Kohama style facts for kids
The Kohama style (called Kohama-ryū in Japanese) was a special way to make a traditional Japanese fermented rice drink called sake. This method was popular a long time ago, during Japan's Edo period (from 1603 to 1868). It was developed in a place called Kohama-juku, which was a busy travel stop in what is now Takarazuka, Hyōgo Prefecture. Today, people who make drinks at home, or small, special companies, sometimes use this old method.
Contents
History of Kohama Style
The Kohama style of making sake has a long history. It came from techniques used by priests at temples near the Mukogawa River. This river is in the southeastern part of Hyōgo Prefecture. These priests learned their methods from the Nara style, another old way of making sake.
How the Style Spread
The Kohama style quickly became popular in the area. It spread to many places, including Itami, Ikeda, and Kōike. These places were part of a group known as Sessen Jūnigō.
Shipping the Sake
Once the sake was made, it was shipped down the Mukogawa River to the city of Osaka. From Osaka, it was then sent all the way to Edo, which was the capital city of Japan at that time.
Decline of the Style
However, the Sessen group lost favor with the Japanese government (called the shogunate). The government started to control how Kohama sake was made. Because of these new rules, the Kohama style slowly disappeared by the middle of the Edo period.
The Kohama Recipe
The exact recipe for making Kohama style sake was found in old documents from the Edo period. Researchers discovered that it was similar to a drier type of the Itami style of sake. However, the Kohama style had its own special smell, or "bouquet."
Special Ingredients
A special type of mold was used to make this sake. This mold helped to clean the sake brew by removing certain parts called proteins. This process made the final drink clear and ready to enjoy.
Where to Find Details
All the full details about how to make Kohama style sake are written down in an old record from the Edo period. This record is called the Dōmōshuzōki.
