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Welcome to Sake Sommelier Association (SSA) 

Come and join us at one of our sake tastings to learn more about sake and Japanese Culture!

 

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Written by Anna   

Sake confusingly refers to all kinds of alcohol in Japan. Order sake in Kagoshima in South West Japan and you'll probably get Satsuma-imo shochu (a whisky-like spirit made from sweet potato). Nihonshu (commonly called sake in the West) is a drink made from fermented rice. In the same way that grape varieties give distinct aromas and flavours to wine, so do different rice varieties to sake.

There are over 60 different rice varieties, ranging from the superior (Yamada Nishiki is generally considered the best) to the inferior table rice used to make the majority of cheap sake. In general, the more the rice has been milled, the more refined the sake will be (the outer bit can impart strange flavours). Water makes up 80% of sake, so it also has a significant impact on taste. Soft water tends to make for smooth and flavourful sake, whilst hard water makes clean and solid tastes. 

Around 75% of all sake is Futsushu, the cheap and simple sake normally served hot and likely to induce hangovers, but there are lots of different types. Ginjoshu (and its superior sub-category Daiginjoshu) are generally considered to be the most sophisticated. Made from highly polished rice and served cold, they are light, fragrant and flowery with complex, layered fruit flavours. Junmaishu, usually has no added alcohol which gives a full flavor and makes it easy to match with food. The addition of alcohol to Honjozo draws out more delicate flavours and fragrances. Lack of pasturisation gives Namazake it's unique freshness and liveliness, whereas Nigorizake still contains unfermented rice normally filtered off, sometimes seeming more like a food than a drink! Most sake should be drunk within a year of being bottled, with the exception of Koshu, which is aged for about 3 years to create strong sherry tones and earthy flavours. With so many sake styles to choose from there's something to appeal to everyone! 

Where to try sake in Tokyo:

Sake Plaza, 1-21-1 Nishi-Shinbashi, Tokyo. Tel: 03 3519 2091Nearest station: ShinbashiSake Plaza is basically a mini sake museum with a library, sake displays and tasting room. It’s a great place to get into sake, especially if you don’t have the time to go and visit a sake brewery, or are on a brief stop-over in Tokyo. For 315 yen, you can try three sake, or for 515yen you can try five!

      Kikizake set ochoko
Last Updated on Thursday, 12 March 2009 14:00