“At each table was stationed an usher who poured Wo Ka Pi, an imported Chinese whiskey, the best a Chinese could expect. The usher belonging to Wong Wan-Lee’s table raised his cup and said : ‘Kan I Pi!’–‘Bottoms up!’ All drank but Wong Wan-Lee” (Tsiang 79).
I had no luck searching for Wo Ka Pi in either Mandarin or Cantonese, so here I rely on the clue of “Chinese whiskey.” I would love to know exactly what brand or alcohol type Wong Wan-Lee was drinking, but baijiu (baak zou in Canto), or white alcohol, will have to suffice as a substitute (“白酒”).
Baijiu is an ancient Chinese drink whose production was first recorded in the 2nd century BCE. Contrary to other staple liquors like whiskey, beer, or vodka, baijiu uses a combination of multiple grains in its fermentation process. Rice, wheat, barley, sorghum, etc. each use a different fermentation catalyzers, from bacteria to various species of fungi (these micro-organisms break down the grains, producing sugar and ethanol, or lactic acid) (Zheng). Each fermentation ingredient produces a unique alcoholic flavor. Baijiu is commonly divided into three categories: light-flavored, strong-flavor and sauce flavor. While the first two categories are comparable to high proof alcohols like vodka, the last category shares more in common with condiments like soy sauce or miso, bringing that umami flavor to the table (Zheng).
Drinking baijiu has cultural and economic significance. Baijiu is often a celebratory drink, and is the most-drank alcohol in the world. Given baijiu’s above-60 proof alcoholic content and tequila-rivaling flavor, the drink is taken in shots with the cheer 干杯 ganbei, meaning dry cup (dry your cup!), just as Wong Wan-Lee observes.
During this passage, Wong Wan-Lee is taking Pearl Chang to a Chinese New Year celebration dinner in Chinatown. They see a lion dance, boxing, drink and eat Chinese food. To Wong Wan-Lee, it’s the perfect cultural immersion night for Pearl who so wants to see the authentic Chinese in America. Yet Wong Wan-Lee abstains from drinking until he is forced, and the night ends for him in solitude. This dinner raises questions of how one consumes culture, literally and figuratively. As a tourist, as a local? Moreover, the role of Chinatowns as an othered space in American metropolises is clearly brought to light through Wong Wan-Lee’s eyes as he sees crowds of “Mo-Nos” walking the streets for something good, something real.
*This is a catch-up post for And China Has Hands
“白酒.” CC-Canto, cantonese.org, 2015. https://cantonese.org/search.php?q=%E7%99%BD%E9%85%92
Zheng, Xiao-Wei and Han, Bei-Zhong. “Baijiu白酒, Chinese liquor: History, classification and manufacture.” Journal of Ethnic Foods, 3.1, March 2016, pp 19-25. https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2352618116300087
Gunia, Amy. “The World’s Most Consumed Alcohol is One You Might not Have Tried. But It’s Coming to a Bar Near You.” Time Magazine, time.com, 23 May 2019. https://time.com/5586388/baijiu-liquor-china-alcohol-exports-popular-market/
Tsiang, H.T. And China Has Hands. Kaya Press, Los Angeles, 1937.