Sake Brewing

There are about 1800 Kura (“Saké breweries”) in Japan. In the US, there are presently six Saké breweries, five located in California and one in Oregon. These US Saké breweries include Gekkeikan (Folsom, CA), Kohnan/Hakusan (Napa, CA), SakeOne (Forest Grove, OR), Takara Sake US (Berkeley, CA), Ozeki Sake US (Hollister, CA), Yaegaki USA (Vernon, CA).

SakéOne is the only US owned Saké brewery. The others are all Japanese owned, most being U.S. branches of Japanese Saké breweries. Gekkeikan Brewing in Japan is the #1 Saké brewery in the world. Ozeki in Japan is the #3 Saké brewery in the world. Takara in Japan is the #4 Saké brewery in the world.

My favorite of the US Saké breweries is Kohnan/Hakusan. Of the other US Saké breweries, I generally prefer their higher end Saké, such as the Gekkeikan Horin. I hope to visit the SakéOne brewery in the fall.

Generally, except for some of the largest breweries, the Saké brewing season is about from the end of October to the beginning of April. This is because the colder weather can assist the fermentation process, which needs to occur at lower temperatures. Larger breweries possess the advanced technology to ensure their fermenting tanks remain cold year round.

As the Saké brewing season begins, the brewers usually begin with the lower grades of Saké. As the weather becomes progressively colder, then they will begin brewing the higher grades of Saké. For example, the Ginjo brewing period peaks in January and February.

The Toji, is the head Saké Master of a brewery. There is almost never more than a single Toji in any brewery. All of the other Saké masters and workers are known as the Kurabito, the “people of the brewery.”

Brewing Process

Saké is basically made with only rice, water, koji and yeast. Sometimes a bit of brewer’s alcohol is added as well. Rice is the starting point. Just as grapes are the essential component of wine, so is rice essential to Saké.

The rice used in Saké is special and is not the same as the rice you eat, table rice. There are over 60 different strains of Saké rice and some are considered superior to others. Like grapes, different rice strains also grow best in particular regions. Some famous examples of Saké rice include Yamada Nishiki, Miyama Nishiki, Gohyaku Mangoku and Omachi. Yamada Nishiki is considered by many to be the best of all Saké rice strains. One way Saké rice differs from table rice is that the starches, which get turned into alcohol, are concentrated in the center of the rice grain. Saké rice grains are also usually longer than table rice.

The first step in the brewing process is to polish the rice, in other words, to remove the outer layers of the rice grain. The purpose of this step is to remove undesirable minerals, fat and proteins from the outer layers of the rice grain. The important starches are in the middle of the grain so the closer you get to that center, the better. The polishing must be done carefully to avoid cracking the kernels. The amount of the rice grain that remains after polishing is known as the “Seimai buai” percentage.

After polishing, the rice is washed to remove all of the remaining rice powder, the nuka. Afterwards, the rice is soaked to bring its water content to a desirable level. At this stage, it is important to use good water as its quality will affect the eventual final product. Good, pure spring water is commonly used at this stage. Once the water content is sufficient, the rice will be steamed until it attains a firm consistency.

Some of the steamed rice will now be set aside and used to make the important koji-kin, the koji mold, an enzyme. This process takes about two days to complete. The role of koji is to convert the starches into sugar. This is a delicate stage and requires much attention.

Once the koji has been created, a yeast starter, called moto or shubo, is produced with water, rice, koji and yeast. An important decision at this stage is the choice of yeast. There are many different types of yeasts, with various qualities that can provide different flavors to the Saké. Some yeasts are proprietary secrets, closely held by the brewery. Much will depend on the type of Saké the brewer wants to create.

Once the starter is completed, it is added to a large vat where the Saké will actually be fermented. Over the course of about four days, the steamed rice, koji and water will be added to the vat in three stages. This creates the fermentation mixture, called the moromi, and it will ferment for about 18 to 32 days. This process is known as multiple parallel fermentation because as the koji converts the starch to sugar, the yeast converts the sugar to alcohol. This is a significant difference from wine and beer, which both undergo only a single fermentation process.

When the fermentation process is completed, the sake will usually be pressed, separated from the lees. It may then undergo another filtration process. Next, it is usually pasteurized, temporarily heated to deactivate the enzymes which could potentially mar its taste. At this point, water is also added to dilute the Saké. After fermentation, the Saké has an alcohol content of about 20% alcohol but it will be diluted until the content is reduced to about 15%.

The Saké is then bottled and screwtops are used as closures. Screwtops are used because Saké is generally not meant to be aged and the cork could discolor the Saké. After bottling, the Saké will commonly be stored for six to eighteen months before being shipped. It is rarely stored longer than that and sometimes may be shipped without any storage time at all.

Once you purchase a bottle of Saké, you should keep it somewhere cool and dark. Light and heat are enemies to Saké. If kepy cool and dark, most Saké should last for up to a year without losing any flavor. Only Namazake needs refrigeration and it probably should not be kept more than a few months as it was not pasteurized.

Melting Pot: New Year's Eve Dinner

What did you do for New Year's Eve?

Last evening, for an early New Year's Eve dinner, I went with some of my family to The Melting Pot in Bedford. I am a fan of this restaurant and you can check out my prior review. For New Year's Eve, the restaurant had a set, five-course menu.

The first course was a choice between Shrimp Cocktail or Bruschetta. Each person got to choose whichever one they wanted. So we chose both options. The Shrimp Cocktail consisted of four large shrimp with a spicy cocktail sauce. Very good shrimp with a tangy sauce. The Bruschetta was toasted bread, topped with diced tomatoes, balsamic vinegar, basil, garlic and shredded Parmesan. There were several pieces of bread and the mix tasted very good atop it.

Next, we had a Champagne Cheese Fondue. This was Fontina and Butterkäse cheeses combined in a Champagne base, blended with shallots, garlic and chopped dates. With this fondue, we received a bowl of pieces of three types of bread, cauliflower, celery, carrots, and green apples slices. This was a very tasty fondue, which was made in front of us by our server Jen. The cheese had an intriguing flavor and all of the ingredients meshed well together. We made sure the fondue pot was empty before we were done.

The third course was a Celebration New Year Salad which contained chopped Romaine lettuce, cherry tomatoes, cucumber, and croutons sprinkled with Ementhaler cheese. The salad was topped by an Italian Balsamic Vinagrette dressing. A good-sized salad, with fresh ingredients. Another nice course.

For our main course, we had our choice of a cooking style so we chose two, the Mojo and the Coq au Vin. The Mojo is a Carribean-seasoned bouillon with fresh garlic and citrus flavors. I enjoyed it very much. The citrus flavors did not overpower anything. Instead, it was a nice melange of flavors. The Coq au Vin has herbs, mushrooms, garlic, spices and Burgundy wine. I have had it before and enjoyed it then as I did now. Both were very flavorful.

To dip in this fondue, we received a large dish with a Lobster Tail, Filet Mignon Medallion, Duck, Teryaki-Marinated Sirloin, Marinated Breast of Chicken and Potstickers. This was accompanied by potatoes and veggies. We also received several different dipping sauces. The meat, poultry and seafood were all very good, tender and flavorful. The quality of the food was as good as it had been on my prior visits.

Dessert was Bananas Foster Chocolate Fondue, which had bananas mixed with either white or milk chocolate and brown sugar, cinnamon, vanilla, banana liquer, and spiced rum. While mixing the fondue, our server did set the liquor afire making for a very nice presentation. We got both the white and milk chocolate. And both were quite good. The fondue was accompanied by a plate of strawberries, pineapple, cheesecake, marshmallows, pound cake and brownies. The fondue was quite decadent and delicious. By the time we finished, everyone was stuffed and could not eat one more morsel.

Our dinner included a bottle of wine for each couple and there were five choices for that wine, including two whites, two reds and a sparkling wine. We wanted some different wines and we received a $10 credit towards those wines. We ordered a Don Olegario Albariño from the Rias Baixas D.O. of Spain. This white wine is excellent, a crisp, fruity wine with flavors of apple. It went very well with the shrimp cocktail and cheese fondue. We also had a Bethel Heights Estates Pinot Noir from the Willamette Valley of Oregon. This is a light, more Burgundian Pinot and went well very with our entrees.

Our server, Jen, was very good, personable and accomodating. We had no complaints at all about her service. Overall, we had an excellent experience. Three of my party had never been to The Melting Pot before and they were all impressed. Even my young nephew had a great time. Everyone very much enjoyed the food and were well satisfied when they left. They would all definitely return again.

This was a fun choice for New Year's Eve. I dislike the food that you receive at many restaurants on New Year's Eve. They have set menus but the quality of food is usually not up to normal. Plus, the food is too over priced. The Melting Pot did not suffer from these problems. So I am very glad I dined there last evening. It was a good way to end 2007.

The Melting Pot
213 Burlington Rd.
Bedford , MA
Phone: 781-791-0529

Poll #13: Results

Poll #13 has now ended and the poll question was: What Region's Wines Would You Most Like to Learn About?

There were only 15 voters, though each voter could vote for multiple items. The top two choices, each with 6 votes, were South Africa and Portgual. Very close behind, with 5 votes each, were Oregon, Japanese Sake, and Israel/Lebanon.

This month, I have dedicated to Sake, so will provide much basic information about this unique and delicious beverage. I also plan to provide more information on many of the other countries mentioned in this poll as well. I even plan to visit Oregon wine country in the fall.

So, onto Poll #14. As this is Sake month, the question will be about Sake. Poll #14: What Has Been Your Prior Experience with Chilled Sake?

Stoneham Sun: Bakeries-Part 1

Welcome to 2008! My first column in the New Year of "A Passionate Foodie" can be found in the January 2 issue of the Stoneham Sun newspaper. This is my weekly column that concentrates on reviews of local restaurants as well as other interesting food and wine topics.

The new column will be published tomorrow and is currently available online. The new column is the first part of a two-part series discussing a number of local bakeries where you can find fresh breads, pastries and other treats. This week, learn about When Pigs Fly, Kickass Cupcakes, and the Sun Guang Bakery.

If you have any questions or comments about my column, feel free to add them here. Next week, I will present part two of this series.

Dine with passion!

Sake Month Begins

It is a traditional Japanese custom to toast New Year's Day with a glass of Saké, to celebrate the upcoming year. I will be raising a cup of Saké today in such a toast. I am also dedicating January as Saké Month here at A Passionate Foodie.

All this month, I will be posting numerous articles on Saké. This will include fundamental information, fun facts and Saké reviews. It is not intended to be a comprehensive examination of the topic. Think of it as more as the Cliff Notes of Saké. I will later provide some resources, books and websites, where you can find far more extensive information about Saké.

If nothing else, I hope that my articles will get you to taste and try some different varieties of Saké, to maybe find a new drink that you enjoy.

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Has this happened to you?

While dining at an Asian restaurant, you decide to try some Saké. All they have is hot Saké and they do not even tell you the name of the brand. It is served in a small, ceramic flask with a tiny cup. You pour some of the steaming hot Saké into your cup and it is almost too hot to sip. When you do taste it, it has a pungent, harsh flavor and not much else. It is not appealing and you decide you probably won’t try Saké again.

Unfortunately that is too common of a situation though it is changing. People often do not realize that most good Saké is served chilled. Or that a premium chilled Saké can have all of the complexity of a fine wine. There is a wide world of Saké available, thousands of different brands and types. And that cheap, hot Saké you once tried is nothing like what a good, chilled Saké tastes like.

What is needed is more information about Saké, to show people all the possibilities and to educate them about the many varieties of Saké available. Good Saké is becoming more and more readily available at restaurants and stores so it is a good time now to learn more about it. Saké is getting more and more popular all the time.

What is Saké?

“Saké” (pronounced sah-keh) is actually a generic Japanese term for all alcoholic drinks. The term "nihon-shu" (literally "Japanese sake") is a more accurate term but it is rarely used outside of Japan. “Shu” is a suffix meaning “wine” or “wine-like” beverage. For our purposes, I will use the term “Saké” as it is the one most commonly used in the U.S. It is also the term you will see at nearly all U.S restaurants and wine/saké stores.

Saké is often referred to as “rice wine” though that is not a fully accurate description. It is not quite a wine, though it is not quite a beer either. Saké is a fermented beverage made from rice, which is a grain, making it in some respects more like beer than a wine. But, it is not carbonated and tastes more like a wine than a beer. Unlike both beer and wine, Saké also undergoes multiple fermentations. In the U.S., most state laws classify Saké as a wine. It is probably best to think of Saké as its own unique alcoholic beverage.

It is thought that Saké originated in China, as far back as 4800 B.C. It then reached Japan by the third century B.C. So, it has more than two thousand years of history in Japan. Over the centuries, as brewing methods and technology have improved, the quality of Saké has improved. And though Saké may have begun in China, and is still made there, it is Japan where it has reached its greatest heights.

How does Saké compare to wine?

Saké is generally between 15% and 17% alcohol, though there are a few Sakés with a higher alcohol content. This makes it equivalent to some of the more alcohol heavy wines that are now being made. Sakés are generally well balanced so that the high alcohol content is not a problem.

Saké usually has a lower acidity than most wines. This mostly affects the types of foods you can pair with Saké. Unlike nearly all wines, Saké is free from sulfites. Thus if someone is allergic to sulfites, then drinking Saké won't be a problem. Saké also has about 400 flavor components, aromatic esters, compared to only about 200 for wine.

There are about 180-240 calories in a 5.5 oz. glass of Saké as compared to 110-130 calories in a glass of wine. So, Saké is more fattening than wine. Premium Saké though is usually free from additives and preservatives. In addition, Saké has far less congeners than wine. As congeners are thought to cause hangovers, this can be very important. Personally, I have never had a hangover from drinking Saké.

Saké is commonly almost transparent in color, which is usually due to filtering at the brewery. This can sometimes be excessive though and consequently strip a Saké of its character. Other times, a Saké may have a light amber or gold color, especially a full-flavored Saké. But you must be careful as Saké that has been left too long in the light or which is too old will turn darker, almost a dull brown color. That is a sign that the Saké has deterioated and it won't taste as good.