flipJiāng — Sour Fermented Millet Drink
Jiāng — Sour Fermented Millet Drink
Why this dish? Tea was not yet widespread among the Han. People quenched their thirst with fermented cooking water and broths. For a scholar spending her days compiling the Book of Han at the Eastern Pavilion, this tangy and refreshing drink, kept in a jar near the writing desk, was the natural accompaniment to work.
A cloudy, slightly sour drink obtained by letting millet cooking water ferment for a few days. Refreshing, alive, barely fizzy—the ancestor of the sour cereal beverages still drunk in China.
When the scrolls pile up and my throat dries over my brother's work, I reach for the jar of jiāng. One does not throw away the water in which millet was cooked: keep it warm, covered, and time does its work—it turns, becomes slightly sour, alive. A few days, no more, else it sours too much. Drink it cool: it wakes the mind without disturbing composure, which suits one who must write until evening.
- •Millet cooking water (or thin millet porridge) — a jar (base to ferment)
- •A bit of already-made jiāng — a ladle (fermentation starter (optional))
Jiāng — Sour Fermented Millet Drink
A cloudy, slightly sour drink obtained by letting millet cooking water ferment for a few days. Refreshing, alive, barely fizzy—the ancestor of the sour cereal beverages still drunk in China.
Why this dish? Tea was not yet widespread among the Han. People quenched their thirst with fermented cooking water and broths. For a scholar spending her days compiling the Book of Han at the Eastern Pavilion, this tangy and refreshing drink, kept in a jar near the writing desk, was the natural accompaniment to work.
When the scrolls pile up and my throat dries over my brother's work, I reach for the jar of jiāng. One does not throw away the water in which millet was cooked: keep it warm, covered, and time does its work—it turns, becomes slightly sour, alive. A few days, no more, else it sours too much. Drink it cool: it wakes the mind without disturbing composure, which suits one who must write until evening.
Ingredients (period version)
- Millet cooking water (or thin millet porridge) — a jar (base to ferment)
- A bit of already-made jiāng — a ladle (fermentation starter (optional))
Ingredients
- Millet — 100 g (cereal base)
- Water — 1.5 liters (fermentation medium)
- Spoonful of previous fermentation or soured rice water — optional (starter)
Method
- Cook the millet in the water for 25 minutes until a very thin porridge forms. Let cool to warm.
- Pour into a clean jar, cover with a cloth (not airtight), and leave at room temperature (20–25°C).
- Taste daily: in 2 to 4 days, the liquid becomes pleasantly sour and slightly fizzy. Strain.
- Store in the fridge and drink within 2–3 days. Stop fermentation as soon as the acidity pleases you: it continues otherwise.
- Hygiene note: discard if an unpleasant odor, colored mold, or suspicious film appears.
How it was made : The Han had a rich vocabulary for light fermented drinks and sour porridges; jiāng referred to acidulated cereal beverages briefly fermented by wild yeasts and lactic acid bacteria. It was 'living' water, safer and tastier than raw water.
The contemporary twist : Served chilled in a cup, with a sprig of Chinese chive flower or a thin slice of candied ginger on the rim, like a 'millet kombucha' ahead of its time.
Ban Zhao · Charactorium
