Japanese Sake

1202

日本酒

People worldwide recognize sake (called seishu) — that’s how popular this alcoholic beverage has become. Japanese sake is derived from rice, koji (rice malt made of rice and natural yeast) and water. Rice is the staple food in the Japanese diet and an essential part of Japanese culture. Koji is the brewage element indispensable to production of soy source, miso (fermented bean paste), mirin (sweet cooking rice wine), Japanese vinegar, etc., which essentially gives Japanese food its umami (savory flavor). And lastly, water reflects local taste. Thus, sake is a crystallization of Japanese dietary culture.

Japanese sake is produced by groups of artisans led by master brewers called tohji. In some cases, the sake fermentation process is automated by the use of machinery. However, tohji still play an essential role in maintaining brand quality at many sake breweries.

For instance, one sakagura (sake brewery) called Mori no Kura is located in Kurume-shi, Fukuoka Prefecture. Founded at the end of the 19th century, Mori no Kura was established by a brewing family that moved to this location in quest of the perfect water to make junmai-shu (pure rice sake) only. Today, this sakagura is famous for its namesake Mori no Kura sake that reflects its legacy of dedication to fine brewing and its Komagura brand, specially created to suit a wide range of foods. Throughout Japan, many sakagura like Mori no Kura strive to maintain brewing traditions while working to develop innovative new sake selections.

Isetan Shinjuku constantly stocks about 300 sake brands from regions around Japan. This sake section enables you to choose the “right” sake that suits your taste and matches a variety of occasions. A tasting corner offers an enjoyable place to sample sake selections, which change on a weekly basis. Please talk to the staff if you plan to serve sake with dinner. These experts can give you excellent advice, based on familiarity with many sake brands and subtle taste differences. Why don’t you pick a flavorful sake for an exceptional dining experience?

MORI NO KURA BREWING CO.
http://www.morinokura.co.jp/en/

Japanese sake is made from steamed rice, rice malt (koji), and water. This photo shows the process of making koji, which is produced by cultivating the growth of koji mold (aspergillus oryzae) on the rice grains. To make this “nursery bed”, a large quantity of rice is made using a koshiki (steamer).

Sake brewers hand-spread steamed rice on top of a clean cotton cloth and let it cool.

Then, sake brewers spread koji-kin powder (koji mold spores) over steamed rice and mix evenly.

Koji quality relies on temperature, which greatly affects the taste of Japanese sake. Therefore temperature control is one of the crucial factors in sake production.

Koji preparation is completed after two days of work.

Steamed rice, koji, and water are combined with sake yeast starter to make shubo (literally “mother of sake”). This is repeated three times to cultivate mash (moromi). This entire fermentation process (shikomi) and maturation take about a month. Pressing (shibori) the moromi produces Japanese sake.

The more luxurious the type of sake, the more days required for rice milling. These small polished grains of rice have a mysterious beauty.

Mori no Kura sake brewery occuplies a building from the Meiji era.

Sake tasting using a wine glass is recommended to fully savor the fragrance. Sake is poured into a glass, which is tilted to see how much residue remains at the bottom. This allows measurement of alcohol content, according to the sake brewer.

The sake section at Isetan Shinjuku constantly stocks about 300 sake brands from regions around Japan.

2014-02-06 21:42:06

同級生が作っているお酒が紹介されていました。「独楽蔵」です。 IS JAPAN COOL? SHOPPING http://www.ana-cooljapan.com/shopping/

2014-02-19 17:39:29

IS JAPAN COOL? SHOPPING http://www.ana-cooljapan.com/shopping/

2014-04-29 14:58:35

IS JAPAN COOL? SHOPPING http://www.ana-cooljapan.com/shopping/

2014-04-29 19:13:30

IS JAPAN COOL? SHOPPING http://www.ana-cooljapan.com/shopping/

2014-05-15 13:49:05

so cool! IS JAPAN COOL? SHOPPING http://www.ana-cooljapan.com/shopping/

2014-05-28 15:50:38

6月6日（金）14時40分から商学部棟231教室にて、福岡県酒造組合からゲストとして（株）杜の蔵　代表取締役森永一弘さんにお越しいただきます。授業で資料として利用します。プロの写真、かっこいいです。 IS JAPAN COOL? SHOPPING http://www.ana-cooljapan.com/shopping/