The wine to drink in the first month! -"Tusu"A thorough explanation of the meaning of its name and the production method.

Japanese people have always had many special methods for how to enjoy Japanese sake.法。

One of these is the custom of drinking Tusu at the beginning of the year during the first month的習俗。

This time I will give a detailed explanation of the so-called Tu Sulai, including its meaning and production methods, and also introduce it to everyone.紹給大家。

What is Tu Su蘇」？

The so-called Tusu is a kind of herbal wine made by immersing the herbs commonly used in Chinese medicine in Japanese wine and mirin. The herbal ingredients in it are called Tusuyanmingsan Tususan屠蘇散）。

It’s not the same as the usual wine. Tu Su has “Drive away evil spirits and live long without disease, pray for physical and mental correction改正” The meaning of the wine is suitable for drinking in the first month酒。

• The meaning of Tusu

There are several explanations for the meaning of the two Chinese characters Tusu解釋。

First, slaughter means slaughter and annihilation. Su refers to ghosts that have caused illness, so it means to extinguish ghosts and eliminate harm滅、消除禍害的意思。

Another way of saying that is that Tu represents the removal of evil spirits, and Su You will awaken the soul to resurrection.、復活”的意思。

Although there are subtle differences between the two explanations, they both have the same meaning to pray for the elimination of sickness and evil, as well as longevity and the meaning of eliminating disasters.的意義。

Therefore, drinking Tu Su on the first month to remove the evil spirits of the New Year and welcome family health and happiness is gradually being spread word of mouth.口相傳。

• The history of Tusu from the Heian period to the present

This custom originated in the Heian period and passed to Japan from the Tang Dynasty in China本。

There is also a record of Emperor Saga drinking Tusu in the palace during the first month of the new year. At that time, the palace used it as the beginning of the new year ceremony. Then the Tusu was popularized in the Edo period when the economy was prosperous. The custom has also been passed down to the present.直流傳至今。

Tu Su unexpectedly has such a long history呢！

What are the ingredients of Tu Susan？

「The ingredients in Tu Su San can contain nearly ten types of Chinese herbs. Generally, Tu Su San sold on the market contains 56 types of herbs.類的藥草。

For representative Chinese herbs, please refer to the following。

• Windproof

Has sweating, antipyretic effect and anti-inflammatory effect作用。

• Sansho

The fruit of Chinese pepper is often used as a seasoning. It has stomachic and antibacterial effects.菌作用。

• cinnamon

Cinnamon bark Cinnamon bark has stomachic effect, sweating and antipyretic effect, calming and antispasmodic effect.・鎮痙等作用。

• Platycodon

The root of Platycodon grandiflorum has the effect of relieving cough, removing phlegm, calming pain痛作用。

• Atractylodes

Has a diuretic effect, a stomachic effect, a sedative effect作用。

There are also tangerine peels made from dried orange peels, which are commonly used in Taiwanese cuisine, such as star anise, etc. Many types of Chinese medicine are used in them.其中。

These ingredients have the effect of activating gastrointestinal circulation blood vessels, promoting sweating and preventing colds冒的效果。

During the Chinese New Year, when it is easy to eat and drink, there is always an overeating situation. Maybe this time with drinking Tusu also means to pay attention to your health.的意思呢。

How to make Tusu

The things to prepare are very simple, just need Tusu Sanjiu mirin.樣即可。

Tu Susan can be bought in pharmacies or online channels。

Tu Susan

The production method is also very simple！

Soak a pack of commercially available Tososan in Japanese sake and mirin for a total of about 300,500ml for several hours個小時。

Then take out the herb bag and it's done。

Point 1 It is recommended to use this mirin for non-cooking mirin because mirin for cooking usually contains salt入鹽分。

Point 2 For those who are bitter about Japanese sake, you can use only mirin, and those who like Japanese sake can also use only Japanese sake.本酒。

Point 3: Those who like sweetness can add sugar to it, or you can add more mirin to have a sweet and smooth texture. On the other hand, if you add more Japanese sake, you can have a light taste.現出淡雅的味道。

Point 4 For the sake of Japanese sake, it is recommended to choose regular sake or original brewed sake造酒。

How to drink Tusu

Although there may be differences depending on the region or family habits, this time I will introduce the general drinking method.法。

1 Tusu should be drunk before eating the New Year feast and stew飲用。

2All members of the family head towards the east方。

3 The oldest person pours the youngest person into Tusu wine. The banquet usually starts with the elders, but in the case of Tusu, the wine is poured in the order of the youngest to the oldest.順序來倒酒。

This is to confirm whether there is poison in it and it also contains the meaning of transmitting the vitality of young people to the elderly.思。

4 When drinking, I will recite one person to drink, the whole family will not suffer, the family will drink one mile without disease一里無病。」

5 People who are in a bad year should pay special attention to the last drink飲用。

Tu Su is not only drunk on New Year's Day. When guests visit on the 3rd of the first month, Tu Su is the first etiquette to entertain guests in the New Year.招呼的意思。

In addition, it is the most ideal form to drink the Tusu ware. The Tusu ware is a wine vessel made of a red lacquer, silver tin and other materials, and a small vessel stacked in three layers.皿所組成的酒器。

If you don’t have one, it’s OK to use a wine vessel that matches the first month的。

• Points to note when drinking Tusu

Tu Su contains alcohol。

For people who are not good at alcohol or who drive on the day, as well as minors, enjoying the festive atmosphere of the New Year is the most important thing.的事。

In addition, although Tusu has many beneficial effects on the body, it is only used in small amounts, so the effect is inevitably limited.免有限。

Please don’t think that it’s not a problem to eat and drink because I drink Tusu樣的想法。

You still have to pay more attention to your physical and mental health in order to have a beautiful and happy New Year喔！

At last

Compared with the past, fewer and fewer families will drink Tusu in the New Year.了。

However, drinking special sake in the first month like this is a tradition that has been continued since the Heian period in Japan, but it has become a Japanese sake with a very long history and is one of the representatives of congratulations.物之一！

If you have no experience of drinking so far, take this opportunity to try Tusu next time at the beginning of the new year to pray for no illness怎麼樣呢？