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• Sake is made from fermented rice, water and koji - white rice imbued with a special kind of mold. It ranges from sparkling to namazake (which tastes best straight from the vat, unpasteurised)
• During brewing, fermentation produces acids and glucose that bacteria thrive on. These bacteria will deteriorate the sake quality, so refrigeration is necessary to slow down their growth.
• Temperature-controlled containers are used to export sake. It is recommended to refrigerate sake at 5-10 degrees Celsius.
• Did you know that 1 October is World Sake Day (Nihonshu no Hi)? It makes the start of a new sake-brewing season that lasts until April the following year. October also ushers in autumn, a time when spring’s young brews mellow and start to become more complex.
• This is why hiyaroshi and akigari - sake variants - are only available in autumn. As they have been stored in the brewery for close to a year, they have milder, more well-rounded flavours. They typically pair well with fatty varieties of fish, mushrooms & seasonal vegetables.
• The best way to savour sake is to let it slowly wash over your tongue. Don’t down it like a shot.
• Typically restaurants start with a light nigori sake, then an elegant junmai daiginjyo paired with seafood and sashimi, followed by a more intense koshu (aged) sake paired with beef, and then a sweet, smooth sake to go with dessert.
• Sake goes well with fresh oysters as its cleansing properties remove the oysters’ briny taste.
• Most sake should not be heated to over 50 degree Celsius.
• Watch Erik Shirai’s ‘The Birth of Sake’ to understand how the labourers go through thick and thin for six months to brew sake at Tedorigawa sake brewery.