A circle of friends connected by gut touch! The “FIST BUMP” corner of the radio program “GRAND MARQUEE” features people who live and enjoy Tokyo in a relay format.
On November 16, Yu Takada, the only root beer expert in Japan and the representative of “THE ROOT BEER JOURNEY,” will appear. This time, we asked him not only about the history of root beer, but also about how Mr. Takada started exploring root beer and root beer around the world.
INDEX
Root in medicinal herbs? The more you know about root beer, the more interesting it is.
Celeina (MC): First of all, let me introduce his profile: He was born in 1990 and hail from Ishigaki Island. He is the representative of “THE ROOT BEER JOURNEY,” a specialty root beer store that sells homemade barrel-aged root beer and several other types of root beer from around the world. He says he tends to attend art events rather than food events. Drinking root beer from around the world and Ryukyu Karate are your life’s work, and I hear that you are very knowledgeable about root beer.
Takada： Yes. I study it on my own.
Takano (MC): The clothes you are wearing today also say “ROOT BEER. It is cool.
Celeina：It’s nice. I’d like to start by asking what root beer is.
Takada：I call it a “medicinal meal beverage”.
Celeina： Medicinal meal?
Takada：Root beer is the parent of Dr. Pepper and Cola, and is what is called a spiced carbonated beverage. It is said that the prototype of spiced drinks started with root beer.
Celeina： I didn’t know that.
Takada：It is not familiar in Japan, but there are many varieties all over the world, and it is actually a very major drink.
Takano：Do you mean that it was around before cola?
Takada： Yes, that’s right. It was originally a derivative of beer, but it is also a very mysterious drink and has a long history.
Takano: I was wondering if Dr. Pepper could also be lumped in with the root beer genre.
Takada： In a broad sense, it can be called root beer. The definition of root beer is something that has root in it and is schwirly.
Takano：Does the “root” in root beer mean “root” as in roots of plants?
Takada： Yes, it does.
Celeina: A root beer is the root of a plant. Does it mean that the roots are schwirly?
Takada: Roots usually contain ingredients called saponins. This is true for burdock root and dandelion root, but they become foamy just by boiling them. That alone is a root beer, but when ginger is added, it can be called a root beer completely.
Takano: Is ginger ale also root beer?
Takada： Ginger is also a root, so it is a type of root beer.
Takano: It is interesting to discover.
Takada：That’s right. It’s not well known at all.
Takano：It is very nice to hear from the definition of this area, as it seems to expand the world.
