Archaeologists have uncovered the secret to brewing red rice wine that was ceremonially consumed in northwest China during the second millennium BC. The discovery was made through analysis of pottery unearthed at a Bronze Age burial site in Gansu province.
The study, published in the Journal of Archaeological Science Reports, examined residue from 42 pottery vessels found in side chambers at the Mogou site. Researchers identified traces of rice, millet, Job's tears, buckwheat, and plants from the Triticeae family, including barley and wheat.
Starch residues showed signs of enzyme action confirming fermentation, likely using the ancient qu method. This technique involves a starter culture of microbes grown on grains, including Aspergillus mould, yeast and bacteria. The study found that the Mogou people prepared the starter mainly with rice and Monascus mould.
The findings confirm that the Mogou people consumed a diverse range of plant foods and brewed alcoholic beverages for mortuary practices. The qu method originated in Neolithic eastern China and spread to the northeastern edge of the Tibetan Plateau by the Bronze Age.
