"(again) Recalling Sioktong and its bitter-herby taste"
It seemed to be a year past when this person visited Destileria Limtuaco museum both for seeing its rich heritage as well as a good shot of Sioktong.
Be it Vino de Chino or Vino Kung Fu, Sioktong, or originally named as See Hoc Tong, was the original and pioneer brand of Chinese herbal wines that was first produced by Destileria Limtuaco over a hundred and fifty years ago. There were also other Sioktong brands like Apollo and Vino Kusuga, as well as from other makers like Kulafu or Fighter, but the herb-taste has becoming a localised Jägermister- sans the green colour.
Remembering this herby-bitter taste, Sioktong was originally known as a herbal tonic, meant to give the drinker strength and vitality as this is distilled from over 15 Chinese herbs with cold and hot properties, as it promotes the balance of “yin and yang,” the key to good health- and these herbs include angelica root, cassia bark, dried dates, chrysanthemum flowers, fennel seed, and cloves all sound like a lineup of ingredients you'd find in a good old brew.
Quite strange to some, if not folksy as opposed to their usual drinking of brandy, gin, and various sorts of liquor commonly sold in the metro, but for some who avidly drinking that oriental wine are rather look at its healing properties as in the past- and quite true that some of its ingredients can be healthy for the blood: angelica root is used to treat circulation problems; cassia bark, or Chinese cinnamon, can increase blood sugar uptake, which can be beneficial for patients with diabetes.
However, one such herb seemingly made Sioktong known as "dong quai" or "Female Ginseng" that's usually used in Chinese Herbal Medicine for the belief it treats anemia and weakness which is usually caused by lack of sleep and exhaustion, as well as cardiovascular conditions, and high blood pressure. For men, it's said to improve sexual performance, which is the exact opposite of what you'd expect for an alcoholic drink. For women, Siokong has been said to regulate menstrual flow, and relieve dysmenorrhea.
Interestingly enough, that while the drink started off being mostly marketed to men, it eventually became a popular product among women.
As this writer remembers the last time he visited that place, both for history and for that Sioktong, would say that the old family recipe Don Bonifacio Limtuaco brought from China to the Philippines in 1852 has been part of history the way Ba Kut Teh, a Chinese-Malayan beef delicacy that also contains herbs known for bringing strength and vitality.
And from that past legacy would say that one would assume that such products, allegedly with some healing properties from old lore would be left to the tales of old, yet if tried would find "acceptable" as such.