Agri-processed Products in Taitung

Taitung Traditional Brewing: A Medium for Ancestors and the Revival of Tribal Culture

The traditional fermented beverages (Sticky Rice Wine, Millet Wine) of the Indigenous peoples in the Taitung region are far more than simple drinks. They are sacred media for communicating with the tribe and ancestral spirits, ritual centers for community cohesion, and vessels for revitalizing lost cultures. In the spirit of the Slow Food Ark of Taste, these traditional brews represent a complete dietary culture and knowledge system that was interrupted by the tobacco and alcohol monopoly system and is now being revived. Consumption Context: Festivals, Rituals, and Social Status Traditional Indigenous fermented wine plays a pivotal role in the tribe, intimately linked with significant socio-cultural activities. Festivals and Communication with Ancestors: In traditional Amis culture, women present sticky rice wine brewed with homemade herbal starters (jiuqu) during festivals. At the annual Harvest Festival (Ilisin) in July and August, drinking is a crucial ritual for connecting tribe members with ancestral spirits. The Paiwan tribe also prepares fermented brew for the Millet Harvest Festival (Masalut) to celebrate the harvest and thank the spirits for their protection. This is not a casual drinking culture; it is a way to maintain the group's spiritual strength and cultural identity through the act of drinking. Symbol of Social Status: In past tribal societies, wine was a symbol of reward and honor. Young people had to perform well throughout the year to be granted wine by the elders. Receiving wine meant being recognized, seen, and accepted into the adult community. Furthermore, wine acted as a medium of communication between people, and between humans and spirits; drinking together became an important ritual for confirming identity and strengthening bonds. Herbal Starters: A Knowledge System Accumulated Over Millennia The defining characteristic of traditional brewing lies in the use of herbal starters (jiuqu) rather than commercially available yeast. This knowledge system embodies thousands of years of experimentation and observation. The "Chu Li Niang" brand uses nine types of herbs, including Giant-leaf Limnophila (Tian-xiang), Taiwan Murraya, Mugwort, and Blumea balsamifera. The Dianguang tribe uses a formula of ten herbs, boiling them in 30 liters of water down to 20 liters of broth. Each herb is chosen for a function—Giant-leaf Limnophila carries an anise-like aroma, Mugwort purifies, and Blumea is used for postpartum care. The Six Steps of Starter Making: Gathering Herbs: Seasonal knowledge determines the timing and quality of the harvest. Boiling the Decoction: Heat control and concentration directly affect the final flavor. Preparing Rice Flour: Sticky rice or millet must be soaked. Traditional Bunun belief holds that millet must "have good dreams," meaning it must be treated gently. Kneading the Starter: Dough is shaped into flat round cakes for drying; the master brewer precisely controls each weight to 22 grams. Fermentation (Old feeding New): Using the powder of old wine starters to introduce live cultures into the new rice dough. Sun Drying: Continuous sun exposure for 10 to 14 days allows the starter to be stored for one to two years. The final brewing requires spiritual participation: reporting to ancestors before brewing and maintaining a joyful, focused mindset during the process. Elders say this affects the flavor of the wine—often referred to as the "hand luck" (energy) of the brewer. This view treats brewing as an act involving the whole person, not just a technical operation. Systemic Breakthrough in Cultural Revival Indigenous brewing culture has a 2,000-year history, but under the 1953 Tobacco and Alcohol Monopoly system, private brewing was deemed illegal, causing a rupture in culture, tools, and marketing channels. Brands like "Chu Li Niang," by legally establishing a winery (the first traditional winery in Taitung to obtain a license), are dedicated to retrieving the forgotten ancient methods of herbal starters. This is a systemic revival of traditional brewing culture. Re-cohesion of Community Spirit: The revival of traditional wine allows tribal elders to finally drink sticky rice wine made with traditional methods during sacrificial activities, rather than industrial products. This represents true respect for ancestors and the restoration of tribal self-recognition and cultural confidence. The appearance of traditional wine at every festival reinforces the tribe's identity. Economic Upgrade and Global Dialogue: The development of traditional wine transforms local crops (millet, sticky rice) from low-price agricultural products into high-economic-value goods. By building brands and narratives, Indigenous traditional wine is elevated to the same table as the world's fine wines. A bottle of "Chu Li Niang" sticky rice wine is no longer "Indigenous moonshine," but a concrete presentation of a complete knowledge system, tribal spirit, and peasant artistry. The Slow Food Significance of Traditional Brewing Within the framework of the Ark of Taste, Taitung's traditional brewing represents a complete case of biocultural heritage and knowledge system revival. Preserving these wines means preserving agricultural systems, knowledge hierarchies, social structures, spiritual worlds, and economic autonomy. Traditional brewing is a comprehensive practice regarding how to endow a lost traditional cultural system with contemporary legitimacy and economic value across legal, educational, and economic dimensions. It demonstrates the deepest spirit of the Taitung Slow Food movement—not nostalgia, but finding new life for traditional wisdom in contemporary society through food and market mechanisms.