As one of the "five grains" of rice, millet, millet, wheat, and sorghum, wheat has been planted in China for a long time. According to archaeological data, wheat cultivation began in the Central Plains region as early as 4500 years ago at the latest. The Book of Songs states, 'Building fields and gardens in September, planting crops in October. Grain and millet are harvested, and wheat is harvested.' This reflects the history of wheat cultivation in China.
However, there is still controversy in the academic community regarding the origin of wheat. Some believe that China is one of the origins of wheat, and that Chinese wheat originates locally; Some people also believe that wheat is a descendant of wheat from West Asia and the Middle East, and is an imported product; In addition, some believe that Chinese wheat is the result of long-term crossbreeding and breeding between local and foreign wheat.
Regardless of its origin, wheat was not well received by Chinese people at the beginning.
Firstly, there is the difficulty of planting.
Spring planting and autumn harvest have always been traditional agricultural practices in China, but wheat has stronger cold resistance than millet but less drought resistance. The dry and windy northern China in spring is not conducive to the germination and growth of spring sown wheat. Later, it was changed to planting in the autumn of the previous year and harvesting in the summer of the following year. With this change, wheat truly began to have an important technological foundation for spreading to a larger scale. During the Shang and Zhou dynasties, wheat became a widely planted crop in northern China. After the Han dynasty, it became the main grain crop in northern China. In the mid to late Tang dynasty, the Two Taxation Law explicitly designated wheat as the official subject of taxation, elevating it to an equally important position as millet. Later, it gradually replaced millet and sorghum, thus forming the current agricultural production pattern of "southern rice and northern wheat" in China.
Secondly, there is the difficulty in terms of diet.
The ancient Chinese dietary tradition was grain based eating. Whether it was rice from the south or millet from the north, they were cooked or steamed whole grains after removing the outer hard shell. But steaming or boiling whole wheat grains not only makes them difficult to digest, but also has a poor taste and is difficult to swallow. So at the beginning, ancient literature recorded that wheat was a "inferior" grain and the "food of wild men and farmers". Until around the late Warring States period, China saw the emergence of stone milling, triggering a revolution in the history of Chinese cuisine. Wheat was transformed from "grain based" to "flour based" food. But the more important role of wheat is to brew a unique Chinese liquor.
Brewing wine with yeast is a unique creation of the Chinese people. The starch in grains such as sorghum and rice, which are used as raw materials for brewing, cannot be directly utilized. It needs to be saccharified by amylase before further fermentation of alcohol. This process cannot be completed solely by yeast and requires the use of yeast. In contrast, the vast majority of wines in the world, such as grape wine, brandy, whiskey, etc., are fermented using purebred fermentation, using sugary ingredients such as fruits and grains without the need for saccharification, with yeast being the main fermenting agent.
The importance of wine starter is clearly stated in the Ming Dynasty historical book "Tian Gong Kai Wu": "All wine making must rely on the success of yeast and medicine. Without yeast, it is difficult to make good rice and precious millet. In ancient times, yeast was used to make wine, and glutinous rice was used to make Li. Later generations disliked the weak taste of Li, so it was lost, and the tillering method also died.
And wheat is the main raw material for making koji.
In ancient times, people referred to "koji" as "ni è", mainly referring to moldy and sprouted grains, which can be used as raw materials for brewing and improving the yield of wine. The earliest record of "qu" in China is in the book "Shujing Shuomin Pian", which states that "if it is made of wine, it is only made of koji. In "Shuowen Jiezi", it is said: "Qu is the mother of wine; Xi is the sprout of rice." Mr. Fang Xinfang believes that Qu Xi is actually a kind of thing, which is a moldy and sprouted grain, and is also the prototype of wine yeast. Modern scientific research has uncovered this mysterious veil - the essence of koji is a fermentation agent rich in various microorganisms and their metabolites.
Grains that can be used for koji making include high starch and high protein grains such as wheat, barley, peas, corn, and sorghum. According to the different raw materials used for koji making, koji can be roughly divided into five categories: wheat koji, small koji, large koji, red koji, and bran koji. According to different aroma types, the raw materials for making koji are also different. However, in addition to fragrance types such as Qingxiang and Fengxiang, wheat has the highest usage rate and is known as the "top koji maker". Why do people prefer to use wheat to make koji when brewing with so many grains?
The earliest grain used for composing rice cakes may have been rice. But after the emergence of wheat, it quickly rose to become the "master of koji making". There are three reasons for this: firstly, in cereal grains, wheat has a low starch content, relatively high protein content and crude fiber content, which means that wheat itself has a soft tissue structure, strong water absorption, and is more likely to breed mold; Secondly, wheat is harvested in summer, during the same period of rain and heat in China. The high temperature and high humidity environment are suitable for microbial growth, and wheat is more sensitive to moisture. In a high temperature and high humidity environment, wheat, which is rich in nutrients such as carbohydrates, proteins, fats, and inorganic salts, is a good natural medium for mold cultivation; Thirdly, wheat can be produced in various parts of the country, making it easier to obtain locally sourced materials.
In addition, wheat plays a crucial role in the taste and flavor of Baijiu. The protein contained in wheat can interact with yeast during fermentation to form complex and diverse amino acids and enzyme substances. After distillation and aging, these substances can give Baijiu unique flavor and rich taste.
Under the combination of various BUFFs, wheat has become the most favored raw material for koji making. Nowadays, more and more liquor companies are also paying attention to wheat, and a series of brand activities are being carried out across the country around wheat sacrifice and koji making. From Maotai's Dragon Boat Festival wheat sacrifice ceremony, Langjiu's Dragon Boat Festival koji making ceremony, to Guotai's annual wheat sacrifice in Henan, Gujinggong's sickling of wheat for brewing, and Huanggou's opening of the raw grain production base for wheat harvesting, they are all telling the story of a good bottle of wine from the source, and paying tribute to wheat's transformation from "wild man's food" to the main force of brewing in nearly five thousand years.
