Mellow yellow

Traditional huangjiu keeps spirits high in Shaoxing. Xing Yi reports.

Fiery and strong baijiu, or white liquor, is a mainstay for a feast in northern China, where people "bottoms up" with the potent alcohol to show respect to each other. In southern China, however, especially along the south and lower reaches of the Yangtze River, huangjiu (yellow wine) is usually favored by people for its rich and mellow taste.

Fermented from glutinous rice and wheat, huangjiu has a hue of amber, and depending on the degree of fermentation and the aging time, the color varies from a very light gold to a deep chocolate brown. It's usually less than 20 percent alcohol by volume.