Instructions

1. Soak raw, glutinous rice in hot water for 1 hour.

2. Drain and then steam the rice either in a commercial steamer or in a colander over boiling water for 25 minutes.

3. Spread the rice out on a tray and allow it to cool for 2 hours.

4. Grind the Chinese yeast into a uniform powder and mix it with the flour.

5. Combine the rice and yeast mixture by hand until blended.

6. Transfer the mixture to a container and cover tightly with a lid. Store the container in a warm, dry place and allow the mixture to ferment for 1 month.

7. Separate the liquid from the remaining rice mixture. The liquid is rice wine and the residual is rice mash. Wrap the mash in cheesecloth and squeeze to extract the remaining wine.

8. Place the rice wine in an airtight container, such as a jar or bottle. Refrigerate the wine to stop the fermentation process and keep the wine from turning into vinegar. The wine ages in its container and changes from an amber color to black while developing a sherry-like flavor.