粬 (qū) - Qu — yeast, leaven, ferment & refers to the starter culture used in fermentation

粬Tone 1

qū ｜ 12 strokes ｜ radical:

情仁

粬 · qū

Qu — yeast, leaven, ferment;

refers to the starter culture used in fermentation processes, especially in making Chinese alcoholic beverages and fermented foods.

Qu — yeast, leaven, fermentrefers to the starter culture used in fermentation

Usage highlights

Wine yeastRice yeastYeast starterRed yeastFermentation cultureYeast powder

Synonyms

  • 曲— Simplified form of 粬; yeast, ferment
  • 麴— Traditional variant of 粬; yeast, leaven
  • 酵母— Yeast (general term)

Usage & contexts

Examples

  • Yeast starter for brewing(酒粬)
  • Fermentation culture for rice wine(米粬)
  • Traditional fermentation agent(传统粬种)
  • Red yeast rice used in cooking(红粬米)

Collocations

  • Wine yeast(酒粬)
  • Rice yeast(米粬)
  • Yeast starter(粬种)
  • Red yeast(红粬)
  • Fermentation culture(发酵粬)
  • Yeast powder(粬粉)

Idioms

  • The yeast of transformation(变化之粬)
  • Fine yeast makes good wine(好粬出好酒)
  • The essence of fermentation(发酵精髓)

Cultural background

FAQ
  • Essential in traditional Chinese fermentation technology for alcoholic beverages like huangjiu and baijiu.
  • Represents ancient Chinese understanding and application of microbiology in food production.
  • Red yeast rice (红粬) has both culinary and medicinal applications in traditional Chinese medicine.

FAQ