Rượu đế

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A rượu đế still
Distilling rượu đế in the Mekong Delta

Rượu đế is a

distilled liquor from Vietnam, made of either glutinous or non-glutinous rice. It was formerly made illegally and is thus similar to moonshine. It is most typical of the Mekong Delta
region of southwestern Vietnam (its equivalent in northern Vietnam is called rượu quốc lủi). Its strength varies, but is typically 40 percent alcohol by volume. It is usually clear, and a bit cloudy in appearance.

Etymology

Men rượu - ingredients for making Rượu đế

The term rượu đế literally means "đế (

Kans grass
, which grows up to three meters tall), far away from their homes. Whenever such individuals saw the tax collector, they would bring their alcohol and hide it in a field overgrown with đế plants.

Rượu đế is sometimes referred to as rượu lậu, literally "contraband liquor", although this term may also refer to other varieties of illegally produced Vietnamese liquor or rice wine.

While the term rượu đế is used most often in southern Vietnam, such liquor is typically called rượu quốc lủi in northern Vietnam. Although the exact etymology of the latter term is unclear, its component words translate literally as follows: rượu=liquor; quốc=nation, state; and lủi=to slip away. There are several theories of the origin of this term. The first proposes that it is a corruption of rượu cuốc lủi (literally "swamphen slips away liquor"), as cuốc (

đổi mới in the 1980s had a monopoly on liquor production, so this illegally produced alcohol is similar to American moonshine
—again highlighting the theme of secrecy.

See also

References

Bibliography

  • Lê Tân (2003). Văn hóa ẩm thực ở Trà Vinh. NXB: Văn hóa Thông tin, H.2003, p. 78.

External links

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