The Making of Rice Wine

Making dish with Glutinous Rice wine … try this and you will never regret!

Lot of friends asking~ is Glutinous Rice Wine same as the normal rice wine. For me, I think there’s bit different in such a point of view on ways and methods of transforming, but always fermented and rice-based.

Since questions asked, I was actually thinking to make my own Home Made Glutinous Rice Wine. I called up my mom and some friends to ask them about the process and things to ready. Then I found out … the whole process taking a few weeks to just get a little Rice Wine to be done.

Finally, I shed off my thoughts to make my own Wine at home, and also started to search online to look for more information… here are some photos and information I found.
Kadazan Method and China Method

I’m a Malaysian from the Borneo Island - Land Below the Wind, Sabah. So I believe my mom’s methods of making wine are the mixture of the two Traditions ~ China method and KadazanDusun Method.

Here they are Steps to make the Glutinous Rice Wine:


* Step1:
Ingredients: 1.5 kg long grain Sticky rice
In a big container soak the rice in water for at least 12 hours or over night, making sure you cover all of the rice.


* Step2: Steam
Sticky rice for 20 minutes or until just cookedRinse and wash the rice thoroughly then place evenly into steamer. Using chop sticks stab with holes for more even steaming.

* Step3: Allow the cooked sticky rice to cool down
Rinse and wash thoroughly under cold running water, make sure to separate all the individual grains. Drain.

* Step4: Ingredients: 1 pkt dried yeast (2 heaped Chinese soup spoons)
Add and mix yeast and sticky rice into ceramic vessel - save a little for step 5

* Step5: Pat down the sticky rice and level
In the middle make a small hole and sprinkle the rest of the yeast inside and around

*Step6: Place lid and store in dry warm place, undisturbed for the next 36 hours

If need wrap up in thick towels, sheets or blankets

* Step7: Wine is ready when vessel is tilted and rice separates from the sides

If you can not see the "freshly fermented wine" in the hole then replace lid and kept fermenting

Here you are, naturally sweet fermented home made Glutinous Rice Wine!!!

These are what my mom told me when she wanted to make the Wine at home:-
Many taboos have to be observed during the making of rice wine. Thus one is not allowed to swear or fight during the cooking process, or to talk bad and loudly. Other taboos are connected to practical hygiene, such as the rule that one cannot touch lemons or any other sour thing during the preparations. This could turn the wine sour. Hygiene is paramount, and in olden days often the whole family was banned from the house when mother prepared rice wine.

Often a piece of charcoal, or a small knife called is placed on top of the jar with the fermenting rice, to prevent bad spirits from entering the recipient and spoil the wine – lihing, being an entirely natural wine, will turn into vinegar when left exposed to air.
*I still remember… I was really young and still studying. Mom making her rice wine and during her first checking time, I was standing beside her and saw her taking out a small knife which placed on top of the container. Then the next thing she asked me to do is “Keep My Mouth Shut”.

The three main ingredients that contribute to the unique characters of various wines are the grains, the water, and the liquor starter. Other ingredients that alter the color or taste of the final product may also be added.

Glutinous Rice Wine well knows as Sticky rice wine, traditionally, can be eaten as a dessert, with sweet sticky rice balls as a snack, drunk with a meal, but mainly the Chinese consider it as a "health food/drink".

Then from the research, I am so surprised that the local people of Sabah produced their own Rice Wine and done with beautiful packaging design for sale too.

Well known and labeled as Lihing Rice Wine.