In China, which belongs to the same liquor culture region of multiple parallel fermentation, fermentation was already called 'Ko' in the age of the Sung dynasty, according to a brewing treatise titled "Hokuzan Shukei" (book on brewing technique), the preface of which is known to be written in 1117.
同じ並行複発酵の酒文化圏である中国では、序文が1117年に書かれたことがわかっている醸造技術書『北山酒経』によれば、すでに宋(王朝)の時代に「酵」と呼ばれていた。