* "Ryukyu Awamori Nijoite" (Taisho 13) A valuable research book that summarizes the actual conditions of awamori manufacturing at that time. The description of potato sake can be seen in it. The author is Aiho Tanaka, who was a teacher at Okinawa Prefectural Agriculture and Forestry School. Born in Kagoshima prefecture in 1902.
Sweet potatoes have become an essential food item for the citizens of this prefecture
Because the nature of sweet potato itself was strong
That is, it spreads all over the country in a blink of an eye
Its production has also become a tribute.
Therefore, it is manufactured using this as a raw material.
The production of potato liquor is also large.
From "Ryukyu Awamori Nijoite" by Aiho Tanaka in 1918
On top of filling my stomach
It will heal your heart.
It was just sweet potato.
Sweet potatoes were introduced to the main island of Okinawa and other remote islands around 1600 during the time of King of Ryukyu Sho Nei. Okinawa has long been a typhoon-prone area, and it was not suitable for rice cultivation due to lack of water. Moreover, most of the rice that was harvested was taken as an annual tribute, so it was a difficult area to secure food. Sweet potatoes native to Central and South America are brought there via China and become an important food. And if there is enough food, the demand for sake as a luxury item will increase. In other words, it was natural for sake made from sweet potatoes to be brewed.
Ryukyu government official magistrate
A lieutenant in a fairly high-ranking official,
Instead of using awamori, which is rice shochu,
Imoshu is more delicious than Awamori
I've been using it.
People at that time made him unusual again.
Therefore, their magistrates are constantly
I was looking for good quality potato liquor.
From "Ryukyu Awamori Nijoite" by Aiho Tanaka in 1918
Handmade potato sake
There are various tastes.
If a master makes it
For exceptional sake.
This is the place where the episode of the Ryukyu Kingdom era is written. At that time, Awamori, a distilled liquor of rice, was strictly controlled by the royal government as a delivery to the Satsuma domain, but Imge, a distilled liquor of potatoes, has almost no restrictions and is familiar to each village on each island. A unique potato liquor was made by devising the ingredients in. It was said that the upper class officials who could drink Awamori liked such common people's sake, and found out a gem and delivered it to them. "I don't know how Imoshu was loved up and down in its substance." It is tied.
Suru shochu made from rice or millet
If you look at the shochu profession in the previous section
Noh and Noh
Manufactured with sweet potatoes
The so-called sweet potato shochu is
Many people get to make it,
There is a separate tax on this.
From "Okinawa Prefecture Old Tax System" in 1897
For homemade potato sake
just as you like.
All taxes,
I don't get it.
The 450-year Ryukyu Kingdom era in the abolition of the feudal clan in 1879 is over, and it is now the era of liberalization of brewing sales where anyone can freely produce awamori and other sake if they pay taxes. Since the mustard and potato liquor was made at home for private use, it seems that the Meiji government did not have a problem in terms of the amount of production, and as in the past, there was no problem and no taxation. Imoshu has become more and more integrated into the lives of ordinary people.
The skill of women's potato brewing skills at that time was
In today's middle-class and above women,
Like music and literary hobbies,
It was very noticed by the world
Like when you're waiting for your bride
First and foremost
"She can make sake and miso skillfully."
Met.
From "Ryukyu Awamori Nijoite" by Aiho Tanaka in 1918
She makes potato sake
Seems to be good.
If so, by all means
To my bride!
When the author asked the old man about potato liquor at that time, he said, "When I was young, I was told that a man would drink and a woman would make it, so I was asked by a woman if it was a manufacturing method." It can be seen that in those days, making potato sake was exclusively the work of a farmer's housewife. Therefore, it seems that it was also a condition at the time of marriage. "Every house made potato liquor for childbirth and wedding celebrations. The first Hana liquor that came out was strong and I got drunk with a glass." This is the story of a woman born in 1887, which is recorded in "History of Gushikawa City".
As you can see, the top and bottom are generally
The sweet potato liquor that has been loved is also (omitted)
As a result of seeing the application of the liquor tax law
Strictly forbidden to free brewing,
Farmer-owned distillers
All have been removed. (Omitted)
Thus, for many years Okinawa in general
The potato liquor that was used regularly
It was completely abolished and ended.
From "Ryukyu Awamori Nijoite" by Aiho Tanaka in 1918
Loved by the Ryukyu people
The phantom potato liquor
As IMUGE.
This is the first revival in a century.
As he said, "I used to have a banquet for a week when people were born, and when people died, I served sake again. The life of the common people of Okinawa that was inseparable from that. Imoshu, which is the protagonist of this and has been loved by everyone regardless of their status since the Ryukyu Kingdom era, was also rigorously caught by the liquor tax law of 1899, when "homebrewing" was virtually prohibited. As a result of being damaged, it gradually disappears. And by the end of the Taisho era, it was almost extinct including remote islands. The phantom potato liquor became IMUGE., And after the Showa and Heisei eras, it will be revived for the first time in a century.