Palm wine is a traditional thing in Africa, common to commoners especial those who grew up in the rural areas. Seeing the like of it across oceans in the Land of China was indeed a discovery, an excitement and yet another surprise of how related our human cultures. The traditional African palm wine is extracted and collected by a tapper from the cut flower of a palm tree. With a container fastened to the flower stump of the palm tree, the tapper collects the sap which tends to be very sweet and non-alcoholic before it is fermented. The collected sap could yield up to 4% alcohol content with mildly intoxicating and sweet taste which also yields aromatic wine. This wine maybe allowed to ferment longer, up to a day, to yield a stronger, more sour and acidic taste, which some people prefer but longer fermentation produces vinegar instead of stronger wine.

The Chinese Palm wine otherwise called the Miju is a typical replica of traditional African palm wine with exact taste, intoxication, coloration but from a different source entirely. Unlike African Palm wine which is extracted from Palm trees, the Chinese palm wine is achieved through the fermentation of rice grains with yeast. This rice wine tastes sweet, delicious and rich in nutrition. Just as the name implies, miju is produce through the fermentation of rice grain mixed sweet yeast under a temperature of 30.C and within 3 days.

The Rice grain after thorough washing with clean water is put into an earthen bowl and it’s soaks for about 1 hour then drain with bamboo basket. Then steam the rice again for 30 minutes and pour it into cold water for cooling in a bowl that has cap/cover. After that pour crushed sweet wine medicine powder (yeast) into rice and stir evenly, and tightly cover the cap or surround cover with cotton wool to keep warm. It is best when the temperature reaches 30℃, if the temperature is low, you can wrap it by hot-water bag and ferment three days.

After about three days, the rice becomes sweet and you will see the water turning whitish when stir with chopsticks. After thorough stirring of the rice, you then can filter it separating the liquid from the fermented rice. Now you have your sweet African Palm wine in Chinese way. Because this is a home made wine, it’s always advisable to make sure all the vessels you’ll use in this preparation are hygienically treated.

Chinese Palm wine tastes perfect when served chilled. Honestly, if Miju was not mentioned here, you’ll never know it was made from fermented rice. It tastes exactly like the traditional African Palm Wine. If you want to have a taste of it, contact me whenever you’re in China. It will be offered free of charge.
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Source:Palm Wine in China