St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1893-07-17
NATIONAL BEVERAGE
OF Japan-A Japanese Essay on
Saki and the Process OF Maxi
Il

Of Japan-A Japanese Essay on
ing 1t.
Chicago Record.
In Japan saki was first prepared
about $500 years ago and presented to
the Deity, for it was believed to be
sacred. 1t is the national beverage.
The process of saki manufacture is sys-
tematic, but differs more or less in the
different localities. Well cleaned rice
IS steamed until it gets softened, and
then il is cooled; next it is prepared
with the same quantity of water and
agltated until 1t becomes pasty; this
paste is called ''moto" in the Japanese
language. the word meaning origin.
koJI "a kind of yeast prepared
from rlce). 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
residueis separated from the liquor by
means of pressing and filtering
machine. The liquor, however, still
retains some turbidity. which is to be
subsidized in large vessels. Thus the
clear fltrate is the beverage of sak..
From the residue alcohol and vinegar
can be prepared. The brewing COM
mences from the winter solstice and
continues ddring 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, according 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 places for brewing the
sakl i'll Japan are NADIA, Jtami and Mis-
hlnomiva. in the province of SettSu.
The saki which is brewed in those
above places is of the best quality,
their amount of annual brewing being
nearly 100000 koku lone koku is nearly
equal to forty galons) that is, over half
OF the total amount of brewing through
out the empire. The saki contains on
the average Is per cent of alcohol, 20
glucose. The rest Is water. 1t is q yell
low transparent liquid, haqing naturally
a sweet taste and good flavor. 1t re
sembleS the white wine in color and
flavor.
The saki can be preserved for many
years by heating it up to 80 deg cent?
grade without changing its properties.
II the heating be Insufficient there Is a
fear OF experimentation and putre-
faction. The price of saki ranges from
so TO $40 k0ku, according to its quail
lty. The saki among Japanese is con-
sumed In remarkable quantities; as
much as beer in Germany.
In Japan the saki is applied in every
case, as those of the national holidays,
festival, New Year days, all the cere-
monies, and whenever people have some.
pleasures or entertainments need to-
have some Saki.
The New Years are considered to be
the happieSt time of the year for the
Japanese. and when it comes all the
people enjoy the happy days, with saki
as their ceTemony.l
In April, the time for the cherry bios
SONS, every one in Japan never fails to
go out to see the flowers in the parks,
with their gourds filled with saki, and
drink that under the blossoms -even
Wv WIN uO0o AOt Take Ii Sen6rdlly,
therefore the Saki and cherry blossoms
at this season seem to belong to each
other, as well as beer to cheese and
crackers. .u Fl
Saki is warmed up to 60 deg. or 20 deg.
centigrade when it is to be taken, ex-
cept i'll ceremonious places; generally
it is warmed in porcelain bottles intro
duced into the hot water. and when it
comes to the desired temperature it is
brought out to the table to drink with
small porcelain cups.
The cups generally have at the top
the diameter of about two inches, and
they are one inch in height, and the
bottles are about the same height as
beer bottles, but far thinner, being as
small as two and one half inches in
diameter at the bottom and about
Seven inches i'll height. They are plain
white and colored.