rice wine, there is quiet human connection, the warmth of family, and an indescribable nostalgia, making people gather together joyfully while suddenly remembering where they belong.
Why is alcohol a must-have during Tet (Vietnamese New Year)?
Vietnamese people don't drink alcohol during Tet (Lunar New Year) to get drunk. At least, that's not the original purpose. Alcohol appears on the altar as an offering, placed alongside betel nuts, banh chung (square sticky rice cake), and banh tet (cylindrical sticky rice cake). A small cup of wine, filled just enough, is offered to ancestors as an invitation for the new year to come and reunite. In traditional beliefs, alcohol has the ability to connect two worlds. The rising vapor carries prayers. The offering of the wine is also a moment when the living show reverence to their ancestors.
After the ceremony, the wine is brought to the table, mingling with laughter and well wishes. When the adults clink glasses, they not only wish for good health, but also for their fields, their children, and for all the things they didn't have time to say throughout the past year.
A good wine isn't judged by its strength.
In the past, Vietnamese people called fine wine "fragrant wine," not "strong wine." That fragrance didn't come from high alcohol content, but from the lingering aftertaste. A truly authentic cup of Tet wine should be smooth, well-rounded, and warm; it shouldn't cause a grimace when drunk, and it shouldn't be harsh on the throat when swallowed. Rice wine from the North, Van village wine, Kim Son wine, Bau Da wine… each has its own unique aroma, but they all share the same principle: wine should be drunk slowly, sipped little by little, allowing the fragrant rice aroma to spread in the mouth before swallowing. This somewhat coincides with the wine-drinking culture of Westerners, where when a glass of wine is poured, people also inhale the sweet aroma of grapes and herbs before slowly savoring it.
Each type of wine has its own unique aroma, but they all share one common principle: wine should be drunk slowly, sip by sip.
This way of drinking reflects a philosophy of life during Tet that is not rushed. People take their time for each other, for the meal, for conversation. Alcohol serves only as a backdrop for the gathering, not as a refreshing drink.
Herbal wine and the story of waiting.
It's impossible to talk about Tet (Vietnamese New Year) wine without mentioning infused wines. Bottles of snake wine, ginseng wine, Cynomorium wine, apricot wine, tangerine wine… lie quietly in the corner of the house all year, waiting for Tet to be opened. Infused wines are the clearest evidence of the Vietnamese people's patience. No one infuses wine to drink immediately. They infuse it for the next Tet, or even many years later. Each bottle is a promise to the future. When you open an old bottle of wine on Tet, the aroma that rises is not just the scent of rare herbs, but the scent of time that has been preserved.
Infused liquors are the clearest evidence of the Vietnamese people's patience.
Traditional New Year's Wine from Three Regions: If New Year's wine were a fragrance, each region of Vietnam would possess its own unique scent. No two regions are alike, but they all share one common point: wine doesn't stand alone; it lives within the family space, the climate, and the way people treat each other during the first days of the new year.
North:Winter wine and moderation
In Northern Vietnam, the New Year's wine carries the crisp coolness of the monsoon winds. The cold weather makes wine essential, but also makes people drink more slowly. Small glasses of wine, usually only filled a little more than halfway, are placed in the middle of a feast with many elaborate dishes such as jellied meat, pickled onions, fried spring rolls, and green sticky rice cakes.
Rice wine made from glutinous rice, Van village wine, or other homemade wines usually have a smooth taste and a fragrant aroma of fresh rice. Northerners don't drink to show off their high tolerance; they sip wine to maintain the rhythm of conversation. A glass of wine to start a conversation, a glass to end the old year, a glass to inquire about the health of the person opposite.
In the author's recollections, men in Northern Vietnam drank alcohol during Tet (Lunar New Year) as a form of social etiquette. Who offered whom first, who raised their glass higher or lower, who stopped at the right moment... all reflected their proactive observation of the feast. The drunkenness, if any, usually came after the meal was over, when the conversation had run its course.
Therefore, drinking alcohol in Northern Vietnam carries a sense of order, tradition, and even strictness; people drink to maintain the boundaries of their family and clan.
Central region:Wine of sunshine, wind, and endurance
In Central Vietnam, drinking alcohol reflects their way of life: straightforward, warm, and without pretense. The harsh climate, barren land, and lack of resources make alcohol a quick and powerful way to warm the body.
Bau Da rice wine in Binh Dinh, Kim Long rice wine in Hue, village rice wine in Quang Tri… often have a high alcohol content, a distinct fermented smell, and a burning sensation in the throat when drunk. But people in Central Vietnam don't consider this a flaw. On the contrary, they see it as the character of the wine. Tet in Central Vietnam is simpler. The feast doesn't have many dishes, but wine is always present. People drink wine with banh tet (sticky rice cake), pickled vegetables, tre (fermented pork), and nem chua (fermented pork sausage). Wine accompanies loud laughter, simple greetings, and stories about the past year of storms and floods.
In Central Vietnam, the wine doesn't need to be overly smooth or have deep, layered aftertastes. It needs to be authentic. And within that authenticity lies a lasting strength that clearly reflects the character of the people here. They drink to stand firm amidst harsh weather, to persevere through the most challenging conditions, believing that the new year will bring good fortune.
Southern:Wine of new sunshine and openness
While the North is moderate and the Central region is passionate, the South is gentle. Southern Tet wine is usually light, easy to drink, and focuses more on aroma than alcohol content.
Gò Đen rice wine, black glutinous rice wine, fruit-infused wines… appear alongside rich and sweet dishes such as braised pork with duck eggs and coconut milk, purple sticky rice cake, pickled vegetables, and pickled shallots. Southern Vietnamese liquors don't slow people down; instead, they make conversations flow faster because they are incredibly easy to drink.
What the author appreciates most about drinking alcohol during Tet in Southern Vietnam is the relaxed atmosphere. Drinking or not drinking is perfectly acceptable. Even drinking a little isn't considered impolite. The toast here fosters camaraderie, transcending social hierarchy. Perhaps because Southern Vietnam is a land of later arrivals, where many generations of migrants meet, alcohol also serves as a conciliatory element. It helps strangers quickly become friends, fills the table with laughter, and provides a sense of warmth amidst the pressures of life.
Alcohol and etiquette during Tet (Vietnamese New Year)
Drinking alcohol during Tet (Vietnamese New Year) is also a lesson in etiquette. Young people offer drinks to the elderly. Hosts offer drinks to guests. The host raises their glass lower than the guest. Each gesture is ritualistic, even if no one names it. However, while there is much enthusiasm for drinking, getting too drunk is disrespectful, especially during the first three days of the new year. Wine is a glass of water used to offer New Year's greetings, a touch of fragrance to enhance the love of Tet, and certainly not something to be consumed endlessly.
Drinking alcohol during Tet (Vietnamese New Year) is also a lesson in manners.
Nowadays, imported spirits are increasingly present on Tet (Lunar New Year) feast tables. Whisky, cognac, red wine… bring with them a different image of luxury. But in many families, a bottle of homemade rice wine still holds a special place in the Vietnamese kitchen. Vietnamese people, young and old, have a special fondness for the rich, familiar, and warm flavors of countless types of rice wine, from wild apple wine, glutinous rice wine, banana wine, or fruit wine…
Many believe that traditional Tet rice wine is disappearing amidst the modern trend. In reality, it's simply shrinking, giving way to newer alternatives. But somewhere, in kitchens where fires still burn, in villages that still preserve the tradition of brewing rice wine, the aroma of Tet rice wine still subtly permeates the air.
Vietnamese New Year's rice wine doesn't need elaborate praise. It possesses an inherent beauty, stemming from the rice grain, the homemade yeast, the skilled hands of the brewer, and the patient waiting period. When raising a glass of wine at the beginning of the year, we're not just drinking a beverage. We're drinking in the vivid memories of Vietnamese cuisine, the tradition of brewing wine for Tet, and even the profound cultural depths that define the Vietnamese identity.
