Millet Beer Brewing in North China: Exploring Traditional Methods and their Significance in Archaeological Research

Abstract

ABSTRACT China's alcohol production tradition dates back 9000 years to the early Neolithic era, with multiple types of alcohol recorded in ancient texts. However, these records lack sufficient detail about production processes for different alcohol types. Experimental archaeology, especially when informed by ethnographic observations, offers valuable insights into traditional brewing methods. Here, we present an ethnographic study of huangjiu (yellow beer) production by a local farming family in Henan province, North China, using wheat qu (a moldy grain starter) and foxtail millet. We conducted experimental brewing following the traditional method and analyzed the qu starter and fermented materials microscopically. This approach improved our understanding of morphological changes in starch and fungal elements during fermentation, serving as a comparative reference for studying ancient alcohol remains in archaeological contexts.