Huang Chih-ching, a local resident working as a tour guide, explained that due to Kinmen's climate and water shortage, the cultivation of sorghum was preferred to rice. "The weather in Kinmen is dry, and there's a shortage of water to flood rice paddies, so it is difficult to cultivate rice here," he said Sept. 21.
To many people's surprise, the humble sorghum plant has risen to prominence in Kinmen and is now a major part of the local economy because of its use in the production of sorghum liquor, also known as kaoliang liquor. "Thanks to Kinmen Kaoliang Liquor, our county never owes tax to the central government and additionally, the company even returned some money to the local community," Huang said.
Kinmen's geographic location also influences its agricultural production. Located north of the Tropic of Cancer, Kinmen has warm weather lasting all year round. Nevertheless, the strong northeastern wind brings unequal rainfall distribution to the island group. Besides, the sandy soil and laterite are not fertile enough to plant high-yield crops, except drought-tolerant plants, such as sorghum, corn, malt, wheat, peanuts and sweet potatoes. That is the reason sorghum was introduced to this island and then became the main crop.
"Sorghum is food in northern China," Huang said, referring to the provinces north of the Yangtze River like Shandong and Hebei. "But residents in Kinmen are not used to the taste of sorghum and prefer soft steamed rice, so they came up with the idea of using it as fuel and to brew alcohol."
As a result, the long stem of the sorghum plant is used as fuel, and its seeds are fermented and turned into kaoliang. Under the auspices of the local government, more and more farmers are now planting sorghum crops and receiving higher sale prices. Huang explained that it only costs US$0.30 per kilogram to import the sorghum from China, while production costs are up to US$1.20 per kilogram in Kinmen. In order to maintain productivity in Kinmen, the authorities set high market rates for the plant. Furthermore, sorghum has some military uses, with soldiers being able to conceal themselves in the fully-grown plants that reach around 60 to 70 centimeters in height, he added.
The vast fields of sorghum in Kinmen produce a harvest of around 20 million kilograms per year and have helped the public-run liquor company create a booming business. Workers in nine shifts take turns keeping the alcohol plant functioning 24 hours a day and manage the work on the production line.
At the entrance to the company's distillery, the ground floor is divided into an audio room for video presentations, and an exhibition room to display pictures explaining the process of making kaoliang liquor. Established in 1956, the company produces different types of liquors, like Castalian and medicinal in ceramic or glass bottles for export to Taiwan and abroad.
Tsai Wen-ting from Kinmen Kaoliang Liquor's sales department said, "Many companies want to produce liquor elsewhere, and some of them even try to poach our experienced staff to establish new businesses outside of Kinmen. But no matter how hard they try, their liquor does not taste the same as ours." She pointed out the water sourced from Kinmen's granite is the key to good brewing.
Of course making good alcohol requires more than high-quality water and sophisticated distilling techniques. Production chief Huang Tlen-chal explained the procedures. First, the harvested sorghum--sans bran--is cooked in a steamer. Huang randomly selected cooked grains that were reddish in color and said, "This is edible, like the rice we eat every day." Cooking several bowls of rice at home is not a big deal, but huge amounts of sorghum requires accurate measurements. Huang has to control the pressure and air emission of the boiler to cook 1,250 kilograms of sorghum in 40 minutes and then simmer for another 20 minutes until the water is absorbed completely. The grain poured onto the conveyor belt is not only for delivery, but part of the cooling process.
Huang said that in order to thoroughly spread and mix the yeast with the sorghum, the temperature should be controlled to prevent the heat from killing yeast growth. After the yeast is mixed with the sorghum evenly, the mixture is then unloaded onto a stainless tank car and covered with a piece of tarpaulin.
"Watch, the workers are pressing the grains to push extra air out," Huang instructed. "This is because additional air contains moisture that makes the grains moldy during the fermentation period." Workers, therefore, need to cover the top of the mixture to produce an enhanced fermentation effect before distilling.
After 10 days of fermentation, the sorghum will be ready for the first phase of distillation. When the container is full, workers lower the cover of a cubical distiller. Huang pointed downward and said there was boiling water below to distill the liquor that would come out from the tube beneath on the left-hand side. "The first phase of the distillation can achieve 80 to 90 percent alcohol concentration," showing the number from the vinometer on hand. "The more concentrated the liquor is, the bigger the bubbles will be."
Density does not equal quality, though. The 85-percent liquor is still very spicy and contains some traces of oil, so it needs to be reduced to 58 percent by fermenting and distilling again. The temperature is set at 21 degrees Celsius in the air-conditioning room to ensure complete fermentation. Huang said that the second phase is of equal importance to the development of the liquor because it would taste spicy if fermented too quickly. "From cooking to final distillation, we need to monitor the standard and handle every step with caution to ensure the quality of the products," he said.
This is why the liquor coming out of the distiller maintains an equal 58-percent alcohol concentration and has high purity. Huang drew a sample to taste and explained, "The correct way to enjoy kaoliang is to hold it in the mouth for a few seconds before swallowing." Similarly, the theory applies to storage in the production process, and he joked that the liquor stored for more than a decade preserved the best fragrance and could cost much more than the newly made alcohol.
The limited quantities of 10-year-old Kinmen Aged Cellar Liquor make it an excellent choice for sommeliers and those who appreciate the finer tipples in life. Featuring a smooth and rich taste, the liquor is bottled in a delicate ceramic made by Kinmen Ceramic Factory, a government-run furnace. The sapphire blue glaze speckled with gold foil on the bottle is designed with rose grape symbolizing longevity and an auspicious cloud.
According to Lin Chen-chi, former general manger of Kinmen Kaoliang Liquor and currently serving as deputy director of the Transportation and Tourism Bureau of the Kinmen County Government, no trip to Kinmen County is complete without trying kaoliang liquor. "Coming to Kinmen without trying kaoliang could not be counted as a visit," he said. "It is such an important part of the culture here."
Write to Sandra Shih at sandrashih@mail.gio.gov.tw