So (dairy product)

So (reproduced）

So (蘇) was a type of dairy product made in Japan between the seventh and 10th centuries.^[1] The method of creation is noted in Engishiki as so acted as a gift in kind to the emperors. Daigo was produced by further processing so.

The first record of so was made during the era of Emperor Mommu (697-707 AD). Tennyakuryo, then a part of the Ministry of Imperial Household, was responsible for the production of so. It was used as a medicine and as an offering to gods.

The production sites known to date include Ajifu in Settsu (current Higashiyodogawa-ku in Osaka). So is made by solidifying layers of milk skin. The flavor is light, similar to that of cottage cheese.

References

1. "チーズの歴史　日本乳業協会　 (History of Cheese, by Japan Dairy Industry Association)" (in Japanese). Retrieved 2011-02-11.