Japanese Sake : All Japan News,Inc

Kosuke Kuji
Fifth Generation / Brewery Owner
Nanbu Bijin, Inc.

Born May 11, 1972. Entered Tokyo University of Agriculture’s Department of Brewing and Fermentation. In 2005 became the youngest person ever to receive the Iwate Prefecture Young Distinguished Technician Award. In 2006 was selected to be a member of the board of trustees of his local alma mater, Fukuoka High School. Currently is featured in a number of media outlets including magazines, radio, and television.
*Positions of Public Service: Chairperson, Cassiopeia Corporation Youth Conference; School Board Member, Fukuoka High School, Iwate Prefecture, Vice-Chairman, Technology Committee, Iwate Prefecture Brewers and Distillers’ Association

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by Kosuke Kuji

All-out sake brewing for this year has finally started. There is a warm winter trend this year which is causing slight difficulty in sake brewery, but no need to worry because breweries are well equipment with refrigerating facilities.

Well, there are a lot of new brews of sake being produced this season. What we would like to enjoy this season are the “new brews of sake.” Especially the sakes called “freshly pressed.” The new brews that are just pressed have an exceptional taste and the fine taste is doubled due to most of them not being pasteurized and produced in the draft state. All breweries are selling freshly pressed draft sake all at once exactly at this time so the Japanese sake markets rise to heights like it is a fresh brew festival.

New brew is freshly pressed and just created and quite fresh and fruity compared to normally sold sake. Also, since it is hardly aged it has a light taste and it seems very easy to drink.

New brew tastes good alone, but it will taste even better if you have it with seasonal side dishes with items like ‘sansai’ (edible wild plants) or ‘bamboo shoots’ etc that will be available soon that make you feel it’s springtime. What I suggest is by definitely enjoying sansai with new brew sake, the unique delicate bitterness of sansai matches with the freshness of the new brew, and the special sweetness and goodness of draft sake which is the slight sweetness it has compared to pasteurized sake matches well with sansai. Sansai is good as tempura or ‘ohitashi’ [boiled with katsuobushi (dried bonito) & soy sauce dressing]. I sincerely hope that you will enjoy them together.

Nanbu Bijin is also selling their new draft brew of “Tokubetsu Junmai” in the U.S. I don’t know if you can find any sansai but we would be most grateful if you can also enjoy new brew of Nanbu Bijin with side tastes that make you feel the season.

Yuji Matsumoto
Master Sake Sommelier

Finalist of the 2nd World Sake Sommelier Competition. Graduated from Keio University Faculty of Law, Department of Political Science. Worked for Nomura Securities for 10 years. Former president of California Sushi Academy Former chief of planning dept. at Mutual Trading. Currently working for Kabuki Restaurant Corp. as a Beverage Manager of Sake.

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by Yuji Matsumoto

Especially when it comes to pairing Japanese sake with food, many people likely think, "What's with the exaggeration…? It doesn't really matter."

However, the reality is we often pair many foods with beverages subconsciously. For example, Japanese confections after a meal are often paired with green tea or coffee, while hamburger meat is often enjoyed with soda, fried foods with beer, and Oreo cookies with milk are great examples of such everyday pairings.

In this issue, I'd like to pass on to our readers a trick that enhances one's abilities to pair sake with food.

First, please select three brands of sake with very different properties. The differences in properties are hard to tell without drinking the sake, but first, let's select the sake according to the information listed on each label.

For example, please select a Junmai Daiginjo, Tokubestu Junmai, and Junmai Kimoto, all produced in different regions like Akita, Niigata, and Hyogo prefectures, etc. Sake produced in the U.S. are reasonably priced, for including a few of these brands in the mix may also be fun.

Once we have the sake, please grab some wine glasses (white wine glasses are better). Please be sure to use the same shaped glass for each of the three sake brands. It's best to store the glasses in the refrigerator for approximately 3 hours and to maintain their temperature at 55 degrees Fahrenheit.

And now, for the cuisine. Those who have time can prepare the food yourself, of course. However, I recommend takeout for those who want to compare the sake with many dishes from various types of cuisine. There’s no need to stick with Japanese cuisine, for it’s fun to also pair sake with Chinese and Italian (please avoid excessively spicy or strong garlic-flavored dishes) cuisines.

Please be careful to compare the balance between the sake and the food upon consumption, the changes detected in the umami flavors, and any changes in the aroma particular to that food, and aftertaste. If these factors in the pairing are satisfying, then it’s safe to say the pairing was a "success."