On Wednesday, October 1, 2008 The North American Food Company proudly presented Sake Fest 2008 – the 3rd Annual Northern California Premium Sake Fest. North American along with JFC are the largest Sake distribution houses in the North American area, so the amount of Sake offered for tasting was plentiful.
Held at the Sheraton Grand Sacramento this event featured premium sake from around the world, including some of the renowned plum wines Japan is known for, as well as beer and new this year from the Takara Shuzo Company – the only Japanese Vodka on the market, which was very smooth.
This event was offering sushi sampling from local supporting restaurants such as Akebono located on Freeport Blvd., Nishiki a downtown favorite, and the very well known Mikuni. Also attending the event was Oto’s Marketplace, who offered select dishes from their deli, where you can go an purchase the North American distributed sakes directly.
The event began with a VIP reception with a Sake seminar, new to the 2008 format and a great help for Sake novices, on the development of Sake, its U.S popularity, new varieties now offered, and the market structure each Sake distillery was aiming at. Another unique feature was the ability to talk to each Sake houses owners and makers right at their booths! With a potential language barrier, North American even provided translators at every booth so you had the chance to speak with all of crafters of their Sake (this was a great benefit for someone like myself who wanted to learn more about the technique and styles)!
The evening comprised an unlimited sake tasting and food sampling; all of the vendors were very generous! The event also featured live entertainment in the Sacramento taiko Dan’s taiko drummers, and a traditional Sake Barrel Breaking Ceremony to officially start off the event. Although this was geared more as an industry event in the beginning (VIP reception) it quickly became a mass of Sake lovers with no place to turn! From everything we learned to the experience itself this is a Sacramento event not to miss, but word to the wise – show up early!
Here are some quick tips on Sake that we learned:
What is sake? Is it a beer?
Is it a wine? Is it a spirit?
Sake is a beverage fermented from rice, which is a grain. This would make it more of a beer than a wine. Yet, sake is not carbonated (although there are Sparkling Sake’s now offered), and flavor-wise is closer to wine than beer, although it is indeed uniquely different from wine. Sake is not a distilled beverage, so it is not even remotely related to gin, vodka or other spirits.
What is the alcohol content of sake or plum wine?
Sake is generally between 15% and 17% alcohol, although some are higher, and if it is fortified with brandy it will usually hover near 30-40%.
How long does it take to brew sake?
Basically about a month. It can be a bit longer for ginjo-shu, including all the steps. Also there is (usually) a six-month period sake is "aged" before release.
Is sake aged like wine is? Is there such a thing as "vintage" sake?
In general, sake is not aged (beyond the six month period mentioned), and is meant to be consumed soon after purchase. If kept cold and dark, it will last six months to a year without degradation in flavor. There are exceptions, as some sake is deliberately aged. There is no such thing as a vintage year in the sake world.
How many types of sake are there?
From a production point of view, there are five basic types, but please note that there are several other less-common types as well.
• Junmai-shu (pure rice wine; no adding of distilled alcohol)
• Honjozo-shu (at least 30% of rice polished away; a tad of distilled alcohol is added)
• Ginjo-shu (at least 40% of rice polished away; with or without alcohol added; if bottle is labeled Ginjo, it means distilled alcohol was added; if labeled Junmai Ginjo, it means no alcohol added)
• Daiginjo-shu (at least 50% of rice polished away; again with or without added alcohol; if bottle is labeled Daiginjo, it means distilled alcohol was added; if labeled Junmai Daiginjo, it means no alcohol added)
• Namazake (special 5th designation for unpasteurized sake; incorporates all four above)
How can one tell good sake from bad sake?
If you do have the chance to taste it, look for balance. Nothing should be cloying or pushy in the flavor profile. Sake can be quite dry or quite sweet and still be in balance. If it is lethargic and/or dull, and cloyingly sweet or gratingly harsh, avoid it. (Unless you like it that way!)
What is the proper color for sake?
Sake is generally almost transparent, which is often due to filtering at the kura (brewery) before shipping. This can be excessive at times, stripping a sake of its character. Often a sake has a light amber or gold color to it. This is often the case in full-flavored sake. This can be quite pleasant and add a new dimension to the sake experience. Beware: if a sake has been left in the light or allowed to age, it will turn a darker color, almost a lusterless brown. Sake that has degraded to this level is best avoided.
How many sake brands, or labels, are there?
There are about 1800 sake breweries (called kura in Japanese) in Japan, a number which is sharply decreasing each year. So there are 1700 brands, but most kura make several grades or types of sake, which are significantly different. So there are likely as many as 10,000 different sake among these breweries. In the US, there are presently seven breweries, most of which make more than one product.
How does US-brewed sake stand up to sake from Japan?
The breweries in Japan have a 1000-year head start, not only in terms of brewers and craftsmen, but in terms of special rice that makes great sake. It is understandably a richer and more diverse world, and the sake reflects that. There is good sake and bad sake being brewed in the US -- just as there is in Japan. While in general the sake from Japan (assuming it has been cared for properly) is more flavorful, alive and character-laden, there is plenty of very drinkable sake being brewed in the US. Plenty. Also, as the cost of raw materials is significantly less in the US, sake brewed in the US can present quite a value to the consumer.
What is the nihonshu-do, or Sake Meter Value?
This is a measure of the density of the sake relative to water. It is a very general reference to the sweetness or dryness of a sake. Note, however, that acid content and water hardness and temperature and other factors also contribute a great deal to the concept of sweet and dry.
What is the ideal temperature for serving sake?
Despite the words of the venerable James Bond, most decent sake tastes best slightly chilled. In short, there is no one ideal serving temperature, but cool to chilled brings the best in most good sake, with subtle differences presenting themselves at each temperature range. A lot of good sake goes well warmed, but not too hot! Piping hot sake is a carryover from decades ago when sake was not at the level it is now, and heating it was the best way to go. Times have changed, but in Japan as well as in the US, a lot of cheap sake is served very hot.
Things to look for at your local Asian Food store that were wonderful upon taste!
BORN- “Dreams come true” – wonderful, strong flavor, very smooth, soft mouth feel
Star Rabbit- Blueberry sparkling sake – sweet, pretty, sparkling blueberry flavored wine
Junmai Ume Sake- Sake with plum juice – Sake with just a hint of plum juice in flavor
Find out more about this event for next year at http://www.nafdc.com/1.HOME/whatsnew.htm
Find out more about Sake education at http://www.esake.com/Knowledge/knowledge.html
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