Evidence of 10,000-yr-old rice beer brewing found in E. China

New evidence of East Asia's earliest rice beer was recently found in China. Researchers revealed 10,000-year-old fermentation techniques at Shangshan site, East China's Zhejiang Province, noting that the discovery highlights the interplay of ecology, culture, and early agriculture involved in the brewing, according to China Academy of Sciences, China News Service reported on Wednesday.

Research findings were published in the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS) on Tuesday.

The study shows that in the early stages of rice domestication, communities from the Shangshan culture adopted diverse subsistence strategies and utilized pottery, particularly small-mouthed jars, to brew rice beer by using Monascus mold as the primary saccharification agent.

This brewing technique was closely linked to the warm and humid climate of the early Holocene period. Domesticated rice provided a stable resource for fermentation, while favorable climate conditions supported fungal growth, facilitating the development of alcohol fermentation technologies.

Researchers suggest that alcoholic beverages likely played a key role in ritual feasting, serving as a medium for social interaction and communication with deities. The unique cultural significance of rice beer may have been a driving force behind the widespread cultivation, use, and dissemination of rice in Neolithic China.

By analyzing 12 pottery fragments which represent vessels used for fermentation, storage, and cooking, researchers revealed a high concentration of phytoliths from domesticated rice, which indicates its importance as a key plant resource for the Shangshan people. Additionally, rice husks and leaves were found to have been used in pottery production, further underscoring rice's central role in this culture.

The pottery fragments contained starch grains from various plants, including rice, coix, and acorns. Many starch grains exhibited signs of enzymatic hydrolysis and gelatinization, suggesting fermentation processes.

Moreover, researchers identified a significant presence of fungi such as Monascus and yeast cells, some of which showed typical growth and developmental stages. These fungi are closely related to those used in traditional Chinese brewing methods, where Monascus mold is a key ingredient in the production of red yeast rice beer.

Evidence of rice beer production in the Shangshan culture offers a window into the origins of agriculture in East Asia and the formation of early dietary practices, and this research holds crucial value in filling gaps related to the pathways of rice domestication, technological evolution, and even the global history of agriculture and brewing.

This founding reveals the complexity and innovation of early rice beer production, providing important scientific evidence for exploring the origins of rice-based agriculture, early social structures, and the dissemination of technology in East Asia, experts said.