[A gambir recipe brought by Ganjin, a Chinese buddhist dignitary].
It was customary both in China and Japan to serve medicinal teas before banquets, to which various spices and herbs including gambir, agalloch, and Saussureae radix were added, for the purpose of preparing the guest's physical condition before serving soups and entrees. Such medicinal teas were used as all-purpose remedies to cure upset stomach, intestinal disorders, bad temper, or melancholy. The author believes such usefulness is still valid even today, representing a gift introduced to Japan by Gangin. Gambir is sometimes substituted for tea in recipes; for example in Hoshintan from Kanazawa, but the reason for this is unclear now. Gambir was imported to Japan, as evidenced by an entry in a Japanese-Portuguese dictionary published in the 1590s in which gambir is referred to as "cacho" (cashew). At any rate, it is certain the recipe containing gambir, which Ganjin introduced to Japan, has helped improve people's health for 1,300 years.
Sugiyama
Shigeru
S
Kainos Laboratories Inc. 38-18 Hongo, 2-chome, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo 113-0033.
D001628:Beverages / Q000266:history*; D002681:China; D049669:History, 16th Century; D007564:Japan