1>38 



Ingredients of 



Procefs. 

 ^ericots arc 

 koiled in water. 



■<*-then mixe^ 

 with wheat 

 flour. 



—and thinly 

 fpread out in a 

 veflel covered 

 up. 



A peculiar 

 mouidtnefs Is 

 fufFered to come 

 on by admitting 

 the air : 



Chinese soV. 



nay five years refidence in (heir country, in my attempts (o aC» 

 certain correctly the manner of treating a fpecies of filk-worm 

 (irhich affords its thread five or fix times in tlie year, as well as 

 their methods of dying cotton and filk and feveral other branches 

 of domeftic oiconomy. 



Having fi nee received for a confiderable remuneration true 

 notions concerning thefe objeds, I faw how far the former re- 

 citals had differed from the truth. The fame thing happened 

 in my attempts to difcover the preparation of foy; but as I at 

 laft became perfe6lly acquainted with it, I think it proper to 

 communicate the fame to the academy. 



Soy is prepared with a fpecies of haricots (which are white 

 and fmaller than thofe of Turkey) wheat flour, common fait, 

 and water. The following are the proportions; 50 pounds of 

 haricots, 50 pounds of fait, 60 pounds of wheat flour, and 

 250 pounds of water. 



After having well waffled the haricots, they are boiled in 

 well-water in an open veffel for fome hours, or until they have 

 become fo foft as to be worked between the fingers. During 

 the boiling they muff be kept covered with water to prevent 

 their burning, and care muff be taken not to boil them too 

 much, becaufe in that cafe too much of their fubftance would 

 remain in the water of deco6lion. The haricots being thus 

 boiled, are taken out, and put into large (hallow wooden vef- 

 feis, which in China are made of thin ffaves of bamboo, two 

 inches and a half in depth, and five feet in diameter. In thefe 

 they are fpread out to the depth of two inches, and when they 

 are cold enough to be worked with the hand, the wheat flour 

 is gradually thrown in and well mixed with the haricots, until 

 the whole of the before-mentioned quantity has been ufed. 

 When the mafs becomes too dry, fo that the flour does not 

 mix well with the haricots, a little of the hot water of deco6tion 

 is added. 



The whole being well mixed, the mafs is then fpread abroad 

 in the veflels before-mentioned, taking care that its depth ftiall 

 not be more than an inch or an inch and a half; and the mafs 

 is then covered by a lid which fits exa6lly. When the mafs 

 begins to become mouldy and heat is difengaged, which hap- 

 pens after two or three days, the cover is then raifed by put- 

 ting two fficks beneath it, in order that the air may have free 

 accefs. During this time a rancid odour exhales, and if the 



