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Hello friends,
I have a question about chinese life style, exactly about culture of drinking. Alcoholism is a problem in China for man and woman?
I think… I can understand that chinese beer is more light but if you drink 6 bottles or more whenever, you still to be drunk!
And if you try to speak about this, classic answer is “you aren’t a man”…
Alcoholism is common among men in China, but not so much for women. Men are expected to drink as a form of proper etiquette at many social functions (weddings, after work, business dinners etc).
Traditionally, Chinese people drink baijiu. Red wine and beer are starting to become more common, but the baijiu fire water is still king. In general, the Chinese have yet to appreciate red wines and beer (which is why Chinese wine sucks and Chinese beer is piss water). I took some Chinese students of mine to dinner in the US and they were curious about the dark cerveza beer I ordered. “It’s beer? It doesn’t look like beer.”
I’ve heard that liver and stomach diseases are an issue due to the drinking culture. You’re expected to at least share a shot of baijiu with each member at the table. This can get you trashed quickly if it’s a big dinner especially considering that baijiu is around 100 proof (50% alcohol).
Alcoholism is a problem worldwide, man and woman, not just in china.
Alcohol abuse can cause many health and mental illnesses, including some social problems in america, china, europe, and many other areas.
White wine (baijiu 白酒) is a form of hard liquor and can be the same as jack daniels, vodka, etc.
Red wine and beers are not as popular as white wine in china. However, more and more people drink beers because beer has less alcohol therefore is better for social situations.
White wine is one of those funny Chinglish translations which I have heard over and over again. I wonder how many foreigners have agreed to drink white wine at a meal, not knowing that they are actually agreeing to drink strong rice wine.
I agree with Vic. Alcohol is a problem in a lot of countries. I know that in the UK there are plans to introduce a much higher rate of tax on booze to combat binge drinking. What I find funny here is the guys who get wasted in the space of 1 or 2 hours during a meal. Then pass out by the side of the road, or spend the next hour puking up the food they just ate!
Quote:not knowing that they are actually agreeing to drink strong rice wine.Yeah I think it’s funny how it directly translates to white wine. It’s not rice wine either though. It’s liquor from fermented sorghum grain. Just thinking about it makes me want to puke. I’ve had top shelf Moutai, Wuliangye and other pricy brands, they all taste like hell and induce burping to make sure you taste it for hours to come.
I never said that is a problem only in China… but for now i live here and I checked many people drink really hard. And really I don’t agree when someone push you to drink…
Like you said Vic, alcohol abuse can cause many health and mental illnesses, including some social problems in america, china, europe, and many other area.
I think that every people must begin to think by himself for this problem and after governament too… sure it’s difficult…
Quote:Yeah I think it’s funny how it directly translates to white wine. It’s not rice wine either though.I just assumed it was made from rice. I wasn’t completely wrong though. The all-knowing wikipedia says…
“Baijiu is a clear drink usually distilled from sorghum, although sometimes other grains may be used; baijiu varieties produced in southern China are typically made from glutinous rice”
It’s called white spirit according to Derek. White wine sounds misleading.
Quote:I have a question about chinese life style, exactly about culture of drinking. Alcoholism is a problem in China for man and woman?From my observation, alcoholism is rare for women in China and pretty common for men. I routinely run into Chinese men who cannot handle their alcohol at all and become belligerent and annoying. A week or two ago on a Friday night there was a small party in the Natooke shop and by 11:30pm there was a small group of young Chinese guys who were yelling and acting extremely obnoxious. Like, totally sloppy 5am drunk. Scenes like that are common in China, perhaps because alcohol tolerance is so low here.
It’s true that many Chinese and other Asians cannot handle their liquor physiologically. Something like 50% are, essentially, allergic to alcohol, lacking a certain enzyme to process it. One common symptom of this is the “Asian glow” – getting a red flush in the face after drinking.
I know what this is like first hand. My tolerance used to be 1-2 drinks. I had to really push myself through college to get my tolerance up. I know my limits, and beyond that limit is a lot of puking. So, since the new year is around the corner, a lot of employees will be drinking at company dinners. Be prepared to see a lot of puking in the streets.
@ben: all hard liquors are usually brewed from grains like wheats, cereals, sorghums, rice or a combination of them. red wines are generally brewed from fruits like grapes, pineapples, and such, hence the flavor. beers are brewed from wheats, if i remember it correctly.
@Chris: you are so right about the allergy problem. therefore, chinese should know better not to abuse alcohol.
@Charlie: white spirit? i think it should be called clear liquor. as far as the difference between men and women, i agree with your observation that alcohol abuse is far more serious in men, but i do see many cases of alcohol poisoning in women here in china.
@Federico: agree. people should think before they get ahead of themselves. however, drinking is a social game in china, an important necessity in chinese social life. a lot of chinese are forced into alcohol abuse because of peer pressure and/or business requirements. it is so hard not get caught in the game if you want to be successful in china because it seems like every business deal must have been signed in alcohol.
Quote:you are so right about the allergy problem. therefore, chinese should know better not to abuse alcohol.There’s so much peer pressure to drink here though. Seated at a big dinner table with a group of Chinese men, they can really put a lot of pressure on everyone to drink.
“No, thanks”
“No, you must!”
I feel like in the US most adults are cool letting others in their company drink as much as they want, there’s never any “you must drink more!” pressure. The Asian alcohol allergy runs contrary to common behavior in China.
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