Cherry Rice Wine

Why people make this wine

Gout is something Bro Niu has seen trouble many middle-aged and older friends over the years. The root issue is uric acid — a natural by-product of digesting high-purine foods such as organ meats, shellfish, mushrooms, beans, and fermented foods — accumulating in the joints and causing sudden, burning pain, often striking the big toe at night. Cherries, known in Cantonese as che li zi, are a fruit that traditional food therapy considers helpful for the liver and kidneys, high in iron, and associated with supporting normal uric acid metabolism. Steeping them in rice wine is thought to help the active compounds travel more effectively through the channels of the body, making this a popular home remedy for joint discomfort linked to elevated uric acid.

Who it suits / who should be cautious

• People who experience gout flares, achy knees, or lower-back weakness and wish to try a supportive food-therapy approach alongside proper medical management.
• People with anaemia or poor circulation may also find cherries nourishing.
• Cherries have a warm nature — those with a heat-prone constitution should not consume too much.
• People who avoid alcohol entirely can instead try a congee of adzuki beans (chi xiao dou) and raw Job’s tears (sheng yi mi) as an alternative; adzuki bean is traditionally regarded as the one bean safe for gout sufferers.
• Anyone under 18 or with a history of alcohol sensitivity should avoid this preparation.

Why these ingredients (the food-therapy logic)

• Cherries (che li zi): Rich in iron; in traditional Cantonese food therapy they are associated with nourishing the liver and kidneys, strengthening tendons and bones, and moderating the accumulation of uric-acid salts.
• Rice wine (mi jiu): Mildly warming; traditionally used as a carrier to help herbal and fruit preparations move through the meridians, promoting blood circulation and unblocking channels.

Ingredients (1 bottle, approx. 10–12 servings)

Ingredient	Amount	Notes
Fresh cherries	~250 g	Stems removed
Rice wine (30–35% ABV)	~500 g	Pure rice wine preferred; 25% Korean-style wine also works

Method

1. Remove the stalks from the cherries. Soak the cherries in lightly salted water for 5 minutes to remove surface bacteria and any insects; rinse well and drain completely.
2. Place the drained cherries in a clean, dry glass jar.
3. Pour the rice wine over the cherries; seal the jar and store in a cool, dark place.
4. Turn the jar gently once a day for the first week to help everything settle.
5. After 10 days, the wine is ready to drink. Take a small half-cup portion at a time, ideally between meals.

Bro Niu’s tips

• Cherry wine nourishes the blood and is a lovely tonic for gout sufferers and women with anaemia — but because cherries are warming, do not overdo it.
• Adding water to dilute the wine is perfectly fine if you find it too strong.
• Fruit wines keep well as long as no mould develops and the aroma remains clean and pleasant; a year-old bottle is generally still good.
• If you use apple cider vinegar instead of rice wine, the flavour will be sharper but the effect is considered equally good — some people even prefer it.

Community questions answered (selected)

• Q (Dong, reader): Isn’t gout patients supposed to avoid alcohol? Bro Niu: Gout sufferers should limit regular drinking, but a small amount of this food-therapy wine is considered fine and may help keep uric acid in check. If you would rather avoid alcohol entirely, cook a porridge of adzuki beans and raw Job’s tears for breakfast — that works too. Adzuki bean is the one bean considered safe for gout.

• Q (reader, anonymous): The ratio is half a pound of cherries to one pound of wine — will that be too strong for someone who does not usually drink? Bro Niu: That is a 1:2 ratio, so it is not particularly concentrated. Take just a small half-cup each time, and diluting with water is no problem at all.

• Q (Shao Ping, reader): What time of day is best to drink it? Bro Niu: Between meals is ideal.

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Published May 12, 2020 · Adapted and translated for Nourilo from a traditional home-kitchen recipe. Approx. 3 min read.