I know it's not a big deal now, but the title "A Distiller's Twelve Months" is taken from "A Gardener's Twelve Months" by Czech author Karel Capek. Reading this diary-like collection of essays written 90 years ago by an old man who loves gardening, you can see that what humans do to nature hasn't changed much even though times and places have changed (November is the month when the soil in the fields is dug up, crushed into small pieces, and softened until it becomes like bread).
It's fun to read about unfamiliar plants and imagine them from the words, but the joy of living and working here is actually being able to encounter new plants every day.
I would like to introduce some plants and fruit trees that I discovered this year. They are not chosen because they are rare or have a nice fragrance, but simply because they are memorable. These are the "Amazing Plants 2018 Edition."
[10th place] Pepper
I'm ashamed to say that I've only ever known pepper as a spice in a jar, and never thought of it as a plant. However, I found pepper plants for sale in a street market in Bangkok. I picked one and ate it, and it was so vivid that I wondered what the pepper I had been eating until then was. Rather than being pungent, it was fresh, green, and refreshing. I had some seedlings imported, but I wonder if they will grow well in Japan.
[9th place] Manuka
Manuka over Gyoyanagi plum, banjirou over guava, pandan leaf over octopus tree, bitter orange over turnip. The impression changes depending on how you call the same variety.
[8th place] Poison Sky Tree
I ate one of the deep red berry-like fruits and it was delicious, so I harvested a basket full to make syrup. The pot boiled down and turned red, just like the poison in a fairy tale. I wondered, "Poison?" and looked it up, and found out it is a highly poisonous plant called "Poison Deutzia". The lethal dose of one of its main components, koreamyrthin, is only 0.1mg per kg of body weight. By that time, it felt like my throat was being squeezed and I was having trouble breathing. I was worried about falling asleep, so I went to the emergency room alone in the middle of the night, where the doctor was astonished.
[7th place] Astringent persimmon judgement machine
The reason persimmons are astringent is because of the water-soluble tannins they contain; as they ripen, the tannins become insoluble and the tongue no longer senses the astringency. A machine for judging astringent persimmons was in persimmon farmer Kanatsuna's workshop. The mechanism is simple: when a persimmon is pressed against a circular hole, light shines on it from below. Water-soluble tannins do not let light through, so if the persimmon shines, it is astringent, and if there are many parts that do not let light through, it is sweet.
[6th place] Pyracantha
Along the road I drive on, there are trees lined with bright red berries. I wonder why the birds don't eat them. I looked it up and found out that they are the berries of a tree called pyracantha, which is poisonous so birds don't eat them. But if birds don't eat them, the seeds won't spread. There's a mechanism behind this too; apparently, in winter, when the other fruit trees have fallen, the berries are no longer poisonous and the birds can eat them. They're about ripe to eat now. The birds and I are both after them.
[5th place] European Pumila
I saw something called "Pinus dwarf wood and needles" in the German Manufactum catalog, and I was interested, so I imported it, but what arrived was just sawdust and needle leaves. Apparently you can add scent by dripping essential oils on it, or light it like incense. 10 euro sawdust.
[4th place] Lemon-scented herb
Before you know it, there are lemon-scented herbs everywhere. Lemon verbena, lemon myrtle, lemongrass, lemon balm...these are fine. However, when it comes to lemon basil, lemon geranium, and lemon mint, it's hard to tell which scent has the identity - is it lemon or basil, geranium or lemon? At CASICA, we have come up with a lemon sour made only with lemon herbs.
[3rd place] Jaboticaba
Ryutaro invited me to come and see a 20-year-old tree that was airlifted from Okinawa, and when I went to see it, I got goosebumps. The name Jaboticaba is also strange. I later learned that it has another name, "Brazilian Grape," but that impression never changes. By the way, the fruit is very delicious, and when frozen, it becomes just like ice cream.
[2nd place] Bangkok Herbal Pharmacy
A Bangkok pharmacy where medicinal herbs are mixed at the counter. I wanted to ask what they were used for and for what purposes, but was stopped by their sharp gaze.
[1st place] Ominaeshi
The Ominaeshi flower bloomed here and there in the summer. It has a unique, fragrant smell that is hard to describe, and when I looked it up in a book, I found that it smells like "rotten soy sauce." I've never heard of soy sauce going rotten, but when I heard that, it made sense. It's a strange word. It was also very popular with honeybees.
The title "The Distiller's Year" comes from Czech writer Karel Čapek's "The Gardener's Year", a collection of essays written 90 years ago as a diary by a gardening enthusiast. (November, by the way, is the month when we dig up the soil in the fields, break it into small pieces, and soften it until it resembles bread.)
It's fun to read about unfamiliar plants while imagining them from the text, but the joy of living and working here is that I actually encounter new plants every day.
I would like to list some of the plants and fruit trees I learned about this year. I'm not talking about rare or fragrant plants, but rather "these plants are amazing 2018 edition" that I choose just because they are memorable.
[No. 10] Pepper
I'm embarrassed to admit that until now, pepper was just a spice in a bottle, and I didn't recognize it as a plant. However, I found pepper trees for sale in a street market in Bangkok. When I picked one of the fruits and tried it, it was so intense that I wondered what the hell I had been eating. Rather than being pungent, it was fresh, green, and refreshing. I had a seedling imported, but I wonder if it will grow well in Japan.
[No.9] Manuka
More manuka than willow plum. More banjillo than guava. Pandan Leaf rather than Takonoki, Bitter Orange rather than Kabus. The same variety can give a different impression just by changing its name.
[No. 8] Coriaria japonica (species of shrub)
I ate a piece of the dark red berry-like fruit and it was delicious, so I harvested a cupful to make syrup. I harvested a whole basketful of them to make syrup. The pot that turned red after being boiled down looked like a poison in a fairy tale. "Poison?" I suddenly thought, and looked it up, and found out that it is a poisonous tree. weight, by which time my throat feels constricted and I can hardly breathe. I was worried about falling asleep, so I went to the emergency room alone in the middle of the night, and the doctor was dismayed.
[No.7] Astringent Persimmon Judging Machine
The reason for the astringency of persimmons is the water-soluble tannin contained in the persimmon, but as the persimmon ripens, the tannin becomes insoluble and the tongue does not feel the astringency. A machine for judging astringent persimmons in the workshop of Mr. Kanetsuna, a persimmon farmer. The mechanism is simple: when a persimmon is pressed against a circular, light shines on it from below. Water-soluble tannins do not allow light to pass through, so if the persimmon shines, it is an astringent persimmon, and if there are many parts that do not allow light to pass through, it is a sweet persimmon.
[No. 6] Pyracantha
There are trees with bright red fruits on the streets that I drive by. I wondered why birds don't eat them. I found out that the berries are from a tree called pyracantha, which is poisonous, so even birds don't eat them. But if the birds don't eat them, the seeds won't spread. There's a mechanism to this, too, and it seems that when the other fruit trees have fallen in winter, the poison is gone and the birds can eat them. I guess it's time to eat. The birds and I are after them.
[No.5] European pine tree
In the catalog of Manufactum in Germany, there was something called "Wood and needles of European spruce," and I was curious, so I imported it. The sawdust cost 10 euros.
[No.4] Lemon scented herbs
I noticed that there are lemon-scented herbs everywhere. Lemon verbena, lemon myrtle, lemon grass, lemon balm...these are still good. But when it comes to lemon basil, lemon geranium, and lemon mint, it's hard to tell which scent has more identity: lemon or basil, geranium or lemon. CASICA has devised a lemon sour made with only lemon herbs.
[No. 3] Jaboticaba
Ryutaro asked me to come and see a 20-year-old tree that had been flown in from Okinawa, and when I went to see it, I got goosebumps when I saw the huge purple fruit, the size of a giant grape, attached to the middle of the trunk of the tree. The name "jaboticaba" was also strange. I later learned that it is also known as "Brazilian Grape," but I can't change my impression anymore. By the way, the berries are very tasty, and when frozen, they are just like ice cream berries.
[No. 2] Bangkok's herbal pharmacy
A pharmacy in Bangkok where you can mix your own medicinal herbs at the counter. I wanted to ask them what they use for what purpose, but I was blocked by their sharp eyes.
[No.1] Ominayesh
The flowers of the pampas grass were blooming here and there around summer. It had a peculiar smell that was hard to describe, and when I looked it up in a book, I found that it smelled like rotten soy sauce. I've never heard of soy sauce going bad, but I can't help but think that's what it smells like. It was very popular with the bees.
