Dear Sake Drinker,
Welcome to the February Issue of America's sake-centric Newsletter. In
this issue learn how to give something that YOU love, find a
Valentine's gift or two for those who are stuck, read about the chilly
sake market conditions in B.C. Canada, see how sake and southern
soul/Creole food dance, taste the new unpasteurized "nama" arrivals,
and get schooled about sulfites (or not) in the sake industry.
In this issue:
Sake Love - A True St. Valentine's Gift
Uggghhhhhhh! St. V's Day! What the heck is it really? A chance to tell
the one you love that you love them and a chance to ask somebody that
you'd like to love out on a prix fixe date! I was reminded of this
strolling the gentle isles of Walgreens taking in the mountains of
Hallmark Greeting cards - and I mean mountains and mountains. So many
cards - so many ways to say the same thing in so many different
manners: "I love you" and "Let me take you out for a prix fixe meal"
and of course "I love you mom." Second verse same as the first -
Uggghhhhhh!
Valentine's Day is a Hallmark hickey just like "Sweethearts' Day" and
"Boss' Day" (A day that I have never received a thing from a few
certain folks) - a day generated by a department to create more
income. Well if they can do it so can we! In the next section please
note several gift ideas if you are stuck or forced into giving a gift
to the one that you love or the one you would like to take out for a
prix fixe meal and you have no clue what to give.
But it dawned on me that loving another may not matter at this
particular time of year. Maybe Valentine's Day should be considered
what you love yourself. No - I'm not talking about sending yourself a
card that says "I love me" - they have those I'm sure - nor is it
taking yourself out for a prix fixe meal - no maybe this is a day that
is meant to understand what you love and that is what should be
shared. Do you love greeting cards? No - so why in the hell share
them? Do you love prix fixe meals? No - so why in the hell subject
yourself to that meal regime that feels more like a cafeteria than a
dining experience - all the while being gawked at and ridiculed by a
wait staff that would rather be out eating prix fixe meal themselves.
No you don't love these!
What do you love? You love sake! Ahhhh so I should get a gift of sake
for people? You bet! But why? Because you love it. And then give a
brew that you love. Don't ask for a recommendation - and pay no
attention to the man behind the curtain who produced the list below -
don't think too much. Get two bottles of what you love - give one away
and give one to you know who!
Love thyself on V-Day and then give what you love to who you love. "I
love this sake, so instead of a card and a prix fixe meal, I want you
to taste my love - I want you to taste what love means to me." Does
this work for chocolate too? You bet! Chocolate is so cliché! Here is
a heart chocolate! Or designer chocolate shaped like woman's breast or
men's buttocks. Or here is a lime, ginger, wasabi, and 92% cocoa
chocolate bar made with ingredients from the rainforest. Here is a 5lb
bag of Hershey Kisses. Do you love these? Really? (Okay we all love
that crap! But look past that.) Giving sake is almost the equivalent
of giving a piece of art that you love, but for a whole lot less!
I am loving several sakes at the store at the moment. Love'em! I will
not fall into the card and dinner trap. I will say that what is in
these bottles expresses love for me better than Dan or Ed in the
Valentine's Day Card Department at Hallmark. Although Dan and Ed's
words are powerful and so on mark "Let me count the ways I love you"
and "My love for you is hot hot hot" they don't quite capture the same
feelings that reside in a great bottle of sake. For most bottles of
sake are loved to begin with. Do you know how much love goes into a
hand-crafted sake? I do, and it would blow your mind. If effort and
detail, and if determination and persistence could be considered love,
then sake is just that - love in a bottle. With all due respect to Dan
and Ed at Hallmark and the Hershey Chocolate machine, which now
resides in Mexico, love best comes in the form of what you love. And
you love sake.
Now you may want to try to dress up your gift of sake with Dan and Ed
in mind, but please resist the temptation. Nothing brings down a
bottle of great sake than a note that reads "Taste Me" or "Liquid
Love" or "Guzzle My Love Juice" or "Sake 2 You" or "The Gift That
Keeps On Sippin'" or "I Won't Wine You - Won't Dine You - But After
This Sake I'll 69 You" or "Serve This Hot - Like You!" or "This Sake
Is As Sweet As You!" or "Rose Are Red, Violets Are Blue, I Want To
Pour This Sake and Drink It Off You" or "This Is My Message In A
Bottle And You Are The Ocean" or "You Are The Rice And I am The Water
- Let's Drink This Sake And Make a Daughter" or "Let's Get Sake
Bombed" or this timeless gift killer "Let Me Put My Love Into You."
Are we on the same page now? Get the sake that you love and gift it
with very little wording. (Oh and this holds perfectly true for secret
admirers as well.)
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Sake Gifts - For Those Who Need a V-day Helping Hand
The best gift advice we could give is in the section above! But for
those who have a problem getting it right or feel as if they need that
little bit of "Dr. Love" help then we are here for you - The Sake Love
Doctors!
What follows is a list of sakes that will run circles around fancily
worded greeting cards, boxes of designer chocolates, and bushels of
sweetly colored flowers and in the end will probably cost a whole lot
less. We "Sake Love Doctors" have taken taste, packaging, name and
presentation all into consideration to represent what you want to say
and give as the ultimate gift of your LOVE (in sake form).
Shiritake Jozen Mizunogotoshi "Pure Flavor"
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A very well dressed beveled bottle of sake that has pink written all
over it. The larger two sizes come in boxes and this brew tastes
better than it looks! Good for those recipients who like clean and
smooth sakes on the drier side.
$15 (300ml) / $32 (720ml) / $58 (1.8L)
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A Two-Pack of Sparkling Sakes
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Try giving two little bottles of sparkling sake for that special
bubbly occasion. The first is Hana Hou Hou Shu ($16/300ml) that is
pink on the outside and sweet and crisp on the inside. The second
Hana-awaka ($6/250ml) Sparkling Sake that is light and bubbly and of
course is packaged in a pink bottle.
$20 for the two-pack (Save $2)
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A Two-Pack of Nigori "Cloudy" Sakes
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So your recipient likes unfiltered sake? Then why not baffle him or
her with two unique nigori sakes - one on the fruitier creamier side
and the other touching on a nice dryness. The packaging of Sayuri
($9/300ml) and Kizakura ($13/300ml) will please immediately, but the
flavors will win over the day.
$20 for the two-pack (Save $2)
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Shutendouji Meitaikan "Vulnerable Virgin"
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Don't let this Vulnerable Virgin fool you as the sexy packaging is
highlighted by an unusually long bottleneck. A very smooth and round
Junmai Ginjo that speaks soft and with a sultriness that belongs on
Feb 14th. The label and similar accompanying box are sure to
stimulate.
$42 (720ml)
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A-zen Ai "Love"
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You can't pick a better name than this bottle of koshu or aged sake
that has been 5 years in the making. One of the smoothest and best
drinking aged sakes that would appeal to red wine and after dinner
wine drinking recipients. With a brilliant red box this sake is
rich, round and fabulous, and is a great gift to take a sake drinker
to the next level.
$70 (720ml)
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Akitabare Suirakuten "Heaven of Tipsy Delight"
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Reveal to your recipient the name of this Daiginjo sake then let
nature take its course. A super clean and gentle brew that sings so
gently that it appeals to all. A very unique white box with flowing
gold kanji conceals one of the most pristine sakes in the store. An
elegant ride into the heavens of tipsy delight.
$58 (720ml)
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Sake Book and a Bottle of Sake
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Why not give the loving gift of knowledge - oh and a great bottle of
sake to go with it! Author and head brewer Philip Harper makes the
perfect present - a tremendous book ($25) he wrote about all things
sake with an accompanying bottle of sake ($55) that he made in his
brewery in Kyoto. Great book and great sake - what a great idea!
$75 for the pair (Save $5)
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Sake Reality - Sake Sales in B.C. Canada
I like to stay in touch with importers from all over the world to get
a sense of what others are doing and what hurdles they must jump
through in their particular parts of the world. I often complain that
we have it bad in the US, as per importing rules and regulations and
of course taxation. (Oh let's not forget the hell known as inter-state
shipment of alcohol!) But when I read what my friends in Canada go
through I thank my - our - lucky stars.
Ken Watai is the president of Jizake Japan North America - an
importing company, and in my New Year's Hello to Ken, I asked how
things were. (We sell one of his brews at True Sake - the famous Yuu-
ga which I really like for the price and quality.) First the good news
- he said sales were up last year even though volume was down, but
then he scared the crap out of me with the following paragraph:
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Here in BC, the market is absolutely too small. I think the sake
market in California is 20 times larger than British Columbia (BC,
Canada) market. In addition to this, the provincial government is
the only organization which can import alcoholic beverages in
Canada. I must sell all my sake to BC Government prior to the
importation (CIF). When I sell my sake to the government, they add
117% as handling and marketing charges. In addition to this,
another 10% Provincial Social Tax and 5% Good and Service Federal
Tax are added at the sales counter. BC Liquor Distribution Branch
(BC Provincial Government) made $891 million dollars Profit (about
850 million US dollar) last year out of revenue of $2.8 billion.
Population in BC? Only 4 million people. So, the wine price in BC
is 40-50% higher than California. Good thing is not too much
competition here and absolutely no chance that the buyer gets
bankruptcy. In any event here in BC it's not a good place for
wine/sake business.
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Man that is rough. So Ken, I will ask all of our Canadian readers to
buy more sake, and I will also tell the many Canadian officials who
visit and call on True Sake to "BACK OFF" and let you guys make a
better market for the good sake folks of Canada.
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Sake Events
February 23th - Ichishima Sake Dinner at Blowfish
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Date: Tuesday, February 23rd, 2010
Time: FIRST SEATING at 6:30pm / SECOND SEATING at 8:45pm
Where: Blowfish Sushi To Die For 2170
Bryant Street, San Francisco, CA 94110
What: A delectable prefix dinner paired with five of Ichishima's top
sakes. Chef Kenichi will be preparing many varieties of Japanese
traditional & exotic dishes to be paired with Ichishima sakes. Guest
speakers will be Kenji Ichishima & Michael Simkin. There will be no
shortage of dishes to indulge in!
Hosted By: Kenji Ichishima, Owner of Ichishima Shuzo; Michael
Simkin, America's leading sake expert & ambassador for Ichishima;
Andy Mirabell, Director of Operations of the Blowfish Sushi chain;
and Kenichi Kawashima, Executive Chef of Blowfish Sushi.
Cost: $75.00 per guest
Charged on the day of event. A credit card will be taken to hold the
reservation slot & the booking manager will review the cancellation
policy.
RSVP: Call Blowfish Sushi To Die For at (415) 285-3848
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February 25th - Ichishima Tasting for Serious Sake Tasters
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Date: Thursday, February 25th, 2010
Time: 6:45-8:00 (NOTE: the store will close early at 6:30 for this
event.)
Where: True Sake, 560 Hayes Street
What: It is a private, "working" tasting, not a sake date. All sake
will be covered. You will taste several sakes blind, pick your
favorite three, then give a thorough feedback to Mr. Ichishima. This
is for serious tasters only.
Spot: 6 spots open (plus several invited guests.) There will not be
any food, so please eat snack before hand or plan to eat afterword
at nearby restaurants.
RSVP: Call True Sake at (415) 355-9555
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February and March: Sake Brewery Tours
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Over the years I have been asked countless times "How can I visit
sake breweries?" and for years I said that if you are lucky then
there is a remote chance that a brewery will open their doors to
"outsiders." But I also said, "don't hold your breath!" Guess
what? You can breathe again because you are in luck! My dear
friend Etsuko Nakamura heard all of your pleas and she decided to
do something about it! Here is a quick email from her:
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Hey Beau, I would appreciate if you could announce to your
readers the start of the Sake World Sake Brewery Tours program.
Now anyone can access the inner workings of the sake world.
Visit Japan, start off with a bit of formal sake education by
John Gauntner, then visit several breweries to meet the artisans
and learn about them in depth. Tours include dinners each
evening designed to match local sake-including the freshest
shinshu-and cultural exploration of the region. There are two
full-service tours:
Tour I: February 23 to 27 in the Kansai (Osaka/Kyoto/Kobe) area
Tour II: March 15 to 19 in the San-in (Shimane and Tottori) area
For more information, pricing, and reservations please go to
saketours.com. Participation is extremely limited!
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Etsuko also left some elegant handouts at the store for those who
would like to see something in hand form! This is truly a
wonderful opportunity and I would jump at this offering if you
ever wanted to get up close and into it in a brewery while they
are brewing! (Unheard of!)
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Sake Challenge - Sake vs. Southern Comfort Food
I am on a spiritual sake quest that will finally put a nail in the
coffin of "sake can only be consumed at a sushi restaurant" mantra.
Wake up people! Food and sake go together - always have and always
will. If it has a tail, roots, feathers, leaves, or a damn beak sake
will go with it - anytime and any place. And that is my quest - the
place or origin of the cuisine does not matter. It can be Spanish,
Italian, Brazilian or ughhhh British chow and sake will walk the walk.
Japan has chickens! Japan has salad! Japan has beef! Japan has spicy
and savory dishes! Japan has sweet and salty fare, so why not think
about having sake with these "tones" from other countries?
The Sake Challenge is my way for you great consumers to see outside of
the sushi paradigm, and to achieve this "new view on brew" I will
usually select two different sake styles and price-points and bring
them to a non-Japanese restaurant with a celebrity, sake-sleuth or
hell even a friend in tow. Read about past challenges:
When reviewing restaurants and their specific cuisines paired with
sake I use the following criteria:
- Works World Class (WWC)
- Works Well (WW)
- Works (W)
- Does Not Work (DNW)
This criterion is more true to the mission of bringing a beverage to a
restaurant not knowing what you will pair with. The point is to make
the general pairings "work." Rare is the day that you bring a specific
wine or sake to pair with a specific dish - we look for generalities
and the entire eating/drinking experience. Think of fishing with a net
as opposed to a hook and line - a pairing is supposed to reach out and
catch more flavors as opposed to just hitting one match.
Once again I was fortunate enough to coax Kazu Yamazaki from Japan
Prestige Sake International, Inc to follow in tow on the latest Sake
Challenge. But where would our dear beverage take us this month? How
about Southern Soul/Comfort Food with a NOLA twist that can only be
found on
"The Front Porch" in the Mission.
I've had challenged sake in New Orleans and we recently did a comfort
food pairing at Blue Plate "Americana Cuisine," but these flavors were
a little more subtle and unique. In a word the Cajun/Creole influences
were very muted and perhaps a little more elegant than what you would
find down in the swamp. Kazu wanted to have my Urakasumi Honjozo as
one of the brews (he did not know that we were going to The Front
Porch) and I added the dry but well-bodied brew from Kochi prefecture
under the assumption that it would do well with fried elements.
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Tsukasabotan Fuin Junmai Ginjo
From Koichi Prefecture.
SMV: +5 Acidity: 1.4
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Urakasumi Honjozo Genshu
From Miyagi Prefecture.
SMV: -1 / Acidity: +1.5
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And away we goooooooooooo!
1st Course: Gumbo with androuille sausage and stewed okara with
chicken
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Tsukasabotan - This pairing is very smart! The gentle dryness of the
brew works very well with the subtle gumbo (by gumbo standards) and
has a nice working relationship with the rice. The dish actually
makes the sake drink a little sweeter and the acidity play is very
elegant. A good clean companion. Kazu also noticed the sake drank a
little sweeter "the sweetness pops up," but he liked it.
BT - WW
KY- W
Urakasumi - Again the interesting thing about this dish is that it
makes both sakes drink sweeter, but it was far more noticeable with
the Urakasumi. This brew is large so it envelopes the flavors and
compacts them with a hint of acidity. I will say that when you had a
mouth full of chicken the sake drank better as a savory and sweet
pairing. Kazu said the sake was too large and dominated the
flavors.
BT - W
KY - DNW
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2nd Course: Spicy Shrimp and Grits Caroline - low country special of
sautéed shrimp, bacon, mushrooms, and garlic over Anson milled grits
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Tsukasabotan - There is a little conflict with the creaminess of the
grits and the sake, but the smoothness wins the day. The brew does
act as a fairly decent wash and generally rounds out all of the
flavors. Rice water and grits - such a funny concept but on the
whole they work more as a feeling pairing than a flavor
accompaniment. Kazu really liked this pairing a lot - which is even
more funny - a Japanese guy pairing sake with grits! He immediately
was taken with the fact that the sake brought out the buttery flavor
of the grits, and the smokiness of the dish gets enhanced by the
sake dancing with the shrimp and bacon etc.
BT - W
KY - WW
Urakasumi - The large sweetness of the brew comes immediately to the
forefront and goes right at the heat of the bacon and spicy shrimp
for a sweet heat effect. The acidity however competes and conflicts
with the creaminess of the grits. Again Kazu liked sake with this
dish, but for different reasons. He said that the Honjozo genshu
blends into and really harmonizes with the dish from the creamy to
smoky elements.
BT - W
KY - WW
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3rd Course: Fried catfish with hush puppies, coleslaw, and sweat
potato fries
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Tsukasabotan - First let me say that the temperature of the sakes
were closer to room temperature by this point. What a great flavor
combination - the cornmeal breading, the salty fish and the dry
ricey brew. I was impressed with the smooth and even notes of this
pairing, but it was the flavor union that worked oh so well. I guess
one would look for balance in a so-called pairing - this duo was the
epitome of balance and pure flavor. Ironically Kazu said "Nothing
happened" but I think this comment is like a new haircut that nobody
notices - it's a good thing!
BT - WW
KY - W
Urakasumi - The Urakasumi's girth goes right at the savoriness of
the dish creating a very nice sweet and savory play. What is unique
is that the smoothness of the large brew melds into the juicy and
oily nature of the dish and the cornmeal goes well with the
sweetness of the sake. Kazu said that this pairing was well
balanced.
BT - W
KY - W
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4th Course: Fried Chicken - Momma Clare's recipe with garlic mashers,
gravy and collard greens.
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Tsukasabotan - Sadly this very anticipated dish was a garlic bomb!
Of the three pieces of chicken, two were just way too G-force! Thus
it killed a pairing capability. The Tsukasbotan tries its best to
tamper down the huge garlic presence and does okay as a flavor push.
A nice sweetness comes out and the sake goes well with just the
flesh of the bird. Kazu just said "Too garlic."
BT - W
KY - W
Urakasumi - As garlic was the flavor of the dish this massive brew
jumped into the sweet hoop and the acidity of the pairing was the
last thing on stage. Sweet, garlic, and acidic! Yum. But there
wasn't a massive conflict - just a subtle tremor of a bad dish and a
good sake. Kazu just said "No!" LOL
BT - W
KY - W
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Summary:
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Okay so now we know from catfish to gumbo and from grits to gravy
sake does not falter or lie down and beg for mercy. Sake works! This
pairing had a lot of starch working with some exotic flavors to boot
and in most cases the two brews worked. Sadly there was no WWC
pairing but there were enough WW's to keep us smiling. What
impressed me the most was that the brew that I thought would do
better did not do as well as the sake that I thought may have some
problems. Thus it is a crapshoot where everybody wins! The
Tsukasabotan drank really well and was quite a pairing partner. And
the Urakasumi with its strength and gusto showed that you cannot
overwhelm some sakes with huge flavors - they can stand toe to toe.
All in all I liked the fact that if somebody were to go to a comfort
food shack - even one that was deeply influenced by NOLA sake would
be a welcomed dinner companion. Good pairing and good fun!
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New Store Arrivals - The First Spring Nama Flight and More!
Okay people! You have patiently waited for the seasonal release of
fresh, big and bold spring nama-zakes. And they are now here! The
first flight includes Nama-zakes from Harushika, Shutendouji,
Kamikokoro, and Ichinokura breweries. Look for large flavors galore
and taste the freshness. Those looking for tight, clean and crisp
flavors with a tingle of citrus jump on the Harushika. If you like it
dry and large with a lot of attitude grab a bottle of the Shutendouji
"oh oni" - Big Devil. Thinking about a layered and smooth nama with a
solid mouthfeel and a hint of fruity sweetness say hello to the
Kamikokoro. Lastly, those wanting to explore the immense and dry side
of nigori sake try out the Ichinokura, which is dry, crisp and a
whopping 19% alcohol.
Again, please note that these sakes are extremely limited and will
only be on the shelves for a short while. So get them while you can,
because it will be another long year before they come back. And
lastly, I have made a conscious decision to not apply my specific
reviews for these sakes in the this issue as - after so many years of
doing - I have came to realize that nama-zake shifts and changes in
the bottle at a far greater rate than pasteurized sakes. This means
that to write the best review I would have to update it almost weekly.
Some of these sakes will indeed taste different by the time they leave
the store and that is the way of the nama world!
Herewith are the specific details as per each sake:
Harushika "Spring Deer"
From Okayama Prefecture / Junmai Ginjo Nama
SMV: +2~+3 / Acidity:1.4 / $30 (720ml)
Shutendoji Oh-Oni "Big Devil"
From Kyoto Prefecture / Junmai Ginjo Nama
SMV: +4 / Acidity: 1.7 / $34 (720ml)
Kamikokoro Toukagen
From Okayama Prefecture / Junmai Nama
SMV: -9.5 / Acidity: 1.6 / $29 (720ml)
Ichinokura "Ace Brewery"
From Miyagi Prefecture / Junmai Nigori Nama
SMV: -1~+1 / Acidity: 1.6~1.8 / $27 (720ml)
Other New Arrivals:
Kamoshibito Kuheiji Betsu Atsurae
From Aichi Prefecture / Junmai Daiginjo
SMV: +/-0 / Acidity: 1.6 / $75 (720ml)
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Gassanryu
From Yamagata Prefecture / Junmai Daiginjo (Namachozo)
SMV: +1 / Acidity: 1.4 / $42 (720ml)
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Eiko Fuji "Glorious Mount Fuji"
From Yamagata Prefecture / Junmai Ginjo (Namachozo)
SMV: +3 / Acidity: 1.2 / $49 (720ml)
Now the sake come in single pasteurized form with a silver foil around the cap.
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You can review many of our sakes on our web site.
Our inventory list is here.
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True Sake Selects - Team True Sake Select Monthly Brews of Note
Miwa's Pick:
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Tamade Izumi Plum Sake
From Fukuoka Prefecture
Aged for a year, this "ume-shu" is made from sake, plum and
crystallized sugar. I first tasted last spring and its prominent
aroma of strawberry stayed with me.
$20 (720ml)
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Keiko's Pick:
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Chiyomosubi "Nezumiotoko" One Cup
From Tottori Prefecture. Junmai Ginjo.
Hi everyone this month I picked "Nezumiotoko" one cup, which is one
of Kitaro series one cups. Full ripe strawberry layer with hint of
steamed rice plumpness is melting on a pallet. Gentle powdery
texture has similar feeling as fresh spring breeze. Perfect with
slightly chilled temperature. Nice smooth finish. I like Kitaro a
lot. Nezumiotoko has similar smooth texture as kitaro.
$8 (180ml)
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Sake & Mi - Sake Thoughts from a Sake Explorer
This is the newest addition to the True Sake Newsletter! Did you know
the word "Miwa" was an ancient name for sake? You do now! So please
enjoy "sake thoughts" from Miwa the manager and new Partner of True
Sake - Beau.
First, I would like to thank Beau for giving me the spot in the
newsletter and the partnership. There is a lot of work ahead of us to
make True Sake even better place for all the sake lovers and beyond. I
thank each and every one of you for supporting the store for all these
years, and I look forward to serving you better this coming year.
Every day I drink sake. Every day I think about sake. Most days I
explain sake to people. I have been with the store for almost 6 years,
and from time to time people ask me, "How did you get into sake?" My
answer always has been "It was an accident." I thought that explaining
this would be a good start in this first issue of Sake & Mi.
Well over 8 years ago, I started to buy sake cups and glasses every
time I went home (Japan) even though I did not really drink. Simply
put, they were beautiful and made me want to taste something good in
them. The only time I drank sake was when I went to a sushi
restaurant. And just like everyone else, I bought Momokawa Pearl and
Silver a few times at a supermarket in J-Town. At this point in my
life, I did not know anything about sake (Nihon-shu) except two
things: my grandfather kept 1.8L bottle of not-so-pleasant smelling
sake by his side every night, and my father used sake (again, Nihon-
shu) for cooking his Shanghai-style dishes - yes, I am half Chinese by
blood.
One night I was at this joint in North Beach and asked for a sake
menu. I just wanted to treat myself to something good. The owner of
the joint is from Yamagata, and he was one of first restaurateurs who
put good sake on the menu. (Indeed, Beau got guidance from the chef
around the time the store was opening.) I opened the menu and started
to read. Some sake were around $7 per glass and others were more. Not
knowing anything about sake, I decided to pick one based on a
prefecture. I pick sake from Shizuoka, where I am from. This sake was
$15 per glass, and I almost hesitated to order. But then, I thought
why not.
The sake I ordered was Wakatake Onikoroshi Junmai Daiginjo, now a very
popular, well enjoyed sake among many sake drinkers. Having no
expectations, I took my first sip, then I thought, "How come sake
taste so nice?" The aroma of this sake was a far cry from the smell of
my grandpas sake and shattered my perception of Nihon-shu forever. The
"taste" memory of that evening stayed with me for a long time.
During this time in my life, I left my former profession and decided
to go back to my roots - food! (I grew up working in my parents coffee
shop, and later their restaurant.) Not knowing where to start, I went
to a culinary school, started to work in restaurants and food retail,
and joined a culinary group. It was at one of these monthly meetings
for the culinary group that I thought planning a sake tasting for the
group would be really cool. The idea of doing a tasting came to me
because I had been hearing the name "True Sake" here and there. One
afternoon, I dragged my friend with me to visit True Sake. The purpose
of the visit was to ask if they offered sake tasting.
Beau was not there, but Jeff (the first T.S. employee) was. My friend
and Jeff discovered that they were both chefs and started to talk
about food stuff and who's who. I stood quiet and gathered what I
needed. I gave my friend a signal that I was ready to go. I turned
around and headed toward the door. But, then, I remember two things: a
brand new business card I made for my personal chef business was in my
bag, and the lesson from a business planning class about "marketing
yourself no matter what." It is not really my style to promote myself,
but I paid for the business cards as well as the class. Quickly I
convinced myself, "Nothing to lose." I pulled out my business card and
accompanied it with my accidental words, "If you need a help at the
store, please let me know." The answer was "Actually, we are looking
for a third person."
A week or so later, I finally spoke to Beau over the phone, then the
following weekend I came back the store to work on a trial basis to
see if I liked it. At the end of that day, Beau asked me, "So, what do
you think?" I think I just nodded to that question and that was it. I
have been with the store ever since. Although it seemed like I ended
up here totally by accident, there were signs I recognized that this
was meant to be: my search for beautiful sake cups and glasses,
Wakatake, and floating words about True Sake. Being at True Sake was
something I never planned on, but it was a wonderful changing turn in
my life: I found something I belong to and believe in - Nihonshu.
Through Sake & Mi, I hope to share my humble understanding and love
for sake: describing sake flavors, cooking with sake, to experimenting
with sake that has gone bad to make it better, etc. I also hope to
share stories of people who make great sake. It is easy to say in the
moment whether a sake is good or bad, but understanding and respecting
why a particular sake tastes a certain way is an important element. My
commitment to the betterment of sake industry and my respect to sake
brewers are here to stay for a long time.
Sake Notes: So, while I wrote this piece I was sipping three different
sake. They were: Shutendoji O-Oni "Big Devil" Junmai Ginjo Nama
(seasonal and unpasteurized), Urakasumi Junmai (1.8L drinks good), and
"Akira" Organic Junmai Ginjo (yet to be imported.) If you have any
question, please let me know.
Back to top
"Ask Beau" - "Were there really sulfites used in the sake making process?"
Ha! The great thing about sake is that we all keep learning and
learning - me especially! So when I was trained - as in edu-macated
about the history of sake, I was told that yes indeed the sake
industry did partake in the use of sulfites as a preservative similar
to the wine industry. In fact, I own several older bottles of sake
with the word sulfite right there on the label - proof? Hmmmmmm. So
two newsletters ago I mentioned that the use of sulfites came to an
industry halt in the 70's! This I took for fact! It was mentioned as
fact in several of my course studies as well as in several books about
sake that I had accumulated over the years. Is it true?
I'm very proud to say that one of the greatest men in sake is a
"reader" of this rag. Too large of praise? Nope! Philip Harper is a
visionary giant amongst men in this industry, and his pioneering
accomplishments are second to none. I bow in his general direction!
(If you have never read a Philip Harper book - I highly recommend that
you do - we sell them at the store.) So I was very pleased and shocked
when I got one of "those" emails from Philip last week. "Those" = an
email where he sets things straight from a point of supreme confidence
of flat out just knowing! Oh by the way Philip is the first "head
brewer" in the history of sake who just so happens to be a white guy.
So I will share with you some further "edu-macation" on the topic of
sulfites in the sake industry:
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"BTW, it says in your newsletter that the sake industry used to
use sulfites, but I think you'll find this is wrong. They used
salicylic acid, which my (admittedly arts-graduate pathetic)
understanding of chemistry suggests is not a sulfite. If you want
a bit of trivia on the subject, the use of salicylic acid as a
preservative was suggested in the Meiji Period by one of the first
overseas students of the chemistry of sake. That was when sake
spoiling was an ever-present fact of life for breweries, and there
was debate amongst the first overseas visitors to study the
subject about the best preventative measures. A German guy
suggested the salicylic acid: the British researcher Atinson
recommended thorough sanitation with improvements in
pasteurization technique. The sake industry adopted the use of
salicylic acid, which was then outlawed in Europe and the USA a
few years later, though it was another half- century before the
sake industry caught up. The moral of the story being that you
should always listen to the British guy.
Best, Philip"
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Ha - I love getting schooled!
Please send your sake specific questions to
askbeau2 @ truesake.com. (This
address is not for general questions and I only review the questions
once per month. All other correspondence should use
info @ truesake.com.)
Back to top
The SECRET WORD
Ah, at last we have reached the end of this Newsletter and that of
course means that we have come to the now-famous SECRET WORD. To those
who are new the SECRET WORD is a chance for you to try a sake of note
for half of that sake's original price. Just for reading this
Newsletter. It is our way of saying thank you for trying to understand
the wonders of sake.
Please remember the rules: only one bottle per reader, and don't tell
your buddy at the moment if he/she isn't a Newsletter subscriber,
always use a hushed or secret agent voice when saying the SECRET WORD,
and lastly for those who have their sakes shipped we can only include
the SECRET WORD sake in a four-pack purchase - meaning you must buy
three other sakes.
This month's sake is a semi-dry Junmai from Aomori prefecture called
"Joppari." We would normally sell it for $27, but for you sake jockeys
we will part with this 720ml (with the box) for $14!
And the SECRET WORD is...check your email inbox -
We only give out the
SECRET WORD in the mailed Newsletter! So
sign up for the Newsletter!
Back to top
Thank you for reading!
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Consider this...
The sake making process is water intensive! Breweries easily use up to
25 times the weight of the brewing rice in water. Typically breweries
use two types of water - special well water for brewing and their
local municipality water for cleaning.
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STORE HOURS
mon-sat:
12pm-7pm
sun:
11am-6pm
560 Hayes St., San Francisco, CA 94102
CONTACT US
415-355-9555
info @ truesake.com
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Sake - A Modern Guide
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