In Cantonese cuisine, Chinese Rose Wine is used to marinate and roast meats and cured sausages. The questions now are: what is it, how is it created, and how does it taste? Let us elaborate!
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I’m curious about Chinese rose wine or MEI GUI LU JIU, but I haven’t heard much about it.
Rose-flavored sorghum liquor is known as Chinese Rose Wine (méiguī lùjiǔ). Some believe the gāoliáng jiǔ or sorghum liquor smells and tastes like a sweet, floral vodka because it is blended with fresh rose blossoms and sugar.
Varieties intended for consumption typically contain more than 50% alcohol, while rice-based cooking varieties typically contain less, about 18%.
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Mei gui lu imparts a superb, nuanced taste to Cantonese roast meats, cured sausages, and braised meals like our soy sauce chicken.
Rice-based variations, which are lower in alcohol content, are the ones most commonly used in cooking.
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ACQUIRING AND STORING
Chinese rose wine is typically shelved alongside other culinary wines.
To find rose wine, just read the label. The Chinese name can alternatively be spelled “mei kwei lu” or “mei kuei lu,” among other ways. It’s cheap (about $4 at the shop where I shop).
Put it away somewhere cold and dry. You don’t have to put it in the fridge.
Alternatives to Chinese Rose Wine
If you don’t have rose wine on hand, you can use Shaoxing Wine, but the meal won’t have the same complex flavor.