Murri

from The Wilder Shores of Gastronomy

The most unexpected flavoring is murri. This was made by wrapping lumps of barley dough in fig leaves so that they would be attacked by mold, then mixing the moldy barley with flour, salt and water and allowing it to ferment for another month or more. The rotted barley paste would then be pressed to yield a dark-brown liquid which turns out to taste just like soy sauce. This whiff of soy ran through the food of the caliphs. The Arab sauce was not borrowed from China, however: Murri was never made from beans and it was always a liquid sauce, while the Chinese product was used as a paste until the 16th century.
--from Cooking with the Caliphs

on hongzhao 红糟
1.) The first reference to red ferment in the literature dates back to the late Han Dynasty (+177-217)-which means that I was incorrect by-oh, only 1,000 or so years! This is a controversial reference however, as it may not refer to the technology as we understand it today. However, by the Tang Dynasty, the poet Li Ho was already writing about "red wine":

In the crystal cup, the (sparkling) amber mash is thick,
And the wine drops from the little trough are pearly red.

2.) Here are two additional verses, both from Su Tung Po of the Sung Dynasty (+1036-1101):

In search of loacl products for an old friend,
I sent him post-haste "cured mash" and "red ferment"

and

Last year we shared a plate of tender alfalfa,
Tonight I pour a Min wine, red as cinnabar.

(Min = Fookienese)

3.) The red grain mould is Monascus sp. According to Dr. Huang, the (Fookienese) counties of Sung Chhi, Cheng Ho, Chien Ou, and Ku Thien (specially this last) are renowned for their red wine (and red mash).

4.) Today, this red wine is commonly called YELLOW wine (huang chieu).

--from http://chowhound.chow.com/topics/111597

A book review on
Science and Civilisation in China: Volume 6, Biology and Biological Technology, Part 5, Fermentations and Food Science
by H. T. Huang