Turning fruits into wine not only found a new way of consumption but also gave the wine a unique flavor.
Kiwifruit, bayberry, orange, grape, blueberry, red date, cherry, lychee, peach, persimmon, strawberry, and other fruits can all be used to make fruit wine, and each type of fruit wine has a unique taste.
The brewing of fruit wine allowed fruits to continue their "life" in another form, transforming into another endlessly delightful taste.
Fruit wine, for the land of China, has a long and continuous historical evolution.
In ancient China, it is said that more than two thousand years ago, after Emperor Qin Shi Huang completed his hegemony of unifying the six states, he became obsessed with immortality and sent the alchemist Xu Fu to sea to search for the elixir of immortality.
To prepare for the sea voyage, Xu Fu searched everywhere for strong and healthy boys and girls to accompany him.
When he passed through Rao'an County, which was then under the jurisdiction of the former Qi Kingdom, and is now Yanshan Qiantong Town, he found that the people there were all strong and healthy, with few illnesses.
This greatly puzzled him; at that time, wars were frequent, and people were displaced, with most having weak constitutions, so why were the people here so healthy?
Thus, Xu Fu began to observe the local people's living habits and soon discovered that the people of Qi liked to eat red dates and often drank date wine.
Xu Fu recruited three thousand boys and girls there and ordered the construction of wineries to start brewing date wine, firstly to help those at sea resist the biting cold winds, and secondly to dispel dampness.
Later, Xu Fu led his fleet eastward, reaching what would later become Japan, and also spread the art of brewing date wine there.
From this, it can be seen that the history of date wine can be traced back at least two thousand years.
Long before, people in the folk had discovered this fine brew.
As for whether other fruits were used for brewing at that time, it is difficult to verify now, but it is certain that before the Qin Dynasty, fruit wine brewing had already quietly emerged among the common people.
During the Han and Tang Dynasties, fruit wine experienced vigorous development.
Dongfang Shuo of the Han Dynasty, in Qiantong Town, carefully brewed wine again by combining red dates with herbs, producing a wine with a rich aroma and mellow taste.
In the Peking Opera "Capturing and Releasing Cao," there is a line "Rao'an sells wine for a trip," which indirectly confirms the fame of Qiantong wine at that time.
By the Tang Dynasty, Qiantong wine was even more favored by literati and scholars.
The great Tang Dynasty poet Li He once wrote the famous lines "Glass cup, amber thick, pearls red drip from the small trough wine," praising Qiantong wine.
The Tang Dynasty enjoyed economic prosperity and a rich life for its people, and the pursuit of quality of life also increased daily. The development of fruit wine thus entered the fast lane, with various fruit wines emerging like bamboo shoots after rain, presenting a scene of prosperity.
Legend has it that Yang Guifei had a special fondness for pomegranate wine, and Emperor Xuanzong of Tang even specially arranged for dedicated people to brew pomegranate wine for her.
The poem by Qiao Zhizhi, a Tang Dynasty poet, "Pomegranate wine, orchid and osmanthus fragrant, dogwood sweet, may you stay your golden saddle, and share this beautiful year with me," also became an eternal classic praising fruit wine.
By the Song Dynasty, sweet wine made from citrus even earned the elegant name "Dongting Spring Color."
And by the Yuan Dynasty, according to historical records such as the "Zhejin Zhi," pomegranate wine, jujube wine, and other fruit wines were common types at the time.
It can be said that the development of fruit wine has witnessed thousands of years of historical changes in China.
Even Link's parents in his previous life enjoyed brewing bayberry wine at home.
Wines brewed from different fruits each have their unique flavors and characteristics.
It was this unique flavor that instantly captured Farahsiya's taste buds.
Seeing the satisfied expression on Farahsiya's face, Link knew that this matter was almost certainly going to succeed.
"Princess, how do you find the taste of my elven fruit wine?" Link had even given the wine a pleasant name, and he asked with a smile.
Farahsiya nodded repeatedly, her eyes full of admiration: "It's indeed good. For my personal taste, this wine is superior to the strong liquor brewed by the Dwarves... I just don't know about the price?"
"As for the price, it will be a bit higher, but still within a reasonable range, after all, the quality of this wine is evident," Link replied.
Farahsiya deeply agreed: "This wine has a mellow taste, without the spicy, choking sensation of Dwarves' liquor. I imagine it will be loved by more people, and even if the price is higher, I think many will be willing to buy it. You specifically showed me this elven fruit wine, are you hoping to use my merchant guild to sell this fine wine?"
"Princess is indeed intelligent, but please don't rush. I have two other products here that I would like to invite you to sample as well."
With that, Link opened the remaining jars one by one.
The jars contained several types of perfume and soap.
Speaking of perfume, most people often associate it with France, perhaps because many famous brand perfumes are produced in France.
In fact, the origin of perfume can be traced back to ancient civilizations such as Egypt, India, Rome, Greece, and Persia.
The English word "perfume" comes from the Latin "Parfumare," meaning "to penetrate smoke." Related perfumes have been discovered in ancient Egyptian tombs.
Ancient Egypt was the first country to transform perfume from sacred use to daily use.
Initially, perfume was used in religious ceremonies, only priests could use it, and only priests could participate in its production, so many temples at that time had dedicated perfume laboratories.
Later, perfume was also used in the funerals of Egyptian royalty. After the death of a royal member, people would wrap their bodies with spices to make mummies, and this honor was only enjoyed by those of noble status.
It was not until around 1500 BC that perfume gradually became widespread, usually referring to essences and ointments made from spices, used for and after bathing.
Most of these perfumes were stored in exquisite containers.
In Egypt during that period, it was illegal not to wear perfume in public places, which shows the importance of perfume at that time.