Awamori - Awamori

Shochu is a specialty of Okinawa. Its production method is said to have been introduced from Siam (Thailand) in the early 15th century, and it eventually spread to Kyushu, where it became shochu. Higashionna Kanjun's "Awamori Miscellany," published in the early Showa period, points out that the aroma and distillation equipment used to make awamori are very similar to that of laolong, a distilled liquor made from Thai rice. Broken rice from Thailand is still used as the raw material today, but the distinctive feature of the production method is that black koji mold, a unique development in Okinawa, is allowed to grow on the raw rice to turn it into koji, which is then brewed. This gives it a strong, distinctive aroma and flavor. Black koji mold produces large amounts of citric acid, which keeps the mash acidic, making it possible to brew awamori safely in warm climates. 170 liters of water is added to 100 kilograms of koji to make the mash, which is then fermented at 25-30°C for around 10 days in a jar half buried in the ground and distilled. Distillation is done in a direct-fire Kabuto kettle distiller. The mash, which has an alcohol content of around 40%, is placed in a Nanban jar, sealed with a wooden plug wrapped in a Japanese laurel leaf, and stored. Sake that has been stored for a long time is called kusu (aged sake). When aged sake was shipped, a method called shitsugi was used in which the same amount of the next oldest sake was added to it in succession. Kusu is pale yellow in colour due to the pigments from the jar. In recent years, large temperature-controlled fermentation and storage tanks made of stainless steel have come into use.

There are various theories about the origin of the name Awamori, including that it was made from millet, that it was named after the bubbles that rose during brewing, that it rose in the cup, and that its strength was measured by the amount of water needed to mix it with and stop the bubbles from forming. Awamori is a strong-tasting distilled liquor with a distinctive sweet aroma, and in 1997, more than 20,000 kiloliters (calculated at an alcohol content of 30%) was produced at 47 breweries, and production is growing.

[Yuichi Akiyama]

Source: Shogakukan Encyclopedia Nipponica About Encyclopedia Nipponica Information | Legend

沖縄特産の焼酎(しょうちゅう)。製法は15世紀の初頭シャム（タイ）から伝来したとされ、やがて九州に伝わり、焼酎となった。昭和初期に刊行された東恩納寛惇(ひがしおんなかんじゅん)の『泡盛雑考』には、タイの米からつくる蒸留酒ラオロンと泡盛とは、その香味と蒸留機が酷似していることが指摘されている。原料は今日でもタイ産の砕米を用いるが、製法の特色は、沖縄独自の開発になる「泡盛麹菌(こうじきん)」という黒麹菌を原料米に繁殖させて麹にし、仕込む。したがって香味の個性が強い。黒麹菌はクエン酸を多量に生成し、もろみを酸性に保つから、暖地での安全醸造を可能にしている。麹100キログラムに水170リットルを加えて、もろみとし、25～30℃で約10日間ぐらい、半分地中に埋めた甕(かめ)で発酵させて蒸留する。蒸留は直火式のかぶと釜(がま)蒸留機による。アルコール分40％ほどのものを南蛮甕(なんばんがめ)に入れ、イトバショウの葉でくるんだ木栓で密栓して貯蔵する。長く貯蔵した酒をクース（古酒）という。古酒を出荷した場合、それと同量の、次に古い酒を順次補う仕次(しつぎ)というやり方がとられていた。クースは甕からの色素で淡黄色を呈する。近年は、ステンレス製で、温度制御のできる大型発酵タンクや大型貯蔵タンクが用いられている。

　泡盛の名は、粟(あわ)でつくったとする説、醸造するときに泡が盛り上がったからとする説、杯に盛り上がるからとする説、また泡盛の強さを計るのに、水を混ぜて泡のたたなくなる水量で計ったからとする説などいろいろある。泡盛は特有の甘い香りのある味の濃い蒸留酒で、1997年（平成9）には47場で約2万キロリットル（アルコール度数30度で換算）以上生産され、生産量は伸長している。

［秋山裕一］

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