Vinegar maker keeps traditional taste alive

Want to know how to make good vinegar? Ask jar masters, who play a key role.

Zeng Quanlin－a jar master and an inheritor of the craft of brewing Chishui sun-dried vinegar, a national intangible cultural heritage－and his family have been keeping the traditional technique alive in Chishui county in Zunyi, Guizhou province, for over a century.

Although the first documented use of vinegar dates back to ancient Babylonia around 3,000 BC, China was likely the first country to make vinegar from grain instead of fruit. Documentary evidence can be traced back to the 8th century BC, when vinegar workshops appeared during the Spring and Autumn Period (770-476 BC).

Vinegar has played an important role in Chinese life through the ages. Qi Min Yao Shu, which was written during the Northern Wei Dynasty (386-534), is a compilation of 22 vinegar-making methods, some of which are still in use.

Chishui sun-dried vinegar makes use of an ancient brewing technique dating back to the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644). The process is named for its long and distinctive period of exposure to sunlight.

Zeng's traditional sun-dried vinegar, which the family has been making for 121 years, spanning five generations, is one of the most popular vinegars in Chishui. Zeng Quanlin is a fourth generation inheritor.

Born in 1977, he began to learn the craft at 14, studying under his uncle, Zeng Shaobin.

Zeng Quanlin remembered seeing a large jar of pungent liquid at his uncle's workshop as a child. It was bubbling constantly, as if it was boiling. His uncle told him that this was the result of the fermentation process between the vinegar and rice porridge.

His interest was piqued, and Zeng Quanlin developed a keen interest in vinegar, looking for answers during his school chemistry classes.

On weekends and during vacations, he would help out at his uncle's place.

He said that he was not strong enough at the time to do the physically demanding work, but learning the production processes was rewarding enough.

The family's vinegar is made from more than 100 Chinese medicinal herbs, as well as wheat, wheat bran and rice. It goes through 12 stages including steaming, brewing, fermenting and sun-drying. The final product has a soft color, a sour flavor and a refreshing taste.

Requiring at least three years of exposure to sunlight－which accounts for ninety-five percent of the brewing process－the vinegar is dubbed the "Moutai of vinegar".

Moutai, the most renowned baijiu, or Chinese white spirit, is also produced in the province.

For many locals in Chishui, vinegar is not only a seasoning for meals, but also an everyday drink, especially in the morning.

In 2000, Zeng Shaobin decided to set up a company called the Zhijiang Vinegar Industry. Zeng Quanlin worked there, improving his skills and hands-on technique.

Both Zhijiang and Zeng's Sun-dried Vinegar are family businesses.

In 2003, after two and a half years of assiduous study, practice and improvement, Zeng Quanlin's abilities were recognized by his uncle, and he was officially appointed the company's jar master.

"The honorific 'jar master' is like that of technical director. But I feel more that responsibility rather than honor has been placed on me," Zeng Quanlin said. "Having a secret recipe is important, but continuous practice matters more."

Since 2012, he has been serving as technical director at the two vinegar breweries.

In 2014, he was recognized as one of Zunyi's inheritors of the craft of Chishui sun-dried vinegar brewing.

Since becoming a jar master 18 years ago, Zeng Quanlin has devoted himself to his career, maintaining a constant routine all year round.

He takes the company's shuttle bus from downtown Zunyi to the plant, checks on work at the production line and then examines the semifinished vinegar in the sun-drying areas after inspecting the entire plant.

Zeng Quanlin insists on using only raw materials found in the Chishui River Basin, and he has adopted traditional brewing methods that do not use additives in order to maintain the flavor for which the family is known.

Over the years, Zeng Quanlin's vinegar has sold well locally and nationally.

The Sun-dried Vinegar produces 5,000 metric tons of vinegar per year. Last year, sales revenue reached 15.2 million yuan ($2.36 million). This year, the company is planning to expand capacity and will scale up annual production to 10,000 tons by 2025.

Opening what the company calls a "vinegar garden", a new kind of tourist attraction, has worked wonders.

The garden showcases the ancient local culture of vinegar making, as well as Zeng's particular method. It has attracted more than 100,000 visitors, bringing in 7.65 million yuan since 2019.

In addition, the brewery has signed contracts with 198 neighboring households to grow crops, creating a total income of more than 2 million yuan for thousands of farmers.

Last year, Sun-dried Vinegar was designated as one of the province's time-honored brands.

To date, Zeng Quanlin has tutored 40 apprentices, mostly local residents, some of whom now work as technicians at his company and some of whom run small workshops.

His 32-year-old nephew, Dong Bin, is the fifth generation inheritor. He began to learn the craft from Zeng Quanlin after graduating from college five years ago.

"Craftsmanship is vital. Any laziness or slacking off at work is severely criticized by teacher Zeng," Dong said.

The exacting nature of the job is worthwhile. Dong recalled once hearing an older buyer saying: "I left Chishui when I was young. Now I'm back in my 70s to have a sip of Zeng's vinegar. This is the exact taste of my childhood!"

From greenhorn to versatile jar master, Zeng Quanlin has learned there are four methods of evaluating a bottle of vinegar: look, smell, taste and feel.

"Improving the quality of vinegar is like building a man's moral standing. It is assiduous study rather than shortcuts that leads to the right path," he said.

This year, he was recognized as a provincial inheritor of the craft.

He has his sights set on being recognized as an inheritor of a national intangible cultural heritage, and the family is hoping to build Zeng's into the fifth nationally famous vinegar brand after Shanxi mature vinegar, Zhenjiang black rice vinegar, Yongchun aged vinegar and Sichuan Baoning bran vinegar.

Wang Jin contributed to this story.