What is Saruzake? A detailed explanation of the medicinal liquor introduced by Masumi Sugae in "Yuki Dewa Do" [Akita Prefecture]

Japanese classics and travel writer from the late Edo period,Sugae Masumi, a scholar of,"Yukidewa-michi"the Shimada Gensuke family, who had lived in Tashiro Village (present-day Yamauchi Village) for generationsmonkey sakewrote that

This articlea rare and legendary sakeprovides a detailed explanation of

Reference:National Diet Library Digital Collection, "Akita Series, Volume 7: Yukidewa Road"

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monkeywinemade?

SaruzakeFormer Nine Years' War, which took place between 1051 and 1062is a type of sake that was brewed during the time of Kiyohara Takenori, who served as the commander-in-chief of the Kiyohara clan during the

The Yukidewa-do describes how to make monkey sake as follows:

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• Capture three monkeys and remove their skin and muscles
• Soak the liver and back meat in cold water for 30 days
• Dry in the sun, soak in fine sake, and then dry again under the scorching sun of June
• Soak it in salt water, place it in a jar, put the lid on and seal it for three years, and then it's done

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Once the monkey sake is complete, if you drink one spoonful and then replenish it with the same amount of water and salt, it is said to be able to cure illnesses in the same way for 1,000 years

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monkey wineAbout the jars used to hold

The recipe for making Saru Sake states that it should be placed in an earthenware jar and sealed, but what kind of jar is this?

In "Yukideha-michi,""Monkey Sake Brewing Jar,"there is a painting by Sugae Masumi titled

The dimensions are1 shaku 8 sun 5 bu (70.1 cm) in height, 7 sun (26.5 cm) in diameter at the mouth, and 3 shaku 8 sun 5 bu (145.8 cm) in circumference, so you can see that it is a fairly large jar.

The picture shows that the surface of the jar is slightly dirty and that the rope tying the top is slightly frayed, suggesting that the jar was quite old even at the time Sugae Masumi saw it

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published in Akita Sakigake ShinpoMonkey sake

The Akita Sakigake Shinpo newspaper, dated May 30, 1933,"Monkey sake from the time of Sugae Masumi still exists."published an article about monkey sake under the headline,

The article states that Saruzake, which Sugae Masumi wrote about as a miracle medicine in the Yukidewa-do, is being carefully kept as a family heirloom at a farm in Tashiro Village, Hirakata County, where the descendants of Shimada Gensuke live

The monkey sake jar was kept in a secure location by Shimada Gensuke's descendants and carefully placed in a wooden box along with four bowls for pouring the sake. The article states that the jar's dimensions were exactly the same as those described in "Yukidehado": height 1 shaku 8 sun 5 bu, diameter 7 sun, and circumference 3 shaku 8 sun 5 bu

The book also includes an explanation of the four accompanying bowls, describing them as a stack of four wooden bowls of varying sizes. The largest bowl has a diameter of 18.9 cm and holds 0.45 liters (2 go 5 shaku). It states that scooping the monkey sake from the 7-inch diameter earthenware pot requires gripping the edge of the wooden bowl with the thumb, middle finger, and ring finger, making it quite a difficult task

At the end of the article, it goes on to say that when the monkey sake is poured out of the jar, it makes an eerie metallic sound, even though it is a liquid, and the woman feels afraid of the jar, seeing it as a ghost

No matter how carefully the descendants of Shimada Gensuke have preserved this item for generations, it must have been quite frightening to have an old jar in their home that is said to have been made using the meat of three monkeys

However, the article conveys what monkey sake is like because generations of people have reached into it to draw it, and replenish it with water and salt, and it was also confirmed that the dimensions matched Sugae Masumi's valuable records

It is not known whether the monkey sake jar still exists today, but I'm sure there are many people who hope that it is being treasured somewhere in Akita Prefecture

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summary

Saruzake is a medicinal liquor with healing powers that was created during the reign of Kiyohara Takenori, who served as the commander-in-chief of the Kiyohara clan during the Zenkunen no En (Forty-Nine Years' War) that took place between 1051 and 1062

If you take a look at Sugae Masumi's Yukidewa Do, be sure to also read the article about monkey sake

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