Page 123 - OCEAN BLUE - SPRING 2016

GOURMET

Dry the
Glass!

B aijiu (“By-Jo”) literally means white used. There are hundreds of varieties, some distinctly YSWARA’S
liquor and is one of the top four flavored, others plain or lightly fragranced providing HEIRLOOMS OF
distilled spirits sold in the world, with a world of nuances to be blended or not. Some of the
11 billion liters sold in 2014. It has more popular include HKB, Kwei Chow Moutai, and AAFRICA
long been part of Chinese traditional events including Shui Jing Fang. collection of
weddings, family parties, business deals and holidays. Baijui, when not blended, is normally served in tiny luxury teas,
Baijiu is up to 60 per cent proof and is being discovered cups, and the drinking ritual includes shouting infusions and
around the world. GANBEI!” which means “Dry the Glass” and then accessories
proving you did so by showing your drinking pals the that tells a uniquely African
It uses a fermentation agent called Qu (“chew”) and is empty glass. story. Yswara is a tale spun in
usually made from sorghum, but other grains such as GANBEI! tastes. Sourced, blended and
rice, sticky rice, corn, wheat, barley, and millet can be curated by African tastemakers.
Handcrafted by farmers known
Objects Of Desire A n intricate The ancient philosopher for cultivating leaves of infinite
Early 19Th Century and beautiful and vegetarian Confucius's subtlety, in some of the richest
Chinese Silver set of eating disdain for the knife, may have tea-growing terroir on the
Mounted Traveling utensils helped cement the chopsticks' African continent. yswara.com
Knife, Chopstick Set made of bone, sterling silver role as China's preferred
and lacquer. Traditionally, food-conveyance implements www.oceanblueMAGAZINE.com 123
chopsticks and eating utensils (and ensured countless
made of precious materials embarrassing Western date
were signs of extravagance. moments in future millennia).
Silver was used to protect, Chopsticks were developed
as it was believed that silver about 5,000 years ago in
would turn black at the touch China. The earliest versions
of poison. were probably twigs used to
retrieve food from cooking
• Date of Manufacture: Circa pots. By 500 AD, chopsticks
1850 had spread to Japan, Vietnam
• Period: Quing and Korea.
• Early 19th Century
• Materials and Techniques:
Bone, lacquer, sterling silver
1stdibs.com

Photo: Richard Drew, Ysawara Tea and Pagoda Red