Ancient condiment anbai sauce

Abstract

To provide an Anbai sauce, where: "Anbai" is a traditional Japanese term that has long been used to describe the balance of flavor in cooking; in ancient times, the variety of seasonings was limited, and salt and plum vinegar served as the primary flavoring agents; when they were blended in just the right proportions, the resulting flavor was exceptionally well-balanced; and thus, the term Anbai became more than a cooking term over time and also means the condition of the body or the state of the weather.SOLUTION: The ancient condiment "Anbai" was introduced to Japan during the Asuka period by immigrants and envoys to Tang China, but disappeared without its recipes or production methods being passed down to modern times. However, by referring to ingredients listed in historical texts such as the "Manyoshu" and the "Wamyoruijusho", the "Anbai" has been revived which functions as a contemporary versatile tabletop seasoning.SELECTED DRAWING: None

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] This invention relates to the ancient food, 'shiobai'. [Background technology]

[0002] The oldest seasoning and ancient food, shiobai, is said to be pronounced "ambai" in Chinese. In the old days, there were not many types of seasonings, and salt and plum vinegar were the basics. When these were mixed just right, it created a very good flavor. For this reason, the word "shiobai" is not just a cooking term, but the meaning of the matching of flavors has come to be used in a broader sense, such as to describe the condition of the body or the weather.

[0003] The seasonings used to add flavor and adjust food and drink can be said to correspond to the so-called five tastes: salty, sour, sweet, bitter and spicy. However, actual flavors have a much more complex composition than these can impart. Not only umami agents such as stock, bouillon and synthetic seasonings, oils and fats, alcoholic beverages and spices, but also tomatoes, onions and other aromatic vegetables also play a major role in shaping flavors.

[0004] Among seasonings, table salt was the one that was used spontaneously. This was not just for flavoring. It was an essential component of the human body that was indispensable for maintaining life. Therefore, it is highly likely that it became independent as a seasoning while being used without any clear awareness of it being a seasoning. The next oldest known drink is thought to be vinegar, which was made by natural acetic acid fermentation of grains and fruits, or by using the acids contained in citrus fruits and other fruits.

[0005] During the Asuka period, shiobai was not a single seasoning, but a compound seasoning made by mixing and stirring powdered sea salt, which is made by removing 97% of the water from seawater and leaving 3% salt, with vinegar, a liquid acidic seasoning that contains acetic acid, each time it was used for seasoning.

[0006] Shiobai, a seasoning that was brought to Japan by immigrants and envoys from the Tang Dynasty during the Asuka period and that played a vital role in the meals of the upper classes, such as aristocrats and high priests, had its mixing ratio and manufacturing process kept secret, and was passed down only to a single son and was not to be written down in writing, but it disappeared after the war of the Isshi Incident. Research, development and restoration of this suddenly vanished ancient food, shiobai, has not been handed down to the present day, not even the recipes or manufacturing methods, and it has been completely lost.

[0007] In the sixteenth volume of the Wamyō Ruijushō there is a section called Shiōbai-rui (salt and plums), which seems to correspond to the word shiōbai-rui today. Listed there are plum vinegar, salt, hishio (soy sauce), irori (cooked soup), miso (misou) and kuki (simmered soy sauce), with hishio and kuki being the predecessors of soy sauce and miso, kuki being something similar to today's Hama-natto (fermented soybeans), and irori being a broth made from boiled bonito and other ingredients. If we add the sweeteners amazura (sweet arrowroot) and ame (candy) to these, we have almost exhausted all the seasonings of the time.

[0008] In the sixteenth volume of the Man'yoshu (Collection of the Ten Thousand Leaves), there is a poem entitled "Shoyu (soy sauce) and vinegar (soy sauce and vinegar) mixed together with pounded garlic. I am begging for a sea bream, so please show me the soup made with water and leeks." It is said that vinegar making, along with sake, was introduced to Japan during the reign of Emperor Ojin. After the Taika Reforms, a sake brewery was established, and vinegar was made for the imperial court along with sake and soy sauce. It was already being sold in the market during the Nara period. Many vinegars from around the world are made from ingredients related to the sake produced in that region. In Japan, in addition to rice vinegar, there is also kasu vinegar, which is made from sake lees. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0009] [Patent Document 1] Patent No. 7345696 [Non-patent literature]

[0010] [Non-Patent Document 1] <Wamyo Ruijusho> Volume 16 <Saibai-rui> [Non-Patent Document 2] <Manyoshu> Volume 16 (3829) <Soy sauce and vinegar> Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0011] This invention aims to revive shiobai, an ancient food that certainly existed during the Asuka period but then suddenly disappeared, by researching documents such as the Wamyō Ruijushō, Honzō Kōmoku, and Qimin Yoshū, and combining ingredients mentioned in the Manyoshu, Kojiki, Nihon Shoki, Fudoki, and Shosoin Yakchō, such as salt, vinegar, sweeteners, spices, broth, and koji, and utilizing the latest technology based on modern Pharmaceutical Affairs Act and Food Sanitation Act, in an attempt to revive shiobai.

[0012] However, salt and ume from the Asuka period was a cumbersome compound seasoning that had to be made by measuring out sea salt and vinegar in the kitchen each time cooking was done, and then mixing and stirring it. However, the salt and ume of the present invention is made by mixing sea salt, vinegar, and casein, a natural stabilizer, to form a colloidal turbid liquid that maintains its integrity and prevents separation into the original two liquid phases, providing a convenient, single-item liquid table seasoning. [Means for solving the problem]

[0013] The ancient food, salted plum paste, according to the present invention is as follows. One or more types of salt selected from the group consisting of raw salt, crushed salt, regular salt, refined salt and sea salt. One or more types of vinegar selected from the group consisting of rice vinegar, sake vinegar, lees vinegar, and fruit vinegar. and one or more sweeteners selected from the group consisting of honey, mirin, starch syrup and sugar. and one or more spices selected from the group consisting of garlic, ginger, chili pepper, wasabi, and pepper. One or more types of broth selected from the group consisting of bonito flakes, kelp, shiitake mushrooms, chicken bones, and pork bones. One or more thickening and stabilizing agents selected from the group consisting of casein, pectin and tamarind. This is an ancient food called Shio-umeji sauce, which is characterized by having the following features.

[0014] The ancient food, salted plum soy sauce and vinegar, according to the present invention is as follows. One or more types of salt selected from the group consisting of raw salt, crushed salt, regular salt, refined salt and sea salt. One or more types of vinegar selected from the group consisting of rice vinegar, sake vinegar, lees vinegar, and fruit vinegar. and one or more sweeteners selected from the group consisting of honey, mirin, starch syrup and sugar. and one or more spices selected from the group consisting of garlic, ginger, chili pepper, wasabi, and pepper. One or more types of broth selected from the group consisting of bonito flakes, kelp, shiitake mushrooms, chicken bones, and pork bones. One or more types of koji selected from the group consisting of rice koji, barley koji, sugar koji, and soybean koji. One or more thickening and stabilizing agents selected from the group consisting of casein, pectin and tamarind. This is an ancient food salted plum soy sauce vinegar characterized by having the following features.

[0015] When salt is mixed with other flavourings, it has a taste correcting, adjusting and contrasting effect. Adding sourness to saltiness can soften the flavor. The word "anbai" (salt and plum) has been used since ancient times, and it means to round out the sharp edges of salt with plum vinegar. Conversely, when salt is added to vinegar, the sharp sourness is mellowed, which is a corrective and adjusting effect. Therefore, salt is essential when adding vinegar to vinegared dishes and sushi. On the other hand, salt also works to intensify flavors. Adding salt to soup stock brings out the flavor of the stock. When salt is added to sweet things, it acts to intensify the sweetness, which is a contrasting effect. The sweetness of sweet soup is achieved by taking advantage of this fact.

[0016] Shiobai, said to be the first seasoning that humans came into contact with, has long been a word used to describe the taste of food. In the olden days, there were not many types of seasonings, and salt and plum vinegar were the basic seasonings. Saltiness can be softened by adding sourness. Conversely, adding salt to vinegar will soften the sharp sourness, which is an inhibitory effect, and when salt is mixed with other flavor ingredients, a contrasting or inhibitory effect appears. Therefore, saltiness is essential in cooking.

[0017] Salt brings out the flavor of all foods. This is also the meaning behind the term "saltiness" used to describe seasoning food. When salt is mixed with other flavorings, it has a suppressing, moderating, or contrasting effect.

[0018] <Inhibitory effect> The taste can be softened by adding vinegar and cooking liquid to salt. The word "shiobai" has been used since ancient times, and means to round off the sharp edges of salt by adding plum vinegar and dashi stock.

[0019] <Soothing effect> When salt and koji are added to vinegar, the sharp sourness is mitigated. This is when salt is added to something that has a strong sour taste to soften it. Therefore, salt is essential when mixing vinegar with vinegared dishes and sushi.

[0020] <Contrasting effect> A typical example is the mixture of soup stock, sugar, and salt. Even if salt alone has a concentration of 0.1%, which is almost tasteless, adding sugar liquid with a concentration of about 12% will enhance the sweetness of the sugar. Adding a small amount of salt to sweet red bean soup or adding salted kelp is done with the expectation of a contrasting effect. Adding a small amount of salt to the soup stock also creates a contrasting effect, bringing out the flavor. Effect of the Invention

[0021] The salted plum in this invention was originally a composite seasoning obtained by mixing and stirring sea salt and vinegar each time cooking was performed in the kitchen, but the salted plum of this invention is a colloidal turbid liquid obtained by mixing sea salt, vinegar, and pectin, a natural thickener, which maintains its integrity and prevents separation into the original two liquid phases, providing a convenient, single-item liquid table condiment.

[0022] The vinegar contained in salted plums has the disadvantage that the main source of sourness in the plums is acetic acid, which evaporates easily, and as the sourness is lost, the flavor is reduced. However, the salted plums of the present invention prevent the evaporation of acetic acid due to the emulsion stabilizing action of sodium caseinate, an excellent emulsifier (surfactant) and emulsion stabilizer, so that the loss of flavor is prevented and a delicious single-item liquid table condiment is provided. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS EXAMPLES

[0023] An example of salted plum paste according to the present invention is given below. In a salted plum sauce made of 20g of sea salt, 100cc of vinegar made of rice vinegar, and 100cc of water, 40g of sweetener made of sugar, 3g of spice made of pepper, 2g of thickener made of pectin, and 300cc of boiled broth made of dried bonito flakes were mixed and stirred until sufficiently homogenous to obtain 565cc of salted plum sauce. EXAMPLES

[0024] An example of salted plum vinegar according to the present invention is given below. 20g of salts made from sea salt, 100cc of rice koji and 100cc of seed water are mixed and stirred until the mixture is homogeneous, and then placed in a fermentation tank. The fermentation temperature is kept at 30°C, and the mixture is decomposed, fermented, and aged. After fermentation is complete, the mixture is squeezed and filtered using a strainer. Then, 100cc of vinegars made from rice vinegar, 40g of sweetener made from sugar, 3g of spices made from pepper, 2g of stabilizer made from casein, and 300cc of boiled broth made from dried bonito flakes are mixed and stirred until the mixture is homogeneous, and 665cc of salted plum vinegar is obtained.

[0025] The original meaning of cooking is "to measure things out," but the word "cooking" in Japan comes from the fact that in herbal medicine, measuring the amount of medicine is described as cooking. While animals eat food that is produced in the natural environment as is, humans often process food and transform it into a state that does not exist in nature. Therefore, human food can be characterized as "humans are animals that cook," and cooking can be said to be a distinctively human activity not seen in animals, that is, a product of culture.

[0026] Japanese cuisine, which has developed within the country and society of Japan, is quite unique from a global perspective, and the primary reason for this is that the Japanese diet has been centered around rice. The concept of side dishes as opposed to the staple food of rice has given Japanese "okazu" a very unique character. As a result of the Japanese being dependent on rice as their staple food for both calories and nutrition, okazu was established as a sort of appetite stimulant to go with the rice, and evolved and was refined to a state of perfection.

[0027] The menu of Japanese cuisine has developed and become complicated based on rice, soup, and pickles, but the use of meat and oils and fats is very small, and milk and dairy products are completely absent. The present invention provides a seasoning that eliminates the shortcomings of Japanese cuisine.

[0028] The most widely used seasonings in the world are salt, vinegar, and sugar, but the salt-based seasoning of this invention is an all-purpose liquid tabletop seasoning in a small bottle that eliminates the drawback of losing its sourness because the main source of sourness is acetic acid, which evaporates easily.Furthermore, salt-based seasoning, which was previously a compound seasoning obtained by mixing and stirring each time cooking in the kitchen, is a convenient, globally standard single product that maintains its integrity.

Claims

1. One or more kinds of salt selected from the group consisting of raw salt, crushed salt, ordinary salt, refined salt, and sea salt; One or more vinegars selected from the group consisting of rice vinegar, sake vinegar, lees vinegar, and fruit vinegar; One or more sweeteners selected from the group consisting of honey, mirin, starch syrup, and sugar; One or more spices selected from the group consisting of garlic, ginger, chili pepper, wasabi, and pepper; One or more kinds of broth selected from the group consisting of bonito flakes, kelp, shiitake mushrooms, chicken bones, and pork bones; one or more thickening and stabilizing agents selected from the group consisting of pectin, lecithin, and tamarind; An ancient food called salted plum sauce, which is characterized by having the following features.

2. One or more kinds of salt selected from the group consisting of raw salt, crushed salt, ordinary salt, refined salt, and sea salt; One or more vinegars selected from the group consisting of rice vinegar, sake vinegar, lees vinegar, and fruit vinegar; One or more sweeteners selected from the group consisting of honey, mirin, starch syrup, and sugar; One or more spices selected from the group consisting of garlic, ginger, chili pepper, wasabi, and pepper; One or more kinds of broth selected from the group consisting of bonito flakes, kelp, shiitake mushrooms, chicken bones, and pork bones; One or more kinds of koji selected from the group consisting of rice koji, barley koji, sugar koji, and soybean koji; one or more thickening and stabilizing agents selected from the group consisting of pectin, lecithin, and tamarind; An ancient food called salted plum soy sauce and vinegar, characterized by comprising: