Admin: [CFWK] Create dish page (Infobox + Commons)

2026-09-25T04:12:45Z

[CFWK] Create dish page (Infobox + Commons)

New page

{{#seo:
|title=Kinmen Kaoliang (金門高粱酒 Kinmen Sorghum Liquor) - Chinese Food Wiki
|keywords=Kinmen Kaoliang,金門高粱酒,金门高粱酒,Kaoliang,Kaoliang liquor,高粱酒,Gaoliang jiu,sorghum liquor,Kinmen,Taiwan,light aroma baijiu
|description=Kinmen Kaoliang (金門高粱酒) is a clear sorghum liquor from Kinmen, Taiwan, produced since the early 1950s by a county-owned distillery; the classic bottlings are 58% and 38% alcohol.
}}

{{Infobox chinese food
| image = Kinmen Kaoliang.jpg
| caption = Kinmen Kaoliang Liquor distillery, Kinmen
| alternate_name = 金門高粱酒; 金门高粱酒; Kaoliang; Kaoliang liquor; Gaoliang jiu (高粱酒); Kinmen sorghum liquor
| pinyin = Jīnmén gāoliáng jiǔ
| type = Baijiu-style distilled sorghum spirit, light aroma (清香); classic 58% and 38% alcohol
| course = Beverage
| country = Taiwan (Kinmen County)
| region = Kinmen islands, off the coast of Xiamen, Fujian; see [[Taiwan Food]]
| other = Producer: Kinmen Kaoliang Liquor Inc., owned by the Kinmen County Government
}}

'''Kinmen Kaoliang''' (Traditional Chinese: 金門高粱酒; Simplified Chinese: 金门高粱酒; Pinyin: ''Jīnmén gāoliáng jiǔ'') is a clear sorghum liquor made on the Kinmen islands, which are administered by Taiwan and lie just off Xiamen in Fujian. '''Kaoliang''' (高粱, "sorghum", Wade–Giles spelling) is also used as a general name for sorghum spirits of the light-aroma type made in northern China, Taiwan and Korea; Kinmen's is the best-known brand in Taiwan.<ref name="kl">[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kaoliang_liquor English Wikipedia: Kaoliang liquor]</ref> See also [[Taiwan Food]] and [[Baijiu]].

== Origin and region ==

Sorghum liquor has a long history in northern China. On Kinmen, a local distiller began making kaoliang around 1950. In the early 1950s the military command then based on the islands, under General Hu Lien, set up an official distillery and encouraged farmers to grow sorghum, partly to support the local economy; the distillery later became Kinmen Distillery and, in 1998, the company Kinmen Kaoliang Liquor Inc., owned by the county government. Liquor revenue became an important source of local government income.<ref name="kkl">[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kinmen_Kaoliang_Liquor English Wikipedia: Kinmen Kaoliang Liquor]</ref><ref name="kl" />

== Raw materials ==

* '''Sorghum''' — the islands' farmers have grown sorghum for the distillery since the 1950s
* '''Wheat''' for the qu starter
* '''Water''' from local groundwater

Overview only — not a recipe.

== Production (overview) ==

Kinmen Kaoliang is made by solid-state fermentation of cooked sorghum with wheat qu, followed by distillation, storage and blending, the general method of northern-style sorghum baijiu. Aged editions are stored for several years before bottling.<ref name="kl" /><ref name="off">[https://www.kkl.com.tw/ Kinmen Kaoliang Liquor Inc. (official site)]</ref>

== Style and taste ==

Kinmen Kaoliang is clean, dry and powerful, with a crisp grain aroma typical of light-aroma spirits such as [[Fenjiu]] and [[Erguotou]]. The mainstays are the 58% and 38% bottlings; aged and commemorative editions are also made.<ref name="kl" />

== Culture ==

Kaoliang is closely identified with Kinmen's Cold War history and is one of the islands' best-known products, often bought as a local specialty by visitors. Other Taiwanese kaoliang spirits include the Matsu distillery's tunnel-aged kaoliang and Yushan kaoliang from the Taiwan Tobacco and Liquor Corporation. In Korean-Chinese restaurants the same kind of spirit is known as ''goryangju''.<ref name="kl" />

== Notes ==

* "Kaoliang" and "gaoliang" are two spellings of the same word (高粱).
* This page does not give prices or buying advice.

== See also ==

* [[Chinese Alcohol]]
* [[Baijiu]]
* [[Taiwan Food]]
* [[Fujian Food]]
* [[Fenjiu]]
* [[Erguotou]]

== References ==
{{Reflist}}

Kinmen Kaoliang - Revision history

Admin: [CFWK] Create dish page (Infobox + Commons)