Basic Introduction to Longli Roselle
“A golden can, filled with hard rice, not eating the hard rice, but the golden can.” This is a riddle circulating in Longli County, Guizhou, and the answer is roselle.
In modern society, people pay more attention to healthy living and nutritious diets. Longli saw the vast prospects of roselle and began developing its cultivation from 2000. Within a decade, it established a 15,000-mu (about 1,000 hectares) roselle base, transforming this specialty product into a thriving ecological industry.
The 3,000-mu (about 200 hectares) roselle base in Chaxiang Village, Guye Town, Longli County stretches over ten miles and is currently the longest contiguous artificially cultivated roselle base in Guizhou Province.
Nutritional Value
Rich in various vitamins, it has high medicinal value. The flowers, leaves, fruits, and seeds can all be used as medicine for strengthening the stomach, aiding digestion, nourishing, and stopping diarrhea. The vitamin C content in roselle is extremely high; every hundred grams of fresh roselle fruit contains 2,000 milligrams of vitamin C, which is ten times that of kiwi fruit, fifty times that of sweet oranges, and five hundred times that of apples. Therefore, it is known as the “King of Vitamin C.”
Product Characteristics
Roselle, also known as thorny pear or wooden pear, is a wild specialty of the Guizhou plateau. Its skin is covered with small fleshy spines, hence the common name “roselle.” When ripe, the fruit is thick and fleshy with an acidic yet sweet taste. Roselle has detoxifying properties and can strengthen the stomach, aid digestion, activate blood circulation, and dissolve blood clots. It also has a miraculous effect in preventing and treating cancer. After fermenting roselle into wine, these effects are significantly enhanced, making it a truly remarkable health wine for disease prevention!
Historical Folklore
Legend has it that during the Three Kingdoms period, Meng Huo rebelled in the Yunnan-Guizhou border region around Xingyi and Anshun, where the subtropical climate often brought about miasmas and epidemics. When Zhuge Liang's massive army arrived in Anshun, it was during the rainy season. They set up camp on higher ground and prepared meals. While gathering intelligence, suddenly, the central command reported that many soldiers were suffering from abdominal pain and nausea, with a large number falling ill. Zhuge Liang was greatly alarmed. These ten thousand troops were the backbone of national security, and there could be no mishaps. If they couldn't subdue Meng Huo, there would never be peace along the borders. He ordered the accompanying physicians to provide treatment. However, the soldiers showed no improvement after taking the medicine and instead worsened. What could he do? Zhuge Liang was overwhelmed with worry and fell ill himself.
In this dire situation, someone came to see Zhuge Liang, claiming to have a good strategy to share! Zhuge Liang hurriedly summoned him to the camp. This man was Han Chinese, known as “Drunk Gourd,” his ancestors having been soldiers under Liu Bang. After being injured in battle, he was treated by local people and decided to stay in the area. He admired Zhuge Liang and heard that Liu Bei was a descendant of Liu Bang. Upon hearing of their plight, he rushed to offer help!
He inquired about the condition of Zhuge Liang and the soldiers, then calmly pulled out a gourd from his robe, uncorked it, and took a sip. At that moment, a wonderful fragrance filled everyone's nostrils. Drunk Gourd handed the gourd to the soldiers, who then passed it to Zhuge Liang. After just one sip, Zhuge Liang felt refreshed and free of illness, much to his delight. He immediately had his officers try it, and they too felt better. Zhuge Liang asked Drunk Gourd what he should do about his ten thousand troops, as already one-third of them were sick. Drunk Gourd smiled and said, “I have a solution. Please send someone with me!”
Soon, the soldiers returned with horses carrying several large jars, all filled with wonderfully fragrant wine. Each sick soldier was given a cup, and after drinking, they were cured and their strength greatly increased. The entire army was jubilant, believing they had been saved by a celestial being. Morale soared, laying the foundation for capturing strategic strongholds and the eventual capture of Meng Huo seven times.
Later, Zhuge Liang asked Drunk Gourd why the wine had such miraculous power. Drunk Gourd replied: “The miasmas and epidemics in the Yunnan-Guizhou border region near Xin Yi and Anshun can only be treated with cloud fruit (roselle).” Pointing at a cluster of small trees on a cliff, he continued, “Look, cloud fruit!” Everyone looked and indeed saw a row of small trees shrouded in clouds, with red dots scattered among them. “Cloud fruit!” Zhuge Liang hurriedly had his accompanying physician record the information and instructed the soldiers to collect samples, making it a sacred item for the army.
Preparation Method of Longli Roselle
Roselle Glutinous Rice Wine
Roselle glutinous rice wine is a premium low-alcohol nutritional wine made by blending glutinous rice wine with pure roselle wine.
Process Flow: Glutinous Rice → Soaking → Steaming → Cooling (Adding Yeast) → Fermenting in Jar → Extracting Juice (Fermenting Steamed Rice with Water and Distilling for Rice Wine) → Blending Rice Wine with Fresh Roselle Wine (Mixed in Proportion) → Adding Gelatin → Heating → Storing → Filtering → Roselle Glutinous Rice Wine → Bottling → Finished Product Storage
Preparation Method
1. Use high-quality glutinous rice and soak it for 8 to 12 hours (depending on temperature)
2. Steam the rice for about 10 minutes (depending on the quality of the rice)
3. The purpose of cooling is mainly to lower the temperature and also to help absorb some water.
4. Yeast: Root mold can be used, adding 0.3-0.5% yeast, and 3-5% dry yeast.
5. After 72 hours of fermentation, start extracting the juice (wine), once daily for three days, achieving a yield rate of approximately 80%, with a sugar content of about 28-30%, acidity of 0.5-0.6%, and alcohol content of about 5%.
6. After extracting the juice, add water to the rice residue for further fermentation, using a ratio of 1 to 1.5 times the amount of rice residue, and mash it the next day, continuing to mash it once daily.
7. The distilled rice wine, about 25% of the original ingredients (with an alcohol content of 50 degrees), can be used for blending.
8. Add 40 grams of casein per 100 liters, dissolve it, and mix it into the wine.
9. After adding gelatin, heat the wine to 80°C for instant sterilization and filter it.
10. Bottle the clarified roselle glutinous rice wine, affix labels, and package it for storage.
Tasting and Eating Methods
1. Fresh Consumption: Scrape off the spines and remove the seeds before eating. Store in the refrigerator for 1-2 months. Pack in food-grade plastic bags (1-2 pounds) and refrigerate for preservation.
2. For those who enjoy drinking, remove the spines and seeds and steep in alcohol. Use 250 grams of roselle fruit for every 500 grams of alcohol. The resulting golden-colored, aromatic wine can be consumed together with the roselle fruit. Regular consumption alleviates fatigue, enhances beauty, improves sexual function, and benefits overall health.
3. Drying: Sun-dry or air-dry the roselle. Tea made from dried roselle fruit has been proven effective in treating esophageal cancer, hypertension, and heart disease when consumed regularly.
4. Refrigeration: Store in plastic bags at 0°C to 5°C in a refrigerator. After 60 days,