Interviews with Japanese in Utah: Grace Oshita

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Grace Oshita 2-21-85 s2:9 used to the more modern process. Whether they fermented it chemically or what. I don't know. I don't know what was used in place of koji. Buttt did not have the fermented smell. You know. Aroma. L What kindof smell is that ~hat did it smell like. GO When I went to a winery, I smelled the same smell. L S oi t sme 11 s a 1 coho 1 i c . GO Yes. L It's pungent. It has a strong pungent odor. GO Oh, you bet. And oh. There • s a saki ·factory in Berke 1 ey, now. And when I visited there. They have a tasting room .So when I went there, the first thing, when I walked in, I said, oh, I can smell koji. (laughs) And I think- Well, I'm not sure. But. I think my grandfather-- it is in my opinion that he started the mise business not only to start mise but to sell koji. We used to sell a lot of koji, especially to people living out in the country. because they were making their own saki. L Saki from the koj i. GO Yes. L How do you make saki. GO That I don't know. L Jsut that koj i is a base. GO That's right. And they used to. In fact, in the two poundbox of koji, they used to put. Under the little tiny envelope of yeast that's required to make saki. And even that yeast was- well, my parents used to make it. L Your parnts used to make saki--- . GO No, no, the yeast.