🥃 Mixiang
Mixiang (mixiangxing) is rice-aroma baijiu made from rice with xiaoqu starter: the mash ferments about 13 days in semi-solid form; key compounds are ethyl lactate, ethyl acetate and beta-phenylethanol.
Mixiang (rice-aroma type) is a Chinese rice spirit, and the only one of the four basic aroma types made mainly from rice rather than sorghum. The starter is xiaoqu, and the fermentation is short and semi-solid. The classic example is Guilin Sanhua from the city of Guilin in southern China. The aroma is clean, honeyed and floral.
How it is made. According to a study in Frontiers in Microbiology (2021), rice is steamed, mixed with xiaoqu and saccharified for about 20 hours. The mash then ferments for about 13 days in clay vats in semi-solid form, not in the dry pits used for other baijiu types. After distillation the spirit is aged, blended and bottled.
Aroma. The characteristic compounds of mixiang are ethyl lactate, ethyl acetate and beta-phenylethanol, which gives a rose-and-honey smell. In good samples ethyl lactate is 3 to 7 times higher than ethyl acetate. A rice-aroma type from Guangdong province, the chixiang, comes from this lineage: its spirit is steeped with fatty pork.
Standard and place among Asian drinks. The requirements for the type are set by the standard GB/T 10781.3-2025, in force since 1 May 2026; it replaced the 2006 edition. By its raw material, mixiang is closer to Okinawan awamori or Thai lao khao than to sorghum baijiu, but the xiaoqu starter and the technology are Chinese.
Why this matters to you. The mark mixiangxing on the label means rice baijiu with a soft honeyed aroma; it is quite unlike the sauce or strong types. Strength varies, so check the % vol. The WHO reminds us that there is no safe level of alcohol consumption.
Facts
| Legal basis | GB/T 10781.3-2025 — rice-aroma baijiu (in force from 01.05.2026; replaced the 2006 edition) |
|---|---|
| Raw material | rice; xiaoqu starter |
| Distillation method | distillation of the mash after semi-solid fermentation (about 13 days) |
How it connects to Spirits
🥃 Mixiang → then → 🍷 Alcoholic fermentation ← goes through ← 🥃 Spirits
Links
- Next step
- 🍷 Alcoholic fermentation, 🥃 Distillation
- Made from
- 🍷 Yeast
- What it affects
- 🍷 Alcohol and health, 🍷 Drunk driving
- Part of
- 🥃 Baijiu
- Related to
- 🌍 East Asia
- Similar and different
- 🥃 Awamori, 🥃 Shochu, 🥃 Lao Khao, 🥃 Nongxiang, 🥃 Nongxiang, 🥃 Qingxiang, 🥃 Qingxiang, 🥃 Fengxiang, 🥃 Fengxiang, 🥃 Texiang
Frequently asked questions
Is mixiang a rice wine?
No. Mixiang is a distillate: the rice mash is distilled after fermentation, so it is a strong spirit, not a wine.
What is mixiang baijiu made from?
From rice with xiaoqu starter, a mix of yeasts and moulds grown on rice.
How is mixiang similar to awamori or lao khao?
By raw material it is closer to Okinawan awamori or Thai lao khao than to sorghum baijiu, but the xiaoqu starter and the technology are Chinese.
How long does mixiang ferment?
According to a 2021 study, about 20 hours of saccharification and about 13 days of semi-solid fermentation in clay vats.
Which standard covers mixiang baijiu?
GB/T 10781.3-2025, Requirements for the quality of baijiu, Part 3: rice-aroma baijiu, in force since 1 May 2026.
What to read next
- 🍷 Alcohol and health — Alcohol in any drink is harmful in large amounts, and the risks grow with the quantity.
- 🍷 Alcoholic fermentation — Yeast eats the sugar in the must and releases alcohol and carbon dioxide.
- 🍷 Yeast — Microscopic fungi that turn sugar into alcohol and gas.
- 🌍 East Asia — A region in the east of Asia — China, Japan and Korea: milk became an everyday food only in the 20th century, but there are old traditions such as rushan and so; China ranks third in the world for vineyard area.
- 🥃 Shochu — Shochu is a Japanese spirit: continuously distilled under 36% ABV, single-distilled (honkaku) up to 45% ABV; protected names Iki, Kuma, Satsuma, Tokyo Shimazake.
Similar
🥃 Fengxiang · 🥃 Texiang · 🥃 Zhimaxiang · 🥃 Qingxiang · 🥃 Nongxiang · 🥃 Jianxiang
⚠️ Spirit drinks contain alcohol and are for adults only. Alcohol harms health. Do not drink during pregnancy or before driving; check the label for ingredients and possible allergens.
Sources
- SAMR/SAC national standards register, series GB/T 10781 白酒质量要求 (Baijiu quality requirements): part 3, GB/T 10781.3-2025 米香型白酒 (rice-aroma baijiu), issued 25.04.2025, in force 01.05.2026; replaced GB/T 10781.3-2006
- Hu Y. et al. Characteristics of the microbial community in the production of Chinese rice-flavor baijiu and comparisons with the microflora of other flavors of baijiu. Frontiers in Microbiology 12:673670 (2021) — rice, xiaoqu, 20 h saccharification, semi-solid fermentation ≈ 13 days in clay vats; ethyl lactate, ethyl acetate and β-phenylethanol characteristic
- Qiao L., Wang J., Wang R., Zhang N., Zheng F. A review on flavor of Baijiu and other world-renowned distilled liquors. Food Chemistry: X 20 (2023) 100870 — rice-aroma: rice with xiaoqu; ethyl lactate 3–7 times ethyl acetate in high-quality samples; chixiang derived from rice aroma, soaked with fatty pork
- Tu W. et al. Chinese Baijiu: the perfect works of microorganisms. Frontiers in Microbiology 13:919044 (2022), table of flavor types — rice flavour: Guilin Sanhua; rice; xiaoqu; phenylethanol with ethyl acetate and ethyl lactate
- WHO/Europe: No level of alcohol consumption is safe for our health (04.01.2023)