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Japan is a country of contrasts. The whole world admires her brave samurai and remembers the crazy kamikaze not without respect. At the same time, the traditions of the Land of the Rising Sun often drive visitors into a stupor. Even Japanese drinks are a curiosity for us, the same sake. True, problems with rice beer arise only for those who know little about this drink and, moreover, do not know how to drink it correctly.
If you come to Japan, then you are a gaikokujin (外国人, literally “a person from an outside country”). Unlike the Mexican gringo, which can take on a negative connotation, for example, if you drink tequila incorrectly, gaikokujin is just a collective term for foreigners. However, it can easily be transformed into gaijin (外人) – a discriminatory word, sabetsuyogo, of an offensive nature. You will definitely become a gaijin if you disrespect sake.
Perhaps we should start by debunking cultural myths. The worst gaijins believe that sake is rice vodka. This is the biggest misconception, because this drink is the result of the fermentation of wort from rice and rice malt. No distillation is provided for its production. It would also be misleading to consider sake as rice wine, as its production technology involves mold fermentation. After all, no fructose is involved in the fermentation process, only starch.
In Japan, rice beer is called nihonshu. Sake), and in everyday life with the words sake (jap. liqueur) or o-sake (Japanese おliqueur) locals denote any alcoholic beverages.
Sake is rice beer, nothing more. Certain varieties of rice are made into a must, which is then fermented with the koji mold (Aspergillus oryzae) and yeast. The styles and quality of this Japanese alcoholic drink depend on two ingredients: water and rice. Today, about 60 types of rice with a high starch content are used to produce sake. The best varieties are ‘Yamadanishiki’ from Hyogo Prefecture and ‘Omachi’ from Okayama Prefecture. Styles of the drink are determined by the degree of grinding of the grain. It is believed that the smaller the polished rice, the more interesting the drink is.
The classification of sake is quite extensive. In general, there are two main types: futsushu (普通酒) and tokutei meishoshu (特定名称酒). Futsushu is something like table wine. Tokutei meishoshu is premium sake, which will be discussed further. Perhaps I’ll also say a few words about water and we can move on to the traditions of drinking this amazing drink. The role of water in the production of sake is very important. It is believed that soft water produces a more “feminine”, light sake – this is prepared, for example, in Kyoto. Harder water, such as in Kobe, produces a thicker, “masculine” sake.
How a Samurai Drinks Sake and a Good Gaikokujin
Still think that sake is only served warm? You risk becoming a gaijin. This is another cultural myth. In general, it is believed that low-quality sake, from the Futsushu series, is drunk warm, but premium varieties should be drunk slightly chilled. This is also partly misleading. The Japanese themselves do not mind drinking both cold nihonshu and warmed up, up to 55 ° C. But experimenting with expensive varieties, such as “ginjo-shu” or “daiginjo-shu”, must be very, very careful.
First you need to know what sake is drunk from. It is served in small jugs, which are collectively called tokkuri – a ceramic flask with a volume of about 360 ml. Tokkuri is also often referred to as “choshi”, although choshi is more commonly made of metal. Tokkuri come in a variety of shapes and sizes. In everyday life, they mainly use Tsuru-kubi, Mentori, Rosoka, Henko and Kabura
Tokkuri with sake is served on a special ceramic stand, which the descendants of the samurai call “tokkuri-hakama”.
Sake is drunk from small sakazuki bowls made of clay, glass, or wood. There are also small square “tubes” with a volume of 30-40 ml. Sake used to be drunk from large bowls that were passed around, but today this ritual is obsolete. From sakazuki, the drink should be drunk in small sips, stretching the pleasure for many hours.
What is very important: pouring yourself sake from tokkuri is considered bad manners, only a stupid gaijin does this. During the meal, you should treat your neighbor with a drink from your tokkuri, and he, in turn, should take care of you.
Pouring yourself sake from tokkuri is considered bad manners. While drinking nihonshu, your table neighbor should take care of this, as well as you about his sakazuki.
A few words about heated sake. At home, preparing a Japanese drink is quite simple. To do this, dip your tokkuri in a pot or kettle of hot water for a few minutes. Depending on the serving temperature, warm sake is divided into:
- “hinatakan” (“sunny”) – 30 ° C,
- “Itohadakan” (“human skin”) – 35 ° C,
- “nurukan” (“slightly warm”) – 40 ° C,
- “jokan” (“warm”) – 45 ° C,
- “Atsukan” (“hot”) – 50 ° C
- “tobikirikan” (“extra”) – 55 ° C.
Experiment with heat, but remember good sake doesn’t need it!
What does a samurai and a good gaikokujin drink sake with?
Some styles of sake are best served chilled, while others are served warm or almost hot. The same is true with food. To begin with, I will say that sake can be drunk as an aperitif or digestif, so gastronomic accompaniment is not necessary. The simplest style is honjozo (“honjozo”) – during the production of this sake, a little distillate is added to the fermented wort. Honjozo has a light, slightly rough citrus taste. Such sake is pleasant to drink, both chilled and warmed up to 50°C, with any seafood, in particular with sushi, sashimi and teriyaki.
The more premium daiginjo (“daiginjo”), which is prepared in the middle of winter from only 50-60% polished rice, is usually drunk chilled or at room temperature. Such sake does not need an appetizer, and if such a need arises, lamb, duck or sashimi dishes will be an ideal accompaniment. By the way, in the homeland of this drink, they prefer to drink junmai daiginjo (“junmai daiginjo”), a brighter representative of daiginjo with pronounced tones of melon, orange and sage in the aroma.
Finally, if you decide to earn the reputation of a decent gaikokujin, I recommend ordering sake genmai (“genmai”) in the company of the Japanese. This style of sake is made from unpolished brown rice, so the drink has a very deep flavor and aroma. Genmai is similar to sherry, but comparing it to a popular wine would be a mistake. In the glass, it opens with notes of almond, lime, and later caramel and juniper. It is a sin to heat such sake, and tempura, aged hard cheese and dark chocolate will be ideal snacks.
Finally, sake should be drunk in good company, and this is perhaps the most important thing. Before each new toast, do not forget to add a drink to your neighbor. Well, where to drink sake without the main Japanese toast – “Kampai!” (literally “To the bottom!”). True, this is not just a toast, but a whole custom. If you want to show sympathy to the person sitting next to you and pass for a cool gaikokujin, pour a full bowl of sake and serve it to that person. He should show his gratitude and drink the drink to the bottom, then rinse the sakazuki and also pour sake into it to the brim, and then pass the bowl to you.
Campaign!