Text | Pang Jiaqi
The fragrance of Jiangjin: sake sauce balsamic vinegar aroma.
In this thousand-year-old city named after the four yangtze river points, the 127-kilometer golden waterway of the Yangtze River not only nourishes the beautiful scenery, but also nourishes the deep non-genetic inheritance.
Shochu sauce vinegar, as the most brilliant pearl in the intangible cultural heritage of Jiangjin District, how can it be passed down for hundreds of years? In the eyes of the inheritors, it is so difficult and so simple: adhere to the original intention, ingenuity.
Good wine comes out on the banks of Donkey Creek
Wang Hechuan: It was shochu that made me
Ezu brewing is the most prestigious Ezu shochu.
Jiangjin shochu originated from Baisha Town, a thousand-year-old town of Jiangjin. It is located in the best winemaking latitude zone in the earth, and is the core area of the "Golden Triangle of China's famous brand liquor". The Yangtze River (Yibin-Luzhou-Jiangjin section) water system coverage area (Minjiang Yibin section, Chishui River), warm air, rich soil variety, with a unique ecological winemaking environment, has bred the well-known World famous wines such as Maotai, Wuliangye, Luzhou Laojiao, Langjiu and other world-famous liquors in Chongqing, as well as Chongqing's well-known Xiaoqu fragrant liquor "Jinjiangjin" and "Jiang Xiaobai".
"Jiangjin tofu oil Xicang, to eat the white sand in shochu", this proverb refers to the nearly 500-year-old Jiangjin Baisha shochu.
Jiangjin shochu production site Image source: Tang Hao / Photo
During the Jiajing period of the Ming Dynasty, there were several troughs in Baisha Town that brewed shochu, which were historically called "Trough Fang Street" because of the peak of the crowd, and the story of Jiangjin shochu also began from here.
Zhao Xi, a poet at the end of the Qing Dynasty, once went down the Yangtze River, ten miles away from Baisha Town, smelled the aroma of Baisha wine, so he wrote a poem praising: "Ten miles of smoke cages five hundred homes, far away people yan wine pile flowers; Liuyang Road far Maotai thrift, wine country Spring City let Baisha." "There are often cargo owners, boatmen, kilovolts and pack workers on the Baisha Riverside, waiting for them to anchor on the shore, and the river breeze blowing from the white sand can make people unconsciously drink two bowls of shochu to avoid moisture with sweat."
Good wine is produced on the banks of the Baisha River, which is the result of the joint creation of The history, culture and natural folklore of Baisha.
On the west side of Baisha Town, there is an unknown stream, the Donkey Creek River. This stream is not long, more than 40 kilometers, from a forest rock crack at the junction of Sichuan and Chongqing, gushing out, through the deep valley shoals, the water quality is clear, is a soft water with very little mineral content, just like the Chishui River in Guizhou is like Moutai wine, which is extremely suitable for winemaking.
As the third generation inheritor of "Jiangjin Shochu Brewing Technique", Donkey Creek became the nourishing place of Wang Hechuan's life, and this river witnessed his growth and innovation with him, and founded the shochu brand named after Donkey Creek, transforming the inheritance task of Jiangjin Shochu into a lifelong mission.
Wang Hechuan, representative inheritor of the third batch of intangible cultural heritage in Chongqing Image source: Tang Hao / Photo
"At the beginning, it was very hard, and I was also criticized by my father-in-law's incomprehension and society. But I have never regretted it" Wang Hechuan recalled his young academic career, and his eyes still showed excitement, which was the common light of every inheritor.
Wang Hechuan admits that the inheritance of traditional skills is lonely, especially the long-established brand skills that have been inherited for hundreds of years.
In 1973, Wang Hechuan came to the then state-owned Baisha Distillery, studied under Han Zhanhui, the third-generation inheritor of the "Jiangjin Shochu Brewing Technique", and began the road of learning the art of Jiangjin shochu brewing, and since then, for more than 40 years, his entire life has been immersed in the vat.
Until the early 1990s, due to serious losses and the bankruptcy of the state-owned Baisha Distillery, Wang Hechuan, as the sole inheritor of the third generation, began to think about how to continue to shoulder responsibilities.
In 2003, on the basis of the former state-owned Jiangjin County Baisha Distillery, the system was reorganized into Donkey Creek Shochu in Jiangjin District, Chongqing.
In 2011, due to the persistence of Wang Hechuan and his disciples, Jiangjin shochu brewing technology was successfully applied for heritage.
In 2012, Donkey Creek Distillery became a pilot protection unit for intangible cultural production.
In 2017, Donkey Creek Distillery ushered in a new round of industrialization opportunities, under the leadership of the local government, Jiangxiao Liquor Industry protective acquisition, the establishment of Chongqing Jiangjin District Donkey Creek Distillery Co., Ltd.
"The addition of Jiang Xiaobai has revitalized traditional skills and increased my confidence in the continued inheritance of Jiangjin shochu brewing skills." Wang Hechuan said that the industrialization of traditional skills is the best way to integrate traditional skills into the times, enhance vitality, and be carried forward.
"It was wine that made me." Wang Hechuan said that from entering the industry as an apprentice, to becoming the backbone of winemaking technology, and then having his own distillery, and finally becoming a non-hereditary heir, for more than 40 years, it is wine that has made him become today's self.
"I never thought about what I would do if I didn't make wine, I was a winemaker." Whenever I see my 'work' recognized by consumers, I will have a great sense of accomplishment and feel that my life's work is worth it. He said.
Baisha Donkey Creek gave Wang Hechuan the confidence to stick to the inheritance, and also allowed Jiangjin Shochu to stabilize its foothold in the Jiangjin District Intangible Cultural Heritage List.
"Along the way, it was my mutual achievement with Ezu Shochu." Wang Hechuan said with a smile.
After the reorganization and reform of Jiangjin District Donkey Creek Distillery Image source: Tang Hao / Zhao Yueming: I can't stop
In the memory of the old Jiangjin people, in addition to the fragrant shochu on the banks of the Yangtze River, it also created the birth of the fragrant "step into soy sauce" and "step into vinegar".
The origin of "Step into Soy Sauce and Vinegar" is Chongqing Jiangjin Brewing Condiment Co., Ltd., which was established after the restructuring of the original Jiangjin Brewing Factory and was established in 1998. The origin of the product can be traced back to the Qing Jiaqing period in 1815 AD. The company's general manager Zhao Yueming is the "thirty-eighth generation inheritor of Jiangjin Brewery".
Zhao Yueming, representative inheritor of jiangjin soy sauce and vinegar traditional brewing techniques at the municipal level, image source: Tang Hao/ Photo
Zhao Yuemingzi inherited his father's business and entered the industry in 1978, studying under two masters. At the beginning, because the daily study and art activities were monotonous and boring, and often relied on shoulder to shoulder grinding two or three tons of grain a day, Zhao Yueming did not like this job.
"I can persevere, mainly because I see the dedication and dedication of the craftsman's spirit in the master." Later, after gradually learning about the process of brewing soy sauce and vinegar, I really began to develop a strong interest. Zhao Yueming said.
Jiangjin soy sauce and vinegar brewing technology is made by ancient methods, using high-quality soybeans and wheat as the main raw materials. From the selection of soybeans, bran, crushing, oil pressing, steaming, koji making, twice turning, to making sauce, and then putting the sauce into a clay pot for open-air brewing and fermentation, all follow the whole process of ancient methods.
In the brewing process of soy sauce, the most important brewing utensils are the press box and the sauce jar. The press box is made of solid wood boards and rectangular boxes, which have several components of the press plate, the squeeze pier, the squeeze rod, the squeeze dry frame, and the hanging board, which is the main tool of the ancient method of pressing. The sauce tank is a vat of brewing and drying, made of clay, with a small mouth at the bottom, a round belly, and the sauce is put into the sauce tank for natural dew drying.
The fermentation of Jiangjin soy sauce will go through two processes of "solid fermentation" and "dilute fermentation" at different time periods, which are full of traditional techniques and techniques, and have their own process characteristics and technical characteristics.
Jiangjin soy sauce in solid fermentation Image source: Tang Hao / Photo
"Everything in the process of learning art is fresh, and it also gives me a taste of the sweetness of turning my interest into a career, and at the same time, it is more and more clear that this traditional skill cannot be broken in me." Zhao Yueming said.
In March 2011, Jiangjin soy sauce and vinegar brewing technology was included in the list of intangible cultural heritage protection in Chongqing, and this technique originated from the sauce garden business name of Jiangjin "Fu Rongchang" workshop in the 20th year of Qing Jiaqing, that is, in 1815.
But the good times did not last long, and Jiangjin Brewing Condiment Company ushered in a crisis in 2017.
"In 2017, the company had a relatively serious operational crisis, and in 2019, after a debt assessment, the company declared bankruptcy." When Zhao Yueming talked about this past, he did not shy away from the wrong judgment he had made. Despite this, Jiangjin Brewing & Condiment Company continued to operate normally.
In 2020, the company achieved sales of more than 6 million yuan and a profit of more than 1.5 million yuan. Such achievements have allowed everyone to see the vitality of this old enterprise's "comeback", and also paved the way for its subsequent transformation from bankruptcy liquidation to bankruptcy reorganization.
Until 2021, after three years of precipitation and painful thinking, Zhao Yueming completed the bankruptcy and restructuring of the company, and Jiangjin's soy sauce and vinegar brewing skills finally had a stable inheritance stage again.
"I remember every corner of this factory, even if I was discouraged, thinking about the master's advice and all the craftsmen in the factory who insisted on their original intentions, I knew that I could not stop." Zhao Yueming said.
Nowadays, the brewing technology of Jiangjin soy sauce and vinegar continues to show the historical background of agarwood in the hands of Zhao Yueming, just like the time of silence, the sauce tank also maintains a long silence, but it can precipitate more and more mature mellow aroma in silence.
Jiangjin Brewing Condiment Company after bankruptcy and reorganization Image source: Tang Hao/Photographer Let the ingenuity inherit Jiangjin Brewing does not change its original intention
After the innovation and transformation of industrialization and branding, Jiangjin's brewing technology has moved towards a new direction of development.
"While innovating, I pay more attention to how to continue to pass on this traditional craft." Zhao Yueming said that the reason why Jiangjin's brewing technology can be listed on the Jiangjin Intangible Cultural Heritage List is not only the subtlety and preciousness of the skills themselves, but also because they are facing the dilemma of disappearing.
In this regard, Wang Hechuan also admitted that there are not many young people who are willing to settle down and study the art well, he has accepted five disciples, and only two are still engaged in wine brewing, one of which is Shao Jiayan, deputy director of Donkey Creek Distillery.
Shao Jiayan is the fourth generation inheritor of Jiangjin shochu brewing technology, the current technical consultant of Jiang Xiaobai brand, and the first female disciple of the rare Jiangjin shochu brewing technology.
Wang Hechuan (left) and Shao Jiayan, the fourth generation inheritor of Jiangjin shochu brewing skills (right) Image source: Tang Hao / Photo
"Female dolls are born with more sensitive five senses; in the acquired factor, generally do not smoke or drink, taste and smell will not be affected, so it is more suitable for learning to make wine." Shao Jiayan has been diligent and studious for several years, and I am very relieved that this skill has now been passed on to her. At the mention of this proud protégé, Wang Hechuan smiled.
The daily mode of getting along between the two craftsmen is also a teacher and a friend, and the topic of "wine" is always inseparable from the conversation. After working together for many years at Donkey Creek Distillery, the two became close friends.
"I am grateful to the master for his teaching and trust, and I am even more grateful to Ezu Shochu for allowing me to meet such a good teacher and friend." Shao Jiayan said that he is confident that he can further expand the production and sales of Donkey Creek shochu by assisting in the industrialization of the brand, and promote the inheritance of intangible cultural heritage through the economy.
In contrast, the selection of heirs of Jiangjin shochu pays more attention to interest and talent, but the ancient method of Jiangjin soy sauce and vinegar is more inclined to the traditional inheritance system of "inheriting the father's business" because of its strict recipe secrecy system.
"The ancient method of concoction, which cannot deviate a little, is also the main reason why this skill is precious." The baton I received from my father will try to keep my children going in the future. He said.
No matter what kind of inheritance method, it contains the most authentic attachment and cherishing of traditional skills by the older generation of craftsmen, and complements the unique jianghu atmosphere of Jiangjin, a major town of human history.
One side of the water and soil not only nourishes one side, but also nourishes the water and soil of this side, just like Wang Hechuan and Zhao Yueming.