This type of wine also goes by the Chinese name of Huadiao Wine. Made from wheat and brown glutinous rice that has been fermented, for centuries it has been sold in large, white-painted terracotta jars. While some drink it at the start of a meal, in China it is typically favoured for use at official banquets for toasting, where custom demands it is drunk in a single shot.

Almost always it is served warm, and given its potency, it is poured into small ceramic cups, or thimble-sized glasses, though in less affluent Chinese homes drinking it from bowls was once common. Being such an adaptable ingredient, it is a regarded as a Chinese culinary essential. In terms of taste, it is sometimes compared to a rich, strong sherry with a dry, sharp after-taste.
How do I cook with Shaoxing wine?
Shaoxing wine has many applications in Chinese cooking and is growing in popularity with non-Chinese chefs. In China its pungent tang lifts marinades, stir fries and braised dishes; adding a few splashes to the stuffing mixture can elevate pan-fried dumplings. Its distinctive fruity flavour gives a kick to meat dishes or a deliciously warm glow to seafood or chicken, as in the dish ‘Drunken Chicken’.

Shaoxing wine is the key ingredient in hong shao or ‘red braised’ dishes eaten at Chinese New Year, where a mix of Shaoxing wine, soy, vinegar and ginger is added to the hot wok turning the food a deep ruby colour and producing an unmistakable sweet, syrupy sauce.