Tibetan Barley Wine, also called “Qiang” in Tibetan language, is made from the main grain in
Tibet - highland barley. Tibetan people love drinking this wine most. It is also good present for friends and relatives.
According to history record, in Tang Dynasty, about 7 century, Wencheng Prince married Srongtsen Gampo, and also brought the brewing technology of Han people to Tibet. 1300 years has passed by, Tibetan Barley wine representing wine culture in Tibet enjoys reputation from home and abroad.
How to make Tibetan Barley Wine:
Almost every family makes this kind of wine, as the process of making the wine is simple.
1. Select fine highland barleys and wash clean. Do not wash too long in the water.
2. Pour barleys to a pot and boil with water. The water’s volume should be 2 times more than the barley. When water becomes less in the pot, turn smaller fire, and use stick to stir up and down in the pot to make sure that all the barleys are well-done.
3. Take the pot down and cool it for 20-30min.
4. Find a clean cloth, unfolded it. Spread well-cooked barley when the barley is not too hot or to cold on the cloth and scatter distiller's yeast evenly on it.
5. Put barleys to a pot and use cotton quilt or other things cold keep warm wrap the pot.
In summer, the barley wine will begin ferment two days later, while in winter it will takes longer as about 3 or more days.
Nutritive value
1. Barley contains glucan. Highland barley’s glucan content is 50 times of wheat. It is good for preventing illness such as colon cancer, cardiovascular and cerebrovascular diseases and diabetes mellitus. Besides, drinking appropriate Tibetan Barley wine also has the function of improving the body immunity and regulating circadian rhythms.
2. The wine is rich in dietary fiber, and its content is 15 times of wine, which has the functions of clearing bowel, eliminates the toxin in the body.
3. It contains rear nutrition: thiamine, riboflavin, niacin, vitamin E, which can promote the development of human health.
4. It contains microelements such as calcium, phosphorus, iron, copper, zinc, selenium and so on. Selenium is a anti-cancer, anti-cancer element.
Degree of Tibetan Barley Wine:
As highland barley is different from other materials for making wine, the degree of Tibetan Barley Wine should be 40° to 50°, which is considered the best taste.
Characteristics of Tibetan Barley Wine:
Not above, non-dry mouth, suitable for both men and women
Custom
Tibetan people have many rules in a toast and drinking. In every year and other festive feast days when drinking, they will use silver wine pot, glasses, and stick a little butter on the spout and rim of a cup, meaning white decoration. When host makes the first toast to the guest, the guest should hold the cups, using the third fingertip to touch a little barley wine and then sprinkle it to the air. After doing the same gesture for three times, the host will make a toast of “three sips of a glass of wine”. This is you need to drink a glass of wine for three sips consecutively, after every sip, the host will fill your glass, when filling for the third time the guest is going to drink up this wine.
According to Tibetan custom, when guests are coming, the host should take up barley wine bottle and pour three bowls of barley wine to toast to the guests. First two bowl of wine, the guest could freely drink according to his capacity for liquor, but can not drink at all. After the third bowl, in order to show respect guests should drink up. When the Tibetan compatriots toast, they often sing a toasting song, the lyrics are colorful, and melody is beautiful and moving.
In addition, after finishing meal, host need to toast each guest by a large bowl of wine, as long as guest who can drink alcohol, he can not refuse to drink the bowl of wine, otherwise, the host will give you two big bowl. In general, the toast after meal should use large silver bowl, but usually can also be replace by pretty big china bowls. Singing a toasting song is a common and significant customs of Tibetan people. Toast song lyrics can also be edited spontaneously by people when singing. After finishing toasting song, the people who sing must drink off.
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