The ancient Chinese text Rites of Zhou describes "an official charged with managing the five types of alcohol and the seven types of preserved vegetables" as evidence of the position vinegar held in the emperor's daily diet. Ancient records state that Empress Wu Zetian once felt unwell while in Luoyang. Abdominal distension and air (gas) stagnation left her with no appetite. However, a Taoist priest gave her some aged millet vinegar, which allowed her to quickly recover. From then on, the imperial table always had rice vinegar, and the custom is still common at present.

Shanxi aged vinegar is made from sorghum, wheat, and peas. It is steamed, fermented, smoked, rinsed, and sun-dried. With 3,000 years of history, it is one of the four greatest vinegars of China. It is famed worldwide for its color, fragrance, purity, richness, and pleasant sour flavor. The main ingredient is sorghum bran, and the secondary ingredients are the sorghum hulls and husks. The sacchariferous starter for the fermentation is yeast made from wheat and peas. After alcoholic fermentation and acetic acid fermentation, it is then smoked and aged. It is a shiny brownish-red, similar to purple amber and comparable to black pearl, and it has a uniform appearance that is rather thick. Rich, refined, and well-harmonized, it gives off a unique, smoky, aged fragrance of vinegar and ester that set each other off well. The flavor is sour, rich, fresh, and fragrant, and it leaves a lingering aftertaste.

Since receiving geographical indication protection, the Shanxi aged vinegar industry has continually expanded, and its share of the overall vinegar market continues to grow. As a result, it is gaining greater recognition in the industry and in the hearts of consumers. (Courtesy of the IP Protection Department of CNIPA)