Fermented Rice (甜酒酿）

About fermented rice--Control the temperature well, and you will always get this dreamy desset right!
I have to put the chinese name here (酒酿), because it's so romantic! When translated, all the poetry is gone! Sigh...............................................

"French women don't get fat", I agree, portion control is the key.

Then what's the secret to Chinese women's willowy figures? A lot of delicious good-for-you delicacies! For example, we love fermented rice--it's sweet with just a touch of alcohol. When mixed with Osmanthus fragrans, it tastes like heaven.
Let's see how it's made. The following pictures are from a friend 山菊花. But I made the fermented rice in the title picture. :)

First, you have to soak the rice (2-3 cups) overnight.
Then steam them for 30 minutes. See how shiny they become?

Finely grind the distiller's yeast (one ball for 2 cups of rice).

Scoop the rice into a clean bowl. Cool the rice down by slowly rinse them with cold water. Feel the temperature with your palm. If it's slightly higher than your body temperature, say you think it's hot, but you can put your palm still for 30 seconds, it's ready. Mix most of the yeast powder in. This is the key step. If the temperature isn't right, the fermented rice would go bad or tastes bitter/sour.

Use your palm to push the rice down firmly, then make a hole in the center. Scatter the rest of the yeast powder on the surface.

Use plastic wrap to tightly seal the bowl, and put it in a warm place for 2 days. I normally put it in my oven without turning it on.

When do you know it's ready to eat? If you see the hole in the middle filled up with liquid, it's time to enjoy this treat! Keep it in the fridge and it is good for a month. Time only makes it sweeter. :)

You can eat it as it is, or as I said, mix it with Osmanthus fragrans, and add a touch of honey. For more complicated dessert, you can make fermented rice cake or sticky rice balls. But trust me, make this wonderful fermented rice yourself. You can't find it anywhere in the supermarket!