Rice Wine is fomented from rice, a grain, in which the starch has been converted into sugar. This particular wine is made in a similar way to beer, instead of grapes the way western cultured wine is made. Beer is made from wheat and barley that's a grain just like rice. Some people think rice wine should be called rice beer. It's easier to get drunk on rice wine because it's 20 percent higher in alcohol content than grape fomented wines. For people who don't care for the taste of grape wine, they might like prefer the sweeter and more subtle taste of rice wine.
Rice wine can be used as a drink. Most people like using this wine for making Chinese dishes, and they especially like using this wine to tenderize meats. Stir fry dishes are one of the favorite dishes, made with a teaspoon of cooking oil and a tablespoon of rice wine to enhance meat and vegetables flavors.
Rice wine is available on line. Asian food markets are showing up in many United States neighborhoods. The proprietors are more than happy to sell you a bottle of rice wine. Rice wine has become so popular with the western culture, that local supermarkets have started to carry it, along with other eastern culture foods. It's recommended that you buy the wine in 750 Mll bottles, usually costing around $4 a bottle. Be wary of Shoaxing rice wine because the flavor is too strong for western population's taste in wine. The only ingredient more important to Chinese cooking than rice wine, is soy sauce.
Ever since the Chinese emigrated from their homeland to the United States at the beginning of the 19th century, they brought their recipes along with them. It was not long before Americans discovered rice wine.
Video with chinese audio on how to make your own rice wine:
