Ancient Chinese Consumed Fermented Drinks

It is interesting to know that Chinese Fermented drinks date back to 7,000 to 9,000 years B.C.. I know that the inventor of Wine is "Du Kang". In the old days the brewer's always worship him as the God of Wine, Li Pai of Tang Dynasty is know as the Saint of Wine.

Ancient Chinese Consumed Fermented Drinks
Tue Dec 7,11:51 AM ET
By RANDOLPH E. SCHMID, Associated Press Writer

WASHINGTON - The Chinese were consuming fermented beverages — possibly wine — as long as 9,000 years ago, according to scientists who used modern techniques to peer back through the mists of time.

Early evidence of beer and wine had been traced to the ancient Middle East. But the new discovery indicates that the Chinese may have been making their drinks even earlier.

"Fermented beverages are central to a lot of our religions, social relations, medicine, in many cultures around the world," said Patrick E. McGovern of the University of Pennsylvania Museum of Archaeology and Anthropology.

These drinks "have played key roles in the development of human culture and technology, contributing to the advance and intensification of agriculture, horticulture and food-processing technologies," he reported.

The discovery, by a team of researchers led by McGovern, is being published online in this week's early edition of Proceedings of the National Academy of Science.

McGovern's team collected pieces of 16 pottery vessels at Jiahu, an early new stone age village in China's Henan province. This is the same site where archaeologists have found the earliest evidence of musical instruments, including an ancient flute.

The ceramics were dated to about 7,000 B.C. — 9,000 years ago — and the scientists analyzed residue that had collected inside the pots.

The results showed chemicals that matched residues from modern rice and rice wine, grape wine, grape tannins and ancient and modern herbs. There were also indications of hawthorn fruit.
It is interesting to know that Chinese Wine is 7000-9000 years B.C. From the history , I was told that "Du Kang" is the inventor of Wine of China. Every brewer's worship him in their home or factory. I would keep you all posted once I find more information..

"The most straightforward interpretation of these data is that the Jiahu vessels contained a consistently processed beverage made from rice, honey and a fruit," the team concluded.

The team also reported on an analysis of 3,000-year-old liquid found in sealed bronze vessels from the Chinese city of Anyang.

These vessels contained rice and millet wines, they found, flavored with herbs and flowers. Read More...
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