BR,
"did ya know"
Shanxi province of China is well known
for vinegar manufacturing. For nearly 3000
years the people of the Shanxi Province, a
remote region of China have been brewing
vinegar according to their own secret recipe.
Through the centuries they have perfected a
singular method of brewing that begins with
a unique blend of all natural ingredients. The
process involves many steps, including
allowing the mixture to ferment and age in
1,000 year old urns that are set in the
sunshine for over a year.
Vinegar brewing in Shanxi started in the end
of the Spring-Autumn Era (BC 770-476).
During the Song Dynasty (AD 960- 1127)
vinegar brewing was so widespread that it
was described as ?every household has a jar
and everybody is a vinegar maker?. Between
the Ming (AD 1368-1644) and Ching
Dynasties (AC 1644-1911), there were
vinegar workshops all over the districts of
Taiyuan, the capitol of Shanxi. One of these
workshops has been preserved as a
historical site.
Although the Shanxi Nutritional Gourmet
Vinegar is the most popular, there are
various other kinds of vinegar produced in
Shanxi. They are categorized according to
methods, brewing and materials used. The
different types of Shanxi Vinegars have been
used in traditional Chinese pharmacies for
centuries for everything from hypertension to
increasing energy and endurance.
Today this ancient vinegar continues to be a
very important part of life for the people of
Shanxi. Smooth and distinct, the dark
maroon vinegar has a mild aroma and rich
color characteristic of its sweet and sour
taste. The people of the Shanxi province not
only drink a small cupful (1 tablespoon)
before eating, but also marinate their meat
and fish in this elixir and freely dip
vegetables and other foods in it as well.
(Click here for Recipes.)The strong, healthy
people of Shanxi Province say they cannot
live without their vinegar. In fact, it is not
uncommon for them to travel great distances
over arduous terrain to get to the vinegar
brew site where they fill their kitchen vessels
and carry the special vinegar home to their
families.
Not only do they love the flavor, but they
are convinced
that the vinegar adds years to their lives. |
