The Zen Simplicity and Complexity of Sake
By Stacey Kumagai
The Japanese culture is about simplicity. It is about cherishing and respecting everything which is sacred. The art of eating and drinking is just that, a sacred art to be respected. Everything takes
time. Food and drink are savored slowly. Hosts and hostesses are respected and appreciated for what they are presenting and offering. Nothing is to be taken for granted. Everything is made with
care and by exercising patience in the process of making good food and drink. And the art of making sake is no exception. It is meant to be sipped. It is meant to be savored and enjoyed. Sake‟s beginnings were honored by Shinto Priests in ceremonial services and its history is firmly rooted back to 3rd Century A.D.
First, let‟s get a lesson in Japanese. If you go to a Japanese restaurant, you will see sake on the menu (salmon) and you will see sake on the menu (the alcoholic beverage). They are not the same
obviously, but they are spelled and pronounced exactly alike. It‟s just something common in the Japanese language (to have two words spelled the same, but with different meanings) because there
are a limited amount of syllables. Takai means high (like Mount Fuji is „takai,‟ and sake is of „takai‟ quality) but it also means expensive. Sake is the Japanese word for alcohol in general. But specifically people know sake as a rice wine.
Sake is NOT pronounced “sock-e.” It is pronounced “sock-eh.” Just like a fine wine (which sake is), it takes time to make. But also just like there are many classes and levels of there levels of sake. But
in the sake world, it is much more easily identified. There are TWO types of are sake: Rice-Only Traditional Japanese Sake is naturally brewed from 100% rice, rice koji and water using a
fermentation process. This type of sake is without additives. This is your „caviar‟ level of sake and is of the highest quality. It is 100% natural. There are even differences within this traditional kind of sake
based on how rice is milled. But rice –only sake is considered to be the best and this is the original and traditional sake that is considered sacred in Japan. These sakes include the Junmai-Sake, Junmai-Ginjyo, and Junmai-Dai-Ginjyo sakes. Sake with additives (and added alcohol) include all levels of „inexpensive‟ sake and even brands of
premium sake which also have small amounts of alcohol like Honjozo, Ginjyo-Sake and Dai-Ginjyo- Sake. This type of sake actually was created out of necessity when rice production wasn‟t quite as
plentiful during World War II. This kind of sake is in wide mainstream commercial circulation today and is not meant to be classified as traditional sake. Levels of alcohol in this type of sake vary brand
to brand. And some brands are considered better than others (the ones with the least amount of alcohol) – but are never meant to be compared or put in the same class as traditional sake.
People often get confused because the brewing of sake is similar to beer, and yet it is a wine. But rice is a starch, it is not a fruit, so the brewing process cannot begin until the starch is converted into a
sugar, as there are no natural sugars in rice starch. Just like with wine, there are different classifications of sake and they include Still, Sparkling and 45. These classifications are based on how much of the rice is polished.
You can you brew sake from short or long grain rice or Japonica rice but in terms of Japanese sake in Japan, a sake rice called “Sakamai” rice is used. This rice is so unique that it is one of the reasons
sake is regarded so highly. The journey this rice took to get here is a long one. The rice itself is not chosen randomly, but rather the rice was specifically bred with great care. Sakamai rice was created
back in 1937 by the National Agricultural Experiment Station of Aichi Prefecture, but disappeared from the market in 1945. It took a long search for another agricultural association track down and find
the seed rice to bring the rice around again so that it could be made into the premium rice utilized to make sake.
Sakamai rice was bred from the Omachi variety rice, where “only the best” seedlings made it through the selection process. From here the seeds were sorted to become the Sakamai rice utilized for
making traditional premium sake. This type of rice is large and soft with a coarse center and has a shorter stem than the regular Omachi rice. The center of the rice is where the white core can be seen
from the outside of the grain.
There is aged sake in Japan – and there are different processes in which to make a five or ten year old sake. Most sake in the United States is stored about six to eight months. Sake is served both hot “atsui” and cold “samui.” If the sake has a light body, fruity or floral aroma it is best served cold. If it has a less aromatic flavor, it is best enjoyed warm. As with all wines, pairing is based on aroma and body of the wine. Sake is paired with food on these same principles. Here
some examples of sakes with different bodies: Junmai-Ginjyo is a light body sake. It is clean and dry. It is often mild and smooth. This kind of sake is like a nice Chardonnay that would pair well with a light fish.
Tokubetsu Junmai is a rich medium body and flavorful sake with more balanced acidity. This kind of sake is like a Pinot Grigio wine that would pair well with chicken. Honjyozo is a full body sake that is rich, earthy and very dry. This kind of sake is compared to say a
Cabernet Wine that would go more heavier types of foods like beef or very rich seafood.
One of the greatest misconceptions about sake is that it is like other alcoholic beverages. It is not. You cannot get a hangover from sake, because there are no sulfites or preservatives in it. And it is
because there are no preservatives, its shelf-life is only 12-16 months. It should be consumed as soon as purchased and not allowed to sit too long. This is an all-natural beverage made with all
natural ingredients. Because of this, sake does have many health benefits including amino acids to tone your skin, and it has anti-aging properties.
Sake cocktails are all the rage today in bartending and these are new ways to introduce someone to sake‟s unique versatility, like saketinis (sake version of a martini). Saketinis come in many flavors
and are a fun way to enjoy this diverse wine. Think of saketinis to sake is similar to sangria to wine. While these types of cocktails are delicious, traditional sake (like traditional wine) is meant to be
enjoyed as a standalone, but there are many fun ways to use sake and saketini cocktails are just part of the sake experience.
Sake is used in cooking as well. Traditional Sukiyaki and other Japanese dishes use sake as a part of the dish. Just like cooking with any wine, the kind of sake used is important in bringing out the
optimum flavor of the dish. The term „umami‟ is considered the fifth taste sense, adding to what we already know as bitter, salty,
sweet and sour. Sake brings out the „savoriness‟ of all dishes and in mitself, as a spirit is considered to be umami in its own right.
The art of sake tasting is Zen. You first approach sake in taking in its aroma. You take a sip and enjoy the body of the sake, the flavor of it and how it feels in your mouth and how it embraces each bite of
food you savor. You sip the sake alone after each bite to enjoy the flavors of what you are tasting in both the food and the sake. It is here where the flavors marry into a harmonious Zen feeling for the
palate. Sake embodies the true "spirit‟ of Zen.
Special thanks to:
Clarence “koji” Wong,
Owner Japon Bistro and Sake Institute of America
www.japonbistro-pasadena.com
Yuji Matsumoto
President, Sake Institute of America
www.sakeinstituteofamerica.com