The Ohio Democrat. (Logan, O. [Ohio]) 1886-1906, 1893-05-27
| sApAN,s NATIONAL BEVERAGE
A Japanese's Essay on saki and the Pre-
cess OF Making It,

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A yapanese's Essay on sak, and the Pre-
cess of Making It,
In Japan sali was first prepared about
twenty-five hundred years ago and pro
sented to the Deity, for it was believed
to be sacred. 1t is the national bever.
age. The process of saki manufacture
is systematic, but differs more or less
in the different localities. Well cleaned
rice Is steamed until it gets softened,
and then it is cooled: next 1t Is pre-.
pared with the same quantity of water
and agitated until it becomes pasty;
this paste is called 'moto" in the jap
anese language. the word meaning or.
igin. Koji Ia kind of yeast prepared
from rice) and about ten times the
amount of water are added together to
cause fermentation and are let stand
for about twenty-five days in the cellar,
where only the brewers are allowed, to
prevent from spelling the brewing, for
if any other person is permitted to be
in he might have taken any kind Of
things that have sour tastes and odors.
When the fermentation is over the resi-
due is separated from the liquor by
means of pressing and a filtering ma
chine. The liquor, however, still re-
tains some turbidity, which is to be
subsidized in large vessels. Thus tho
clear tiltrate is the beverage or saki.
From the residue alcohol and vinegar
can be prepared. The brewing COM
mences from the winter solstice and
continues during a hundred days.
! The taste of saki does not depend
merely upon the quality of rice, but
also on that of the water; therefore, in
brewing, the rice and water have to be
carefully selected. The water which
is usually used for brewing seems to be
hard-natured, acco riding to the table of
analysis. OF course the saki may be
brewed either of hard or soft water,
but when it is prepared of the former
it has much better quality and flavor
than by the latter.
The principal pla ces for brewing the
saki in Japan are NADIA, Itami and
Nishinomiva, in the province of Setts,l.
The saki which is brewed in those
above places is of the best quality
their amount of ann ual brewing being
nearly six hundred thousand kolsu lone
koku is nearly equal to forty gallons)
that is, over half of the total amount
of brewing througho ut the empire
The saki contains on the average 1;
per cent. of alcohol, two-fifths per cent
of dextrin, and 1 per cent. of glucose
The rest is water. 1t is n yellow, trans
parent liquid, having naturally sweet
taste and good flavor. 1t resembles the
white wine in color and flavor.
The salSi can be preserved for many
years by heating it up to sixty degree.
Centigrade without ch angling its prop
critics. If the heating be insufficient
there is a fear of overt ermentation ant
putrefaction. The price of saki ranges
from twenty to forty dollars a koku
according to it's quality. The saki among
Japanese is consumed in remarkabl,
quantities.; rs much as beer in Germany
I In Japan the saki is applied in ever,
case, as those of ma tional holidays, fes
r tivals, New Year days, all the cere
< monies. and whenever people have SOM
3 pleasures or entert ailments need t.
f have some SaSi.
t The New Years are considered to b.
S the happiest time of the year for tn
l Japanese, and when it comes all tn
l people enjoy the happy days, with SAX
Q as their ceremony.
III April, Uue ulIne lOr Une cneTT
blossoms, everyone in Japan never fail
e to go out to see the flowers in tn
t parks, with their gourds filled wit
>, saki and drink that under the bio.
\. soms-even one who does not take
a generally; therefore the saki an
" cherry blossoms at this season seem t
l. belong to each other as well as beer t
cheese and crackers.
It Saki is warmed up to sixty or sever
l. ty degrees Centigrade, when it is to b
Il taken, except in ceremonious places
q generally it is warmed in porcelai
:, bottles introduced into the hot water
and when it comes to the desired ten
" perature it is brought out to The tabl
y to drink with small porcelain cups.
The cups generally have at the to
% the diameter of about two inches, an
{, they are one inch in height, and tn
q bottles are about the same height a
6, beer bottles, but far thinner, being d
. small as two and one-haf inches i
), diameter at the bottom and seve
u inches in height. They are plain whit
$. and colored.-Chicago Record.
Pretty Gowns for Growing Girls.
Amouu tha prOhlemS which cOnfrOr