What does baijiu taste like?
Baijiu tastes loud and funky: fiery alcohol with overripe tropical fruit, earthy fermentation and sometimes a soy-sauce savoriness, unlike any Western spirit and often over 50% alcohol.
Baijiu
fiery, funky, wildly fruity
Baijiu (say 'bye-JYOH') is China's national spirit, usually made from sorghum and sometimes rice, wheat or other grains. It's fermented in pits or jars with a grain starter called qu, then distilled, and the result smells powerful before you even sip. Strong-aroma styles taste of pineapple, anise and funk. Light-aroma styles are cleaner and more floral. Sauce-aroma styles, like Moutai, taste savory, almost like soy sauce. It's usually 40 to 60% alcohol, poured in tiny glasses for toasts.
Where you’ll see it
At Sichuan and other Chinese restaurants, by the bottle or in thimble-size glasses for toasts. A few cocktail bars use it in small amounts, often in Negroni or old fashioned riffs.
Order it if you're adventurous, like funky flavors and strong spirits, and have people to toast with.
Quick questions
- Why does baijiu smell so strong?
- It's fermented with a grain starter full of wild yeasts and bacteria, often in earth pits, which builds intense fruity and funky aromas.
- Is baijiu like vodka?
- Not at all. Both are clear, but vodka is neutral, while baijiu is loudly flavored, funky and fruity, and usually stronger.