Microorganisms are everywhere in nature. For most of the time, they are not welcomed by human beings. Our food can turn bad because of them. However, sometimes they can also make food look bad but actually taste really good.
We call this magical process “fermentation”. With the help of fermentation, we can store more food for a longer period of time. Besides, fermentation brings revolution to the taste of food, including yogurt, cheese, caviar, ham, soy sauce, vinegar, kimchi, bread, and of course liquor.
There is a detailed description about activities of microorganism in the book written by Takeo Koizumi, an emeritus professor at Tokyo Agricultural University, “before fermentation, there are approximate 100,000 yeasts on 1 gram of grape skin. 24 hours after fermentation begins, yeasts will increase up to 40 million, and to 200 million after 48 hours. With appropriate environment, an astronomical growth of microorganism can be expected.”
There microorganism, with the ability to turn grain to “eau de vie” (water of life), are called “Qu”. Unlike whisky or wine, which is a result of fermenting malted grain and fresh fruit respectively, baijiu however, is a result of fermenting moldy grain. Without the help of Qu, there won’t be any baijiu.
The history of Qu can be dated back to more than 2000 years ago. Until 1324, after 34 years of research and experiment, the brick-like “big Qu” namely “Gan Chun Qu” that make baijiu possible was finally invented by Mr Guo Huaiyu. Mr Guo Huaiyu was therefore honored as “The father of Qu” and he was also the 1st generation of traditional baijiu making technique of Luzhou Laojiao.
Nowadays, with the development of Qu making technique and Microbiology, the variety of Qu is increasingly diverse. There are mainly 3 categories: Big Qu, Small Qu and Bran Qu, while Big Qu can be further divided into “low temperature Qu” for Light Aroma Baijiu, “medium temperature Qu” for Strong Aroma Baijiu and “high temperature Qu” for Sauce Aroma Baijiu.
You may be familiar with the image of some girls tramping and crushing grape before fermentation. In Luzhou Laojiao, we share the similar process for Qu-making.
While cultivating, Qu will absorb beneficial microorganisms in the air. The uniqueness of Qu requires specific temperature, humidity and climate. In summer, when temperature and the humidity are high, the number of microorganisms floating in the air is enormous, which means the mold on Qu will grow vigorously.
In 1996, Luzhou Laojiao Qu-making ecological park was built, covering an area of more than 40 hectares with 60% green space. It is the largest ecological park in China with an annual output of more than dozen of thousands tons of Qu. The ecological park guarantees the production and stable quality of Qu throughout the year.
For Strong Aroma and Sauce Aroma Baijiu, the ingredient of Qu is mainly wheat, while some peas are also added for Light and Phoenix Aroma Baijiu. “Jiu Xiang” (means everlasting fragrance) Big Qu of Luzhou Laojiao use organic soft wheat from southern area of Sichuan province as ingredient. The content of starch and protein of these wheat are higher, which will give baijiu with stronger fragrance.
To make Qu, some water should be added first to moisturize the wheat and then grind into powder. Next step will be the tramping process. There are strict rules for the frequency and strength of tramping and the shape of Qu. Then the block of Qu will be placed in a special thatched hut with stable temperature and humidity, and covered with straw. The repeatedly used straw also plays the role of inoculation of bacterial strains year after year, and therefore also called “millennium straw”.
It’s been more than 690 years since the invention of “Gan Chun Qu”. With the hard work of 24 generations, the Qu for making Luzhou Laojiao baijiu has greatly improved and at its optimum state. The technique is getting better and better, while the environment remains unchanged. The terroir of Luzhou can’t be copied anywhere else. Therefore the flavour of Qu and baijiu of Luzhou Laojiao is unique and irreproducible.
“Jiu Xiang” Qu produced by Luzhou Laojiao Qu-making ecological park leads the result of 70% market share of Strong Aroma Big Qu baijiu. It’s fair to say that “Jiu Xiang” Qu belongs to Luzhou Laojiao and to the whole baijiu industry as well. It plays an important part in development of Chinese baijiu industry.
“Jiu Xiang” Qu of Luzhou Laojiao was praised as “The best Qu in the world” in 2001 by Mr Zhou Henggang, a leading figure in baijiu industry. In 2003, It passed verification and became a product with national protected designation of origin. The expert review group of the National Quality Inspection Bureau described “Jiu Xiang” Qu as “pure and strong fragrance with smooth surface and plump hyphae.”
“The best Qu in the world” is in Luzhou only.