Izan

**Izan** [阳酒; いざん] is a Kantonese distilled beverage. It is typically distilled from rice (*gizan*), barley (*manogizan*], potato (*nōzan*) or brown sugar (*mukkin-zan*), although varieties based on carrots, sesame seeds, buckwheat, kumura, or sugar beets. Typically *izan* contains 25% alcohol by volume, which is weaker than whiskey or vodka but stronger than wine and beer. It is not uncommon for some varieties to contain up to 35% alcohol by volume.

## Culture

*Izan* should not be confused with *giri*, a brewed rice wine. Its taste is usually far bolder and less fruity. *Izan* is drunk in many ways according to personal taste or circumstance:

* neat, i.e., on its own with nothing added
* on the rocks, i.e., mixed with ice
* diluted with room temperature water (*mizumeki*) or hot water (*reimeki*)
* mixed with tea or fruit juice (*chameki*)

In the south of Kanton, particularly in Nannake and Haisha Prefectures, *izan* is far more common than *giri*. Indeed, in these places the term *giri* generally refers to *izan* made with rice (otherwise known as *gizan*), and the term *gizan* is not used. In northern Kanton, consuming *izan* with hot water is normal and customary. First, hot water is poured into the glass, and *izan* is gently added. The liquids mix naturally; stirring is unnecessary, and is generally considered a minor faux pas. Typically, the amount of *izan* exceeds the amount of hot water, and is enjoyed for its aroma.

## History

The exact origin of *izan* is unclear. *Izan* is thought to be closely related to arak; arak is a generic term for a variety of distilled alcoholic drinks throughout the Middle East. Alcoholic distillation originated in Persia, spreading west to Europe and east to India, Thailand and southern Kanton. Around the mid-16th century, the technique arrived in Kaichi Prefecture, where it is generally thought that *izan* was born. Kaichi is still one of the largest producers of rice liquor in the country.

As far as can be determined from Kantonese historical records, *izan* appears to have been made since at least as far back as the 16th century. Alcohol made from potato, carrot, and sugar beet were considered to be undesirable and indicative of poverty and want. However, *izan* made from commodities such as rice, sesame, or even sugar was often consumed by the upper classes, who enjoyed the luxury of being able to make commodity food into alcohol for recreation.

## Varieties

### Gizan

Rice *izan* (*gizan*, or *giri*) shares its base ingredient with the Chinese liquor baijiu. It has a fairly thick taste, and appears to have developed in regions too warm for giri production. Kaichi, Haisha and Nannake Prefectures are particularly well-known for their production of rice *izan*. Notably in some areas, special rice plants are grown for the distilling of this drink, and a number of breweries are open to the public.

Historically, rice *izan* was once considered one of the more expensive and tasteful types of *izan*, due to the fact that rice was an important staple food that many people could not afford to spend on the creation of alcohol. It was favoured by the upper classes in the 17th and 18th centuries, but as time went on, rice-based *izan* became much more affordable and accessible for everybody, and is now the de facto variety.

### Manogizan

Barley-based *izan* is thought to have originated in south-western Kanton, specifically in Genki Prefecture. It did not become a popular drink until the 1800s, when it was favoured by the emerging middle classes for its distinctive yet light taste and novelty appeal. Nowadays, it is a middling alcohol often consumed in formal, neutral settings.

### Nōzan

Potato *izan* uses a variety of potatoes, widely cultivated across northern and western Kanton since the 1600s, as its base ingredient. Originally it was almost exclusively produced in Aoma Prefecture, but nowadays it is made across the country using specially-grown potatoes. It tends to have a strong taste and distinctive smell, and is typically not mixed with hot or cold water.

Historically, *nōzan* was considered a peasant's alcohol, consumed only by the poor working class who could not afford to turn their rice into liquor. Nowadays, it is drunk everywhere and is almost always present during parties, festivals and celebrations. Of all types of *izan*, *nōzan* tends to be the strongest, and shares a lot of similarities with Russian vodka.

### Mukkin-zan

Typically, brown sugar *izan* contains 30% or 25% alcohol by volume. Contrary to what might be expected, *mukkin-zan* has a mild and not particularly sweet taste. Historically it was an expensive commodity only affordable to the upper-classes, especially who owned their own sugar plantations. A very similar variety of *izan*, simply called *kinzan* ('sugar liqor') is made with cheaper white sugar, and first originated in the 1950s after the Second World War.