Chinese Sweet Fermented Rice (Jiu Niang)

Jiangnan region — jiu niang is the Shanghainese and Jiangnan equivalent of Cantonese tangyuan; the sweet fermented rice culture stretches from Jiangsu to Zhejiang to Fujian

Jiu niang (fermented glutinous rice / sweet rice wine): glutinous rice fermented with qu (a natural mould and yeast culture ball) for 24–48 hours at warm temperature until the rice grains are surrounded by a sweet, slightly alcoholic liquid. Used in Shanghainese and Jiangnan desserts, as a cooking ingredient, and drunk as a light rice wine. The key application: jiu niang tang yuan (sweet dumplings in fermented rice soup).

• Japanese amazake (sweet fermented rice drink — very similar)
• Korean makgeolli (Korean rice wine — more fermented)
• Indian tapai (fermented glutinous rice)

Sweet, lightly alcoholic, fragrant with fermentation — the gentlest expression of Chinese fermented grain