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Sa Pa district is renowned as the land of ethnic alcoholic beverages such as Bản Phố corn wine, cat apple wine, San Lùng wine... Among them, Thanh Kim rice wine is one of the famous specialties of Sa Pa.
Thanh Kim Rice Wine – A Specialty of the Red Dao People
Thanh Kim rice wine is a specialty produced by the Red Dao people in Thanh Kim commune, Sa Pa district, Lao Cai province. Their village lies nestled at the foot of Fansipan mountain. The locals here are familiar only with terraced fields and rice cultivation. Amidst the simplicity of agricultural life, the Red Dao people have ingeniously created Thanh Kim rice wine – a unique specialty. To craft this heavenly elixir, they ferment simple rice grains with traditional leaf yeast.
A trip to Sa Pa without trying Thanh Kim rice wine would be a missed opportunity. Its rich aroma, combined with a soft sweetness and a tingling sensation on the tongue, will bring you delightful experiences.
Initially, Thanh Kim wine was brewed for family consumption, to entertain esteemed guests, or to offer to saints during festivals and celebrations. But with its exquisite flavor, this elixir has had the chance to leave the countryside and become the renowned specialty of the Red Dao people in Sa Pa.
Today, with the development of Sa Pa tourism, the traditional art of brewing Thanh Kim rice wine by the Red Dao people is increasingly flourishing.
Extracting the essence from rice grains
Visitors to Thanh Kim not only enjoy the superb specialty of rice wine but also have the opportunity to witness firsthand the process of creating those precious drops. The Red Dao people in Thanh Kim are very hospitable, just visiting the village, you will be warmly welcomed by everyone, leading to a tour of the brewing process.
Thanh Kim rice wine is meticulously processed, using rice grown on the hillsides, traditional leaf yeast containing the full flavors of Northwest mountain herbs.
The distillation process is entirely manual. The hillside rice is brought back, sun-dried, cleaned, then cooked in a pot for 5 – 6 hours. After that, the local people scoop out the rice, let it cool, then mix it with finely ground leaf yeast. Afterwards, they ferment it in bamboo containers for about 5 – 7 days. Once the rice has absorbed the yeast, it is transferred to another fermentation system, adding water to continue fermenting for 8 – 10 days depending on the weather. Finally, the rice is put into wooden or metal stills and distilled into wine.
It can be said that the fragrant rice wine is not only a crystallization of the rocky mountains, rice grains, and ancestral brewing techniques but also embodies the affection of the Red Dao people in this place.
If you have the chance to visit Sa Pa, make sure to stop by Thanh Kim district to enjoy this amazing specialty of Sa Pa.
