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Food

Bring On the Gold-Infused Baijiu

What could make baijiu—China's stinky, throat-burning spirit consumed in vast quantities at lavish banquets—even better? A little bit of gold, of course.
Photo via Flickr user Christopher Schmidt

China's crackdown on displays of conspicuous consumption doesn't appear to be going too well.

Only last week, it came to light that a group of policemen held a secret dinner in which they consumed a critically endangered giant salamander, just because they could.

Now the country's National Health and Family Planning Commission is looking into repealing a ban on edible metals in baijiu, the country's favorite spirit. Because baijiu is always better when it's infused with gold, right?

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The Commission has begun soliciting both public and professional opinion on the matter, including that of the China National Food Industry Association. Ma Yong, the Association's deputy secretary-general for all things baijiu, told the Beijing Times, "I don't understand what the point of adding gold flakes to baijiu is."

Perhaps the gold helps to distract drinkers from baijiu's notoriously funky aroma or its reputation for tasting like rocket fuel. It's wildly popular at the lavish banquets that Chinese President Xi Jinping has been trying to quash in recent months as part of a wider anti-corruption campaign. Sales of the liquor have since slumped somewhat, but that didn't stop the world'd first baijiu-only bar from opening last year in Beijing.

The Commission's main concern is whether distillers can safely add metal to their products—probably because China doesn't have the greatest record with food safety. If the current ban is amended, up to 0.02 grams of gold could be added to every kilo of liquor.

According to the International Business Times, gold-infused liquors like Goldschläger and Goldwasser aren't easy to find in China. The Lussory gold-infused wine of Dubai might be more accessible, but the fact that it's alcohol-free takes away a lot of the charm.

While unapproved gold-flecked baijiu can still be found in China—one hit the market priced at 3,999 yuan (about $640) last year, according the Beijing Times—it's hardly the most notable baijiu infusion of late. In August, a businessman from Hubei Province was arrested after it was discovered that he had been secretly adding Viagra to his stash.