Mi Cu

Mi Cu is rice vinegar, a processed liquid produced by the alcoholic and subsequent acetic fermentation of cooked rice (Oryza sativa, family Poaceae). Traditional preparation begins with steamed glutinous or non-glutinous rice that is inoculated with a starter culture (qu) of moulds, yeasts, and acetic acid bacteria, fermented over weeks to months in earthenware jars, and finally clarified and aged. The resulting liquid is pale amber to deep brown depending on grain type and aging, with a characteristic mild, slightly sweet acidity dominated by acetic acid together with lactic, succinic, and amino acids that contribute to flavour and traditional pharmacological character. As a derived rather than botanical product, Mi Cu is treated here as a non-plant edge case.