Imagine...

As part of an ACFS-organised trip, I have arrived in China, where I'll be for close to three weeks. The overnight flight was to Shanghai, then a connecting flight to Guiyang, where, after a visit to a local traditional vinegar factory (which is a lot more interesting than it sounds), a fast train was taken to Luzhou for the China International Alcoholic Drinks Expo in Luzhou. This city is famous for its beverages and even goes by the name "City of Liquour", by which they primarily mean baijiu, a very strong rice, maize, or sorghum brandy. The Expo itself was enormous, spanning multiple pavilions and attracting several thousand people. Most of the stalls were for Chinese companies and drinks, but there was also a good number of French, Italian, and Spanish wines, along with an extensive range of Thai products as the guest country of honour. The conference opening was enormous, and I found the keynote speaker's presentation hilarious, as he gave the impression that a "rational level of tipsy" was truly the sign of a "civilised society with enhanced emotion".

As appropriate to my own flexible approach to such things, I imbibed a few samples slowly over the morning before heading off to two museums in the afternoon: the Luzhou Museum and Luzhou Laojiao National Treasure Cellars, which were also dedicated to baijiu production and trade. One provided a historical approach, noting that historians of technology (e.g., Needham) consider regulated fermentation with yeast to be one of China's great inventions. An interesting aspect illustrated first-hand was how baidju is partially produced in mounds of cellar mud, which enhances flavour (science!). The second museum was more contemporary in style, providing a rather amazing collection of the grand variety of baidju bottles which are often stylised for particular years, horoscope animals, life events, and sports. The highlight of this trip was the DIY production of a baijiu blend, combining relatively recent products of different strengths and three syringes of older brews. Thankfully, they were for adding small amounts to our blend, rather than mainlining the contents.

Mention must be made of the Howard Johnson hotel where we stayed; it was modern, stylish, and with an incredible guest lunch on our arrival and a successive buffet feast three times a day after that. Sichuan province is, of course, famous for its chilli with a variety of colours and strengths, and for the powerful Sichuan pepper, which numbs the lips and tongue. Add these to liberal doses of garlic, ginger, star anise, wuxiang, fruit peels, spiced salt, and you'll quickly find out why the region's capital is a UNESCO City of Gastronomy. When combined with baijiu, it is clear that the people of this city, in particular, and of this province, in general, like their flavours to have a kick like the strongest mule. Whilst it was a brief visit to the city, one really got the sense that this indeed deserves the appellation of "city of liquor and spice" and is well worth a more regular visit.