Japanese and Oriental ingredients: Shal Hsing Rice Wine (Chinese molted rice wine)

Shal Hsing Rice Wine

Shal Hsing Rice Wine is a product must have one if you want to cook Chinese foods.
It is popular for cooking as well as for drinking.

The liquor has a distinguished smell when it is cooked; you can say this is the smell of Chinese cousin.
Compare to the excellent smell, you may not find the taste significantly special when you try it from bottle. It is slightly bitter, molted flavor and very dry as no sweetness to feel.
However it gives total difference when it is cooked in a source or soup, and served warm to your mouth.

You can find this product in most of Chinese groceries stores such as here:
Wai Yee Hong

Lately Tesco start to carry this product, you can find in the world food section:
Tesco Groceries

Serving for drink
My preferred way to drink this is in hot. Warm the bottle (or a portion in a heat resistible ceramic bottle) in a pot of boiling water until bottle gets as hot as you need some towel to hold (Open the bottle cap a bit before you start heating!).
Serve it in a shot grass (heat resistible ones) with some spoons of crystal sugar. Mix them lightly before drink.

For cooking
There are so many Chinese famous dish cooked with this liquor, e.g. Sweet and Sour Pork, Stir-fried beef with black-been source, Steamed Whole Fish with Ginger and Spring Onion etc.
Adding the liquor to the food makes it gorgeous, the liqueur gives the food extra taste color and brightness.
It accelerate the feeling of warmness of the dish.