Banzai Bunny & Evoluzione Sake

Banzai Evoluzione Sake. A Sake with an Italian name? How did that happen?

Yesterday, I wrote about my visit to Chef Ming Tsai's restaurant Blue Ginger to attend a preview event showcasing the new Simply Ming "On the Road: Japan" series. The event, An Evening Celebrating the Food and Culture of Japan, was hosted by the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry, and Fisheries of Japan (MAFF). Seven courses of food were served during the course of the evening, and Lloyd Foster of Classic Wine Imports was present, pouring a number of Sakes for the guests.

Most of the Sake was imported by the Banzai Beverage Group, which was established in 2003 and is headquartered in Los Angeles. They import numerous types of Sake well as Shochu, and their website is currently under renovation. Recently, they have rebranded some of their prior products, their Sparkling Sakes, and also launched a new line of Sake, the Evoluzione series. Now, "evoluzione" is an Italian word, which means "evolution" or "growth" so why is it on a Japanese sake label? It seems that Banzai held a contest to name their new brand, and the winner was an Italian.

As Evoluzione is a new brand, and the Banzai website is not yet operational, there is little detailed information to be found on it. They produce at least four different types: Junmai, Junmai Ginjo, Junmai Daiginjo and Junmai Nigori. Three of those four types are produced by the Ume No Yado brewery in Nara Prefecture while the other was produced by the Matsuyama brewery in Yamagata Prefecture. Ume No Yado also produced the Bunny Sparkling Sakes, Ume Shu and Yuzu Shu we got to taste.

The Ume No Yado brewery was founded in 1893 and is located at the foot of Mount Katsuragi in Nara, often said to be the birthplace of Sake. The phrase "ume no yado" means "plum house" and refers to an ancient plum tree located on the grounds of the brewery which has been there for as long as anyone can remember. Their motto is “small volume, yet high quality” and though they tend to use many traditional brewing practices, their marketing seems more modern and innovative. Since 2002, they have been exporting their Sake, and seem to be trying to market to a U.S. audience, making their Sake labels more approachable, as well as embracing the idea of Sake cocktails. As the U.S. Sake market continues to grow, it would benefit many Sake breweries if they marketed more to the U.S.

The four Evoluzione Sakes all come in blue bottles, which likely is done to protect the Sake from sunlight, which can negatively impact the taste if it is subjected to too much sun. Different colored labels are used for each Sake type, and each label also has a stylized and slightly scary Oni mask, including a skull, horns and fangs. An oni is a supernatural creature from Japanese folklore, sometimes called a demon or ogre. Though they are often malicious, there are some benevolent oni in Japanese folklore, though the oni depicted on this label doesn't look too kind.

Please note that the prices are very rough estimates.

The Evoluzione Junmai ($15-$20) is produced by Ume No Yado and has an alcohol content of 15%. It can be served either gently warmed or slightly chilled. This Sake seemed to have a taste of steamed rice and bitter herbs, and I wasn't a big fan of the taste. The Evoluzione Junmai Ginjo ($15-$20) was much more my preference. It was produced by the Matsuyama Shuzo, has an alcohol content of 14%, and is best served slightly chilled. It had a smooth and pleasing taste, with delicious flavors of pear and melon. Easy drinking, but with plenty of flavor. The Evoluzione Junmai Daiginjo ($50-$60) is produced by Ume No Yado and has an alcohol content of 15%. It is an elegant Sake, with a nice melange of subtle fruit and herbal notes. It has the lightest body of the three, but also the most complexity. An impressive Sake. Finally, the Evoluzione Junmai Nigori is produced by Ume No Yado and has an alcohol content of 14%. More full bodied, it only possesses a mild sweetness and delicious tropical fruit flavors, including prominent coconut. I am not a fan of overly sweet Nigori, so this was a pleasure to drink.

Ume No Yado also produces an Aragoshi line, Sake-based liqueurs, including Ume Shu and Yuzu Shu. Each contains Sake, 21% of fruit by volume, and a tiny bit of Shochu for depth and aroma. The Ume Yuzu possesses a bright citrus flavor, a bit of tartness and a mild sweetness. Very pleasant and would make an excellent cocktail addition. The Ume Shu is sweeter, with a prominent ripe plum flavor, and it too could be used in a cocktail. Though useful in a cocktail, I am sure plenty of people could drink these on their own too.

The Banzai Bunny Sparkling Sakes are produced by Ume No Yado and were rebranded from their former names such as Moon Rabbit and Star Rabbit. They come in four flavors: Natural, Blueberry, White Peach & Yuzu. In general, each is fruity, lightly effervescent and mildly sweet. I have previously reviewed them under their original names, and they make a nice introduction to Sake for a newcomer. I have poured Sparkling Sakes at numerous tasting, and they are a big hit, especially with women. They might not taste much like Sake, but they can show people the diversity and versatility of Sake.

The evening also included two Tyku Sakes: their Black, a Junmai Ginjo, and White, a Junmai Daiginjo. The Black is produced by Ume No Yado and the White is made by the Matsuyama Shuzo.

Simply Ming: On The Road In Japan

"The worst cuisine is bad fusion."
--Chef Ming Tsai

Last month, I visited Chef Tsai's restaurant Blue Ginger, located in Wellesley, to attend a special preview event showcasing the new Simply Ming "On the Road: Japan" series, part of Season 11 of this popular PBS show, shown locally on WGBH. The event, An Evening Celebrating the Food and Culture of Japan, was hosted by the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry, and Fisheries of Japan (MAFF), which also sent Chef Tsai to Japan to explore its diverse and fascinating food and beverage industry. This was a fun, interesting and informative event with plenty of delicious Sake and food. It also was a strong motivation to watch the new Simply Ming episodes.

During his whirlwind tour of Japan, Chef Tsai visited the prefectures of Osaka, Hyogo, Nara, Nagoya, and Tokyo. His visits spanned from how specific food items are produced, such as miso and Sake, to how foods are sold, such as seafood at the Tsukiji Market. In addition, he got to learn how Japanese cuisine is prepared, cooking with some of the top chefs of Japan. When Chef Tsai spoke about his wonderful experiences in Japan, his passion was infectious.

Those experiences have been recorded in six episodes, three of which have already aired. The first episode, Michiba & Seafood, was all about seafood, including a visit to Tsukiji Market. Chef Tsai also had the opportunity to cook with Japan’s first Iron Chef, Rokusaburo Michiba. Though Chef Tsai rarely gets nervous, he felt nervous while cooking with this culinary legend. The second episode, Wakiya & Ramen, is all about ramen, including a visit to the Instant Ramen Museum in Osaka. Chef Tsai cooked with another Iron Chef, Chef Yuji Wakiya, using the famed Kobe Beef A5 in his own dish. The third episode, Street Foods in Japan, is self explanatory, as Chef Tsai checked out the diversity available, from yakitori to takoyaki. The final three episodes will start airing next month: February 15, February 22 and March 1. Set your DVR accordingly.

Over the course of the evening, servers came by with seven different dishes, each compelling and satisfying. Above, you can see the Foie Gras Shumai, in a sauternes-shallot broth. Other dishes included the Smashed Shrimp Dumpling, with a citrus-truffle vinaigrette, Sake-Miso Marinated Sablefish, with vegetarian soba noodle sushi, wasabi oil, and soy-lime syrup, and Thai Style Chawan Mushi, with lobster and mushrooms. I didn't have a single complaint about any of these dishes, and would definitely order any of them if I saw them on a menu. The Chawan Mushi was one of the best I have ever tasted and every dish burst with flavor. One commonality with all these dishes was the taste of umami, which made them especially delicious paired with Sake (and I'll be posting about the Sakes tomorrow).

Two of the dishes are presented in the On the Road series, including the Miso-Sake "Coq au Vin" and New Style Buri Sashimi with Hot Curry Oil. In the Coq au Vin, the Sake and miso were both sourced from producers in Nara and Nagoya. This dish was a burst of umami, with such a rich and flavorful broth and tender chicken. The Buri, also known as yellow tail, was sourced from Japanese waters at the height of the season. Such fresh and silky smooth fish, complemented by the spice of the oil and hints of sweetness. It may seem to be a relatively simple dish but it possessed a complex melange of flavors.

Though Chef Tsai didn't really explore dessert options while he was in Japan, he did prepare a dessert for us. The Toasted Sesame Pear Tea Cake, with miso-caramel and sweet cream, was an excellent way to end the evening, presenting a balanced sweet with a nice combination of textures. I had sufficient room to eat two of these tea cakes.

In the later part of the evening, Chef Tsai spoke a bit about his recent experiences in Japan, as well as discussed some of his cooking philosophy. He ended his discussion by taking numerous questions from the attendees. With the amount of questions from the audience, Chef Tsai could have probably spoken for about four hours. Chef Tsai is insightful, charismatic and humorous, and certainly enthralled the attendees with his tales of the culinary world in Japan.

As he began, he explained that Japanese cuisine is one of his favorites in the entire world, noting that the "food is so pristine," and that included their Sake as well. The purity of Japanese cuisine is an important aspect, and that desire for purity permeates much of their culture too. The freshness and quality of their ingredients is an essential component, and they understand that if you possess such a high quality ingredient, little needs to be done to prepare it. It largely can stand on its own, bringing a wealth of flavor. In addition, when referring to an exquisite Sake, the Japanese may state that it is "as easy to drink as water," referring to the purity of that Sake.

Chef Tsai waxed longingly about his recent experiences in Japan, reveling in all the wonderful things he had to eat, from sublime Kobe 85, which he equated to "eating a nugget of fat lined with meat" to a Wakiya ramen with crab and an intriguing soy cream. He spoke reverently about the famous chefs he visited, being allowed to cook beside them. As we watched some clips from the new shows, it was evident this is going to be a fascinating view into Japan cuisine. Chef Tsai even was surprised in Japan when he stopped at a truck stop and found it contained a large and well stocked food market, with an assortment of fantastic ingredients. You probably won't find something like that in any truck stop in the U.S. Instead, you are more likely to find Slim Jims and Doritos.

Besides relating his Japanese experiences, Chef Tsai also talked more generally about Japanese cuisine, and the challenges in bringing it to the U.S. When Chef Tsai first learned how to make sushi rice, he wasn't allowed into the sushi preparation area for the first three months. He had to earn the respect before being able to enter that area. Another very Japanese concept. I started this post with a quote from Chef Tsai about bad fusion, and he went into greater detail about this thought, tying it into the greater issue of respect.

Like Chef Tsai, many chefs now prepare an East/West cuisine, though it might be known by other terms, such as New French or New Spanish. Despite those other terms, the basic idea is the added use of Eastern ingredients to more traditional Western dishes. Chefs now have a ready availability to a deluge of ingredients from all over the world. That is a fantastic opportunity but can also be a trap, especially if you do not truly understand those ingredients.

Chef Tsai believes you need to respect those ingredients, and that requires learning about them, understanding how they are used in their native land. He feels you need to "earn the right to blend," and not just toss ingredients together when you really don't understand their origins. Any chef can mix numerous exotic ingredients together on a plate, but that doesn't mean the dish will work or taste good. Careful preparation requires knowledge and experience.

He also added that "more is not better" and that simpler dishes are usually better. You can tire a palate with too many complex dishes with lots of ingredients. That is why many Japanese dishes lean more toward simplicity, yet still do not lack for flavor. The key is often using the best ingredients, letting them largely stand on their own. For example, sushi is often a simple dish, and its quality depends in large part on the freshness of the ingredients, such as the seafood. Chef Tsai noted that "we create dishes to make a better dish not a different dish." That concept should govern chefs when designing a new dish.

If you can travel to a place like Japan to learn about their ingredients and cooking styles, that would obviously be the most educational. For example, in Osaka, there are about 120 different types of restaurants! Such amazing specialization. However, the Internet is an invaluable tool now for researching ingredients and cuisines if you are unable to travel to the source. Or, you could also seek out a chef in the U.S. who is conversant in the cuisine. Chef Tsai noted that New York City has a number of great, authentic Japanese restaurants.

I recommend that you check out the Simply Ming "On the Road: Japan" series, and learn more about the fascinating world of Japanese cuisine. And I also recommend that you check out Chef Ming Tsais's two restaurants, Blue Ginger and Blue Dragon. And hopefully chefs and cooks will take heed to, and seek more knowledge about exotic ingredients before using them in their kitchens.

Rant: Local Wine Needs Local Recognition

How much do you know about the local wineries in your own state? Do you know how many wineries exist in your state? Have you tasted their wines? Or do you presume that the wines aren't worthy of tasting?

As every state now produces wine, you can be assured that wherever you live, there are local wines which you can taste and drink. The quality of such wines has been increasing over the years, and you can find some true gems all across the country. California, Oregon and Washington are not the only states producing worthy wines. Wines from the other 47 states often struggle to attain national recognition, to get mentioned in major wine periodicals. As many of those wines see little, if any distribution, outside of their immediate area, then national recognition may not be as helpful in certain regards.

What is likely more useful is for these wines to achieve better local recognition, to become more well known in their own respective states. In a number of states that I have traveled, I have found many residents who seem largely ignorant of the wineries in their own states. The biggest problem seems to be that many of those people make assumptions that the wines in their states are not that good, so they don't seek out the wines. That hurts local wineries as those residents are potential customers, ignorant of the worthy products in their region.

For example, in Massachusetts there are over 30 wineries, and many locals I have spoken to are unaware of  most of those wineries. And they also didn't know which were some of the best wineries in the state. I have even spoken to local wine store owners who didn't know about some of the best wineries in Massachusetts. Some of those same stores promote all the local foods they carry, yet generally fail to carry a decent selection of local wines. These are people who know about wine, and who should be cognizant of the wines being made in their own state yet they still are ignorant. That is a significant problem as those wine stores won't carry local wine if they know nothing about it.

Local wineries need greater local recognition. They need to spread the word about themselves to the people in their own state, those who will most likely become their customers. Gaining a high score in Wine Spectator won't help much if the people in your state don't know you exist. Such wineries are better off gaining recognition in more local press, educating local residents about the wonders in their own backyard. They can benefit from holding large wine tasting events, gathering together a number of local wineries to show consumers what they can find in their own state. Locals who know about good local wineries can mention them to wine stores and others.

I'm on the Board of Directors of Drink Local Wine, and we try to spread the word about these lesser known wineries, to broaden consumer education about what they can find in their own states. Each year we hold an annual conference in a different state, which includes a large, public wine tasting of their local wines. We help to enlighten local consumers, to shatter their preconceptions about those wines. More effort is needed as well, by local wineries, local media, wine bloggers, and others, to help spread the word.

Local wine needs to start with local recognition.

Sake News

Kanpai! Here is a short list of some of the interesting Sake articles that have been published lately. It is great to see more and more coverage for Sake, though I recommend that anyone seeking to publish a Sake article check it at least a few times for accuracy. A few basic errors continue showing up in introductory Sake articles, and those errors would be easy to eliminate if you had a knowledgeable Sake person check your facts. Let us also hope that we see more than just introductory Sake articles in the future. Sake has many depths and all those varied facets make great material for articles.

1) Over at Saveur, check out Sake's Second Act, by Georgia Freedman, which discusses a couple of Japanese Sake breweries, including Chikurin Marumoto, Saiya and Huchu Homare. The article also includes reviews of 8 Sakes from these breweries. A caveat though is that the article makes the common mistake that Junmai Sake needs to be polished down to at least 70%. As I have mentioned time and time again, Junmai does not have a minimum polishing requirement. It simply must be produced from only 4 ingredients: rice, water, yeast and koji-kin.

2) Over at Japan Times, you can read Umami: An Ideal Sake Pairing by Melinda Joe, which discusses a Sake & Umami seminar presented at the recent Culinary Institute of America’s annual Worlds of Flavor conference. The session was intended to show that the umami taste of Sake can pair well with other umami-rich foods. It also seemed to show Sake's versatility with food pairings. I am psyched to see this idea getting more publicity. I have written about the Sake & Umami connection since 2008, and you can read my latest article about it here. More restaurants and chefs should pay attention to Sake and umami.

3) The Post & Courier has an interesting article, The Southeast Takes On Sake written by Hanna Raskin, which provides some background on Blue Kudzu Sake Company, a new brewery located in North Carolina. The brewery should be releasing its first products this year. However, Sake in North Carolina? It may seem unusual but with the growth of small, artisan distilleries and breweries across the country, it shouldn't be surprising. There are roughly ten Sake breweries in the U.S., with a few new ones in the planning stages. I can't wait to try the Blue Kudzu Sakes, and I wish them the best of luck in 2014.

4) Wine and bourbon have both been aged underwater and now Sake gets its chance. In The Asahi Shinbun, the article Dream Sake To Be Aged Under The Sea, by Yoshikazu Sato, describes how 3200 bottles of Sake, from 15 breweries, were submerged about 15 meters beneath the sea in November 2013. The Sake will stay there until May 2014. No one knows how the Sake will change after those months in the ocean but it is a fascinating experiment. Once the results of the test are issued, I'll provide an update.

5) If you are traveling to Japan on Nippon Airways, then you might be excited to learn that Nippon Airways is going to showcase Sake, Shochu and Awamori. Until February 2018, the airports will showcase a different prefecture every three months, offering samples as well as information. This is a great way to promote Sake though I wish they could extend these plans to airports outside of Japan as well, which would help to promote Sake across the world.

Virginia Cider: Potter's, Albemarle & Foggy Ridge

"In early eighteenth-century New England, the most popular alcoholic drink, in terms of volume, was locally produced cider. Throughout much of this period, cider served as a currency. It was used to pay salaries and product prices could be quoted in barrels of cider."
--Drink: A Cultural History of Alcohol by Iain Gately

When Europeans settled in America, apples were one of the first crops they introduced to the country. It is believed that the first cultivated apple trees were planted in the region which would eventually become Boston, as early as 1623. Apple trees spread through the colonies and by 1647, apples were grafted onto wild native rootstocks. A significant proportion of those apples ended up being made into hard cider. By 1775, about 10% of farms in New England owned and operated their own cider mills. However, the 19th century saw a waning in hard cider production and consumption.

In recent years, hard cider has seen a rebirth and renaissance, and numerous artisan cideries have opened all across the country. I have previously written about some of these new ciders, as I am a huge fan of hard cider. These hard ciders are being produced from many different apple types, including numerous heirloom varieties, and are made in a variety of styles too. It has become a creative endeavor and I am always intrigued to taste new ciders, from all across the country. For example, last year I tasted a number of ciders from Quebec.

Recently, I had the opportunity to sample three ciders from Virginia. Virginia has a lengthy history of cider production, and now hosts eight cideries, including Albemarle Ciderworks, Blue Bee Cider, Bold Rock Cider, Castle Hill Cider, Foggy Ridge Cider, Old Hill Cider, Potter's Craft Cider, and Winchester Ciderworks. Many of those cideries have been around for less than two years. Last year was also their second year hosting a Cider Week, which helps to promote their cideries. After tasting a few of their ciders, I was intrigued enough to want to sample more.

My favorite of the three ciders was the Potter's Craft Cider Farmhouse Dry. Potter's has been around for about two years, and has tried to revive the old style of American farmhouse ciders. They use traditional cider apples that have been grown in the foothills of the Blue Ridge Mountains. Their Farmhouse Dry is made from a combination of Albemarle Pippin, Virginia Winesap, and Stayman apples. The cider was tank aged for 3-6 months before bottling, has an alcohol content of 8.5% and only 0.1% residual sugar.

What grabbed my attention was the complexity of this cider, the melange of aromas and flavors that I found within this bottle. Crisp and dry, it possessed bright fruit flavors of not only apple but also touches of pear, melon and even pineapple. A refreshing effervescence, a subtle tartness, a mild earthiness and a lengthy, pleasing finish. This was so tasty that it was easy to finish the bottle one evening, and then wishing I had a second one. Highly recommended.

I was also impressed with the Albemarle Ciderworks Royal Pippin. Albemarle, located in North Garden, has been around since 2009, and they grow over 200 apple varieties on their property. Their Royal Pippin is made the Albemarle Pippin apples, which were a favorite of Queen Victoria. The cider has an alcohol content of 8.5% and only 0.2% residual sugar.

This cider also possessed a nice complexity, as well as being dry and crisp. Plenty of apple flavors, there were also subtle notes of peach and pineapple. A light effervescence, a lush body, and a satisfying finish. This is another cider that it was very easy to finish, and left me desirous of more.

Foggy Ridge Cider, located in the Blue Ridge Mountains, has three orchards of American, English and French apples. Their Serious Cider is made from a combination of Dabinett, Tremlett's Bitter, Ashmead's Kernel, and Newtown Pippin apples. The cider spent 2 months on the lees and was then tank aged for 6 months before bottling. It has an alcohol content of 8% and 0.4% residual sugar.

This cider seemed to be the simplest of the three, a pleasant drink but not especially compelling. It also had a touch of sweetness to it, differentiating it from the other two more dry ciders. It possessed a nice apple taste, with a hint of spice, and was light bodies, with an easy drinking style. I would be interested in trying their other ciders to see how they compare.

In 2014, endeavor to drink more hard cider, and if you can obtain some Virginia cider, then do so. The Potter's and Albemarle as as good as any other ciders I have tasted, and both are worthy of a hearty recommendation.