Which Rice Wine to Buy? A Comparison of Red Rice Wine, Ginger Rice Wine, Ginseng Rice Wine, and Yellow Rice Wine
Rice wine is a staple ingredient in many Asian cuisines, known for its rich flavor and versatile use in cooking, drinking, and health remedies. And at Ye Traditions, we have multiple options: Red Rice Wine, Yellow Rice Wine, Ginger Rice Wine, and Ginseng Rice Wine, and for the uninitiated, it might be difficult for you to decide which one you like before tasting them (if you want, you can make an appointment to drop by our store!)
Hopefully this table will help you understand the differences between red rice wine, ginger rice wine, ginseng rice wine, and yellow rice wine, so you can make an informed purchasing decision.
One key thing to remember is that our taste buds are all different - so what I have described below is taken from the majority of our customers.
Comparison of Rice Wines
| Rice Wine Type | Taste Profile | Health Benefits | Popular With, apart from sipping |
| Red Rice Wine 红糟酒 | Robust, earthy, slightly sweet with mild alcohol | Cholesterol lowering (TCM + Western medicine studies), probiotic, boosts circulation | Hong Zao Chicken Soup, Drunken Chicken, braised meats, sauces and marinades. For confinement, this is the most popular with confinement nanies |
| Ginger Rice Wine 文冬酒 | Mildly sweet with a spicy ginger kick | Anti-inflammatory, probiotic, cold/flu remedy, replenishes Qi | Ginger chicken soup, stir-fries |
| Ginseng Rice Wine 人参酒 | Mildy sweet with earthy, herbal notes | Boosts energy, stamina, brain function, and circulation. Also a great probiotic | Cooking for health-conscious dishes |
| Yellow Rice Wine 黄酒 | Smooth, on the sweeter side, mildly alcoholic | Great probiotic, boosts appetite, blood circulation | Hakka Chicken Soup, Drunken Chicken, Three Cup Chicken |
Frequently Asked Questions about Types of Rice Wines?
1. What are rice wines good for?
Rice wines are naturally fermented, which by its fermentation process, makes it an excellent probiotic. Then when we add other ingredients to it, it has other benefits, so you can pick the one tailored to you.
2. What can I cook it with?
Our rice wines are very versatile, and depending on what you like, you can just get creative. We recommend first to replace your huadiao wine as those contain salt, which we should try to reduce our consumption of. We also have lots of recipes for you to explore!
3. How much to use at one time?
This is completely up to you! We like it more alcoholic, so we do get more generous with our rice wines. Regardless of how you want to cook with it, aim to add alcohol last (and not when the food is boiling) so that it does not evaporate as much. Otherwise, you would just be wasting it!
4. What's the alcohol content?
~7% v/v. So just slightly more than a beer, but then again, you will not be drinking the entire bottle like beer :D
5. Is rice wine safe for kids?
We have an article addressing that. We grew up consuming rice wines, after all, when it's cooked early in the process, the alcohol does evaporate.
These are a few of the frequently asked questions - feel free to shoot them over if you have more.
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