114 sats \ 1 reply \ @cryotosensei 10 Mar \ on: Stacker Saloon
I am a bit surprised to learn that many Stackers are teetotallers. But me asking the alcohol question made me dig up my materials on sake. This is just me decluttering my notes (and hoping to earn some petty sats haha)
Let’s Learn About Sake
- 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.