Mead History and Culture
Through the changes of life, mead has been a part of the mead culture for nearly 3,000 years. It has been proven that the first mead was made at a dinner party held in 780 B.C. at the Youwang Palace in the Western Zhou Dynasty, inspired by “ape wine”. It is said that the mead made by apes was actually made by fermenting the remaining fruit, which was called apes’ wine. In the Tang Dynasty, apothecary Su Gong gained experience in natural fermentation from brewing, “When brewing mead, the mead must be quilted, but mead such as grape and honey cannot be quilted alone”. Meng Shen also elaborated on the therapeutic value of mead in his “Recipes”. Kou Zongshuang of the Song Dynasty also mentioned that mead was used to treat diseases. Mei Shizhen listed mead in a special issue of the Ming Dynasty Materia Medica, citing Sun Simiao’s use of mead to treat rubella and psoriasis in the Tang Dynasty, and providing the soil for honey brewed wine.
Zhang Yiren, a tourist of the Fifth Dynasty, drank mead made by a girl named Cui in Hunan and wrote a poem with delight: “The wine of the Cui family in Wuling should not be found in the sky. The wandering Taoist priest drank a barrel of wine and got drunk at the deep mouth of Baiyun Cave.” Su Dongpo, a great poet of the Song Dynasty, expressed even more admiration for bee wine. In the third year of Emperor Yuanfeng of the Shenzong Dynasty (1080 A.D.), he was relegated to the position of deputy historian of regiment training in Huangzhou (modern Huanggang, Hubei) because of the “Wutai poetry case,” an official who did not have to sign official records. In his spare time, he obtained the secret recipe of Yang Shichang, a Taoist priest from Xishu, and brewed his own honey wine, “Open Bottle Fragrant City”. He wrote an enchanting poem called “Mead Song”. This poem says: “The exquisite craftsmanship has become new, has become the spirit of the jade liquid. Don’t say anything about welcoming guests without something good. Three glasses of mead will make you drunk.” , at one point sighing, “Wine is better than health, but it destroys the thousands of grains in the cup. Honey makes jade, and gold is so strong.”
In ancient countries such as Rome, Greece and Egypt, from 200-100 B.C., blended wines were made from honey mixed with grains or fruits. From ancient times to the early Middle Ages, among the Germanic peoples, rice wine was the most common type of mead besides beer. Mead was developed in England after the unification of the country in 1485 A.D. After the occupation of India in 1877, it was brewed with full honey mead (a real benefit that Zheng He brought to foreign countries during his “seven voyages” from 1405 to 1433 A.D.).
In the Old Testament, according to the tradition of the time, newlyweds were supposed to drink mead every night for one month after their marriage. In this way, the fruits of the couple’s “honeymoon” would be born within nine months. The secret to a happy marriage is the mead.
According to people who have drunk rice wine, it is effective for insomnia, amnesia, listlessness and sexual depression. It has been shown to improve chronic gastrointestinal disorders. It is also good for chronic diseases such as chronic bronchitis and asthma. In particular, it reddens the skin, keeps it youthful forever, and enhances anti-aging and cold resistance.
Honey wine can really be called “the beauty of the dew”! It is no wonder that Su Dongpo of the Song Dynasty praised “the bees have defeated the Marquis of Hell” in his “Mead Song”! No wonder when Lu You visited Shen Yuan again, he thought of a sentimental cup of “honey wine”. In the “Drunken Desert of the Evil Wall”, you can vaguely see “red crispy hands, yellow wine, spring palace wall willow”.
England and Poland are often credited with being the first countries to produce mead. In fact, it was the first country to produce mead. As early as the Neolithic era, people were using honey and wild fruits to make wine. Among the Ladoga people of Tanzania, mead was an essential beverage for tribal meetings and other ceremonies.
Related images
And the honeymoon
It is said that in the early sixth century, the princess of an English tribe
Iris was getting married. She was beautiful. The princes who proposed gave her their most precious possessions. But whatever the treasure was, it could not touch Alice’s heart. Prince Harry had been in love with Alice for a long time, but his tribe was poor in the high mountains and did not have the same pearls and gems as other tribal princes. He took out the mead he had invented and said to Alice, “My dear, marry me. Although I have no gold, silver, jewels or sweet words, I have a heart that loves you to the end of my life and a pool of sweet mead. Iris was touched by the prince’s sincerity. She accepted the prince’s love and mead, and they began a sweet and happy life. From then on, all newlyweds drink mead in the first month, which is also called the honeymoon, symbolizing the sweetness of the days ahead.
World Mead
The world famous Master Sommelier “Robert M. Parker, JR.
Robert Parker was also impressed with the taste of mead. He once said, “Mead will be the next great wine to take over the world after red wine.”
Benefits Editor-in-Chief
Mead has a cultural heritage of nearly 3,000 years. In addition, it has become increasingly popular with consumers because of its nutritional, health and beauty benefits, as well as its anti-aging properties. Today, the trend towards lower alcohol consumption and healthier options combined with the natural, green and healthy properties of mead are winning more consumers for this type of mead.
Among the elderly, a relatively large percentage of drinkers are taking mead. However, in the face of the objective reality of declining organ function and declining metabolic capacity in the face of physiological changes, moderate consumption can be very beneficial in promoting blood circulation and vitality, strengthening the spirit and keeping the cold at bay. When tasting the snack, not only can make people happy and comfortable, but also increase the secretion of gastric juices, promote the digestion and absorption of food, dilate small blood vessels and improve blood circulation.
Middle-aged men, especially the large number of men who often come to social occasions for business and work, have to drink for the sake of smooth business but are afraid of drinking too much for the sake of their health, so they are not good at drinking strong alcohol. In frequent business interactions and social events, when friends meet, entertain business partners, and thank customers, they invite mead to the table, often raising a glass, sharing friendship and the joy of a successful career, which not only protects their health, but also enhances friendships and builds strength for the business.
As the social status of women and people’s living standards continue to improve, people are increasingly advocating a personalized lifestyle. The number of women who drink is increasing. Many women are beginning to know how to enjoy life fully and feel different intoxication in wine. Many women regularly attend parties, weddings and dinners. Although most of them are not good at drinking spirits, they are deliberately seeking beauty, health and anti-aging in order to stay young. Rice wine has the characteristics to meet these special needs of women, and it is a unique and upscale beverage for women at the dinner table.
Today, it is natural for middle and upper income families to hold monthly or holiday family dinners. During these parties, families will gather together to enjoy themselves, drink, enjoy the happiness of the family and experience a happy and harmonious life. Mead should be the first choice.
People with good taste drink good taste mead. Mead is made from high quality ingredients and is beautifully brewed and elegantly decorated. It is a new fashionable and healthy gift for honoring parents, elders, teachers, donors or group purchases that are needed by friendly neighbors during traditional Chinese and foreign holidays. Gradually, mead is demonstrating a new culture of healthy drinking.
