中國及東亞的嚼酒文化

KAVA－DRINKING IN CHINA AND EAST ASIA

這首竹枝詞是郁永河氏在康熙三十六年（1697）詠臺灣番女的嚼酒。所謂嚼酒，是人類利用唾液（saliva）醱酵做酒原始方式之一。因人之唾液中含有一種酵素（enzyme）名為ptyalin，能使澱粉糖化而成酒。

By ”kava－drinking”is meant the whole complex of wine－making by means of chewing and fermenting by human saliva，the most ancient wine－making method in and around the whole Pacific.In the Polynesiaan languages，kava refers to a bush veriety of the pepper，Piper methysticum，and also to the wine made from its root.