We had one of our contributing editors, Anastasia, goto the ‘Bringing Sake to the table occasion’ and listedbelow is her piece on the experience.
Soju has had its turn in the sun, now it’s time to provide sake some love. Made from fermented rice, water, koji (rice mould) and yeast, sake is frequently referred to as Japanese rice whitewine, however its production procedure is closer to that of beer than whitewine. Of course, the intake of any alcoholic drink needto be in smallamounts however, unlike most redwine, sake has no preservatives or sulphites, and its heavy amino acid profile has numerous health advantages that assistance immune function, muscle density, skin flexibility and more. It’s these amino acids and its low levelofacidity (a 3rd of that in whitewine) that make the drink the perfect buddy for a variety of foods.
I foundout this at a sake tasting occasion in Sydney, called Embracing the Unique & Diverse Pairing Potential of Sake, where, to the surprise and pleasure of my taste buds, I was dealtwith to a choice of food and sake pairings produced by prominent Japanese sake sommelier and sake samurai Marie Chiba.
The occasion was held as part of the Bringing Sake to the Table project, which presents Japanese sake as a flexible enhance to any meal, whether delightedin at home, with buddies, or in fine-dining facilities. Its variety sets it apart from other alcoholic drinks, with a variety of stylish to light offerings, from abundant to fragile in flavour. Various sake tasting occasions and workshops are being held in Sydney from January to March 2024, to welcome individuals to checkout the varied methods in which to delightin sake beyond custom and to find how well Japanese sake sets with a range of meals offered in Australia.
Upon goinginto the place, we were welcomed with a generous chicken katsu sandwich with a sweet orange marmalade, alongwith a glass of gleaming sake (Fukucho Seaside Sparkling Junmai), which had both fruity and citrus notes. Marie advised us to sip the sake with each bite of food, as if you were squeezing a lemon onto the sandwich. The vibrant, sweet mix of flavours was so well wellbalanced and delightfully moreish. Fortunately for me, I discovered out there were more food and sake pairings to come throughout the night, however veryfirst we were to watch a screening of Kampai! – Sake Sisters, a documentary revealed for the veryfirst time in Australia.
I came into this not understanding much about sake or even having consumed much sake inthepast. The movie was both boosting and emotional, with a strong message of woman empowerment. It checksout the world of sake developing, which today is being originated by ladies in Japan. Traditionally, females weren’t enabled to action foot into a sake brewery, let alone be included in its production. The stories of the “sake siblings” expose the decision and grit of these females in the market and, while it might noise cliché, are genuinely motivating.
Back to the tastings. We were then brought thee mini whitewine glasses of s