Brewing technology of Zhenjiang Hengshun fragrant vinegar

Name of China's national intangible cultural heritage: Zhenjiang Hengshun vinegar brewing technology

Applicant: Zhenjiang City, Jiangsu Province

Item No.: 412

Project No.: VIII - 62

Time of publication: 2006 (the first batch)

Category: traditional art

Region: Jiangsu Province

Type: new item

Applicant: Zhenjiang City, Jiangsu Province

Protection unit: Jiangsu Hengshun vinegar Co., Ltd

Introduction to brewing technology of Zhenjiang Hengshun fragrant vinegar

Applicant: Zhenjiang City, Jiangsu Province

Zhenjiang Hengshun vinegar was founded in 1840, one of the four famous vinegar in China. According to the Chinese medicine canon, "Hangzhou and Shaoxing in Zhejiang Province are the best vinegar products, while Zhenjiang in Jiangsu Province is the best." Now this product has many honors, such as China's famous trademark, China's famous brand, national inspection free products, products with geographical protection of origin, green food and so on. It has become the city card of Zhenjiang city.

Zhenjiang Hengshun Aromatic Vinegar has a unique brewing technology. By using solid-state layered fermentation method, the unique flavor of "sour but not astringent, fragrant but slightly sweet, strong color and fresh taste, the more mellow" can be brewed. Among the similar products, Zhenjiang Hengshun vinegar not only has advantages in color, aroma and taste, but also ranks in the forefront in physical and chemical indexes (non-volatile acid, amino acid, ester, etc.).

Zhenjiang Hengshun fragrant vinegar raw material is exquisite, must be the high quality glutinous rice of Jiangsu and Zhejiang. When brewing, the special wheat koji made by ourselves was added into the steamed glutinous rice to make it saccharified and fermented, and the high-quality liquor as vinegar fermented grains was produced. Then, by using the solid-state layered fermentation technology, wheat bran and rice bran were added into the liquor to form a solid state. When the temperature was appropriate, the unique acetic acid bacteria were selected and turned once a day for cooling, oxygen permeability and acetic fermentation. Acetic acid bacteria produce a series of biochemical reactions in the process of growth and reproduction for more than 20 days, and produce acid, fresh and fragrant substances such as acetic acid and amino acids. At this point, the mature vinegar grains can be sealed up, then added to the vinegar tank, added with homemade beige, soaked in water, put the vinegar, and then filtered and decocted for storage. The specific steps are as follows: first, pour the decocted vinegar into a pottery pot container with good air permeability, and then put it in the open air to withstand wind, sun and rain. The storage period is at least half a year, and the longest can be up to 8 years. After long-term storage, the decocted vinegar produced natural concentration, esterification and other late reactions, and finally formed the flavor of "strong vinegar aroma, prominent ester aroma, soft sour taste, fragrant and slightly sweet". The above technology has gone through more than 40 processes, and it takes more than 60 days without storage time.

At present, the brewing technology of Zhenjiang Hengshun fragrant vinegar is increasingly impacted by foreign liquid brewing technology. Japan has even made Zhenjiang fragrant vinegar made in Japan and studied the imitation of Zhenjiang fragrant vinegar technology. In this situation, we should properly protect and inherit this traditional national handicraft technology.

Chinese PinYin : Zhen Jiang Heng Shun Xiang Cu Niang Zhi Ji Yi