# Baijiu to the US? No way. **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [May 30, 2013, 12:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/baijiu-to-the-us-no-way/659669 "2013-05-30T00:20:56Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 13\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Mahaloth](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mahaloth/32/1079_2.png) [@Mahaloth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mahaloth)\ **Post date:** [May 30, 2013, 12:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/baijiu-to-the-us-no-way/659669/1 "2013-05-30T00:20:56Z")
Kind of an interesting article here about the common Chinese baijiu coming to Western countries. If you haven’t had it…you really shouldn’t. According to the article, it is the most commonly consumed liquor in the world, but I’ve had it a few times and it is nasty. I even went to dinner with a millionaire, who bought a very expensive bottle of “the good stuff”…and it still wasn’t very good. I saw a guy there pound a bottle of it giant swigs. I’m surprised he survived…and wouldn’t be surprised if he is no longer with us(this was 8 years ago). The article says it has 110 proof, but I’ve seen it go up to 78% alcohol. If you see this stuff in the stores, skip it. [Anyone else had it? Apparently, it is 1/3 of all liquor drunk in the world.](http://news.yahoo.com/move-over-tequila-comes-chinese-firewater-124931780.html) ---
**Author:** ![hogarth](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hogarth/32/1773_2.png) [@hogarth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/hogarth)\ **Post date:** [May 30, 2013, 2:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/baijiu-to-the-us-no-way/659669/2 "2013-05-30T02:31:45Z")
I’ve seen it in liquor stores in Ontario from time to time (around Chinese New Year, maybe?). I think I had it once in China and I thought it tasted like vodka (and I don’t particularly like straight vodka). ---
**Author:** ![terentii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/terentii/32/212_2.png) [@terentii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/terentii)\ **Post date:** [May 30, 2013, 2:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/baijiu-to-the-us-no-way/659669/3 "2013-05-30T02:48:09Z")
What was the Chinese drink in Steinbeck’s _ **East of Eden** _, the one that tasted like “good rotten apples”? :dubious: ---
**Author:** ![Odesio](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/odesio/32/20003_2.png) [@Odesio](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Odesio)\ **Post date:** [May 30, 2013, 3:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/baijiu-to-the-us-no-way/659669/4 "2013-05-30T03:07:09Z")
“Matt Trusch, a former China resident, founded a distillery called Byejoe USA that imports baijiu base from China, then re-filters it to make it more drinkable.” I might give it a shot (ha ha) if someone has a bottle around but I’m not inclined to try something that needs to be re-filtered in order to be palatable. ---
**Author:** ![bump](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/7c8e57/32.png) [@bump](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bump)\ **Post date:** [May 30, 2013, 4:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/baijiu-to-the-us-no-way/659669/5 "2013-05-30T16:19:28Z")
[The Wikipedia entry on Baijiu](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Baijiu) makes some varieties sound ghastly. One kind (“Sauce”) is described thusly: "It has been described as stinky tofu crossed with grappa. " Another has this gem in its production process: “After distillation, pork fat is stored with the liquor but removed before bottling.” Most however, sound like rough versions of moonshine/aguardiente/vodka, and the flavored ones are flavored with unusual but not horrible sounding combinations. I might try it, but I’m not quite sure what it offers that vodka, whiskey or rum don’t. ---
**Author:** ![even\_sven](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/dfb087/32.png) [@even\_sven](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/even_sven)\ **Post date:** [May 30, 2013, 5:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/baijiu-to-the-us-no-way/659669/6 "2013-05-30T17:09:39Z")
I have, in my life, consumed a truly unfortunate amount of baijiu. I lived for two years a few blocks from one of the largest and most celebrated baijiu distilleries in China (oh the smell!), and my host city, dotted with centuries old baijiu cellars, had a massive collective drinking problem. Baijiu made our world go (wobbily) round. Baijiu is, without question, the most unholy disgusting liquid on earth. It doesn’t matter if you have the twenty cent bottle or the three hundred dollar bottle. The taste is kerosene, honey, anise, ammonia and tears. It burns going down, then spreads a sickly warmth like a fever, and then leaves you nauseated and filled with regret. People treat it like wine, seeking out rare and pricey bottles. How anyone can enjoy it is baffling. One of my favorite pastimes was seeing tourists react to it. Often, they would accidentally order it off of menus (where it is translated literally as “white wine”) and be in for a nasty shock. > [@hogarth](#): > > I’ve seen it in liquor stores in Ontario from time to time (around Chinese New Year, maybe?). I think I had it once in China and I thought it tasted like vodka (and I don’t particularly like straight vodka). Either you’ve never had baijiu, or you’ve never had vodka. Baijiu has a strong, distinct, horrifying flavor. ---
**Author:** ![Mahaloth](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mahaloth/32/1079_2.png) [@Mahaloth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mahaloth)\ **Post date:** [May 30, 2013, 6:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/baijiu-to-the-us-no-way/659669/7 "2013-05-30T18:19:45Z")
> [@even\_sven](#): > > Either you’ve never had baijiu, or you’ve never had vodka. Baijiu has a strong, distinct, horrifying flavor. Yeah, I agree about it not tasting anything like vodka. It’s got a very powerful aroma that fills the room as soon as the bottle is cracked. It’s almost sweet, but disgusting when you drink it. ---
**Author:** ![stanger](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/7ba0ec/32.png) [@stanger](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/stanger)\ **Post date:** [May 30, 2013, 6:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/baijiu-to-the-us-no-way/659669/8 "2013-05-30T18:21:34Z")
> [@even\_sven](#): > > Baijiu is, without question, the most unholy disgusting liquid on earth. It doesn’t matter if you have the twenty cent bottle or the three hundred dollar bottle. The taste is kerosene, honey, anise, ammonia and tears. It burns going down, then spreads a sickly warmth like a fever, and then leaves you nauseated and filled with regret. . I, myself, take this statement as a sincere warning, but I think, as an ad slogan, it might launch the beginning of a new and frightful consumer frenzy. ---
**Author:** ![pravnik](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/8edcca/32.png) [@pravnik](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pravnik)\ **Post date:** [May 30, 2013, 6:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/baijiu-to-the-us-no-way/659669/9 "2013-05-30T18:28:17Z")
So, kind of the booze version of durian? ---
**Author:** ![Mooch](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/7bcc69/32.png) [@Mooch](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mooch)\ **Post date:** [May 30, 2013, 7:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/baijiu-to-the-us-no-way/659669/10 "2013-05-30T19:29:31Z")
After checking out the Wiki entry it seems I have consumed a bottle of the unflavored version of baijiu called kaoliang. I still have an additional half a bottle left which was given to me as a gag gift. Unflavored is in-fucking-correct. It tastes of fermented dirt, but really disgusting dirt. This stuff makes [Malort](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jeppson%27s_Mal%C3%B6rt) taste like cotton candy. ---
**Author:** ![kenner116](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/ecb155/32.png) [@kenner116](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kenner116)\ **Post date:** [May 30, 2013, 7:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/baijiu-to-the-us-no-way/659669/11 "2013-05-30T19:56:22Z")
I’ve downed a bottle of [Erguotou](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Er_guo_tou)in one go, and it’s not too terrible going down. The problem is when you realize this stuff is sitting undiluted in your stomach. I had to run to the nearest shop and buy a can of [KeKouKeLe](http://i.thestreet.com/files/tsc/v2008/photos/all-pics/companies/c/chinese-coke-cola-inside-small.jpg) to save my insides. Erguotou also works as a space heater. Just pour some into an ashtray and put a flame to it. ---
**Author:** ![simple\_homer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/9de0a6/32.png) [@simple\_homer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/simple_homer)\ **Post date:** [May 31, 2013, 5:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/baijiu-to-the-us-no-way/659669/12 "2013-05-31T17:53:41Z")
I have tried baijiu in China several times, and it is disgusting. There is just nothing positive I could say about it. Also, due to the Chinese scandals of adding formaldehyde and/or methanol to baijiu,wine and beer, I just do not trust the stuff to not kill me. > **[A Time to Reflect -- Beijing Review](http://www.bjreview.com.cn/business/txt/2013-01/28/content_515080_2.htm)** > > Pestered by scandals over quality, Chinese \baijiu\ makers seek a rebirth [http://chinhdangvu.blogspot.com/2012/11/baijiu-chinas-latest-health-scare.html](http://chinhdangvu.blogspot.com/2012/11/baijiu-chinas-latest-health-scare.html) ---
**Author:** ![Maserschmidt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/maserschmidt/32/18829_2.png) [@Maserschmidt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Maserschmidt)\ **Post date:** [January 23, 2014, 10:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/baijiu-to-the-us-no-way/659669/14 "2014-01-23T10:46:50Z")
Sleeper cell spam!