Fujian Red Yeast Rice Wine (Fu Jian Hong Qu Jiu / 福建红曲酒)
Fujian Province — ancient tradition predating written records
Fujian's distinctive red yeast rice wine (hong qu jiu) is made by fermenting glutinous rice with red yeast (Monascus purpureus) — a mould that produces a vivid crimson pigment and gives the wine its characteristic earthy-sweet, slightly musty flavour. Used extensively in Fujian cooking as a cooking wine, colourant (for char siu and braised meats), and consumed as a beverage. The red rice mould contains monacolin K, a natural statin compound.