Abstract: The cellar is the fermentation equipment and the main habitat of functional microorganisms for traditional Nongxiangxing Baijiu, and the quality of cellar mud largely determines the quality of Baijiu. Long-term practice and a large number of studies have shown that among the three major indicators that determine the quality of pit mud, the physicochemical factors are the basis, the microbial communities are the core, and the sensory indicators are the guide. The former two are interdependent and interact with each other, jointly acting on the last one. This paper presents a comparison of the research methods and findings on cellar mud quality in recent years in order to provide a quick overview of the cellar mud quality evaluation system and research evolution for the industry and to facilitate the production and subsequent research of Nongxiangxing Baijiu.

Key words: pit mud quality; physicochemical factors; pit mud microorganisms; sensory indicators