Shochu Article on LA Times

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The world of intergrated cuisine

• Recently, wine is served in many Japanese restaurants. However, the reverse is not seen often. Especially in French or other European restaurants, customers aren’t seen bringing Japanese sake. Perhaps, diners have a preconceived notion that Sake is to be enjoyed with Japanese cuisuine while French and Italian cuisine is to be enjoyed with wine.
  
  For a familiar example, Mayonnaise from the west (allegedly originated in medieval Spain) is now a food product that is necessary in Japanese cuisine. Mayonnaise goes great with rice and used for sushi rolls, dynamite sauce and dressings. The same goes for soy sauce, which goes great as a hidden flavor for curry and with steak. Ketchup and oyster sauce is also used frequently in Japanese cuisine. Also, yuzu, dashi (kelp & dried bonito soup stock), miso, rice vinegar and many other Japanese condiments are used in Western cuisine. In the world of culinary art, condiments and food ingredients [from around the world] are fast becoming integrated.
  
  Perhaps the same can be said about the world of sake. Besides, western cuisine prepared using Japanese condiments would of course go well with sake.
  Compared to wine, Japanese sake has a deep umami flavor with little acidity, so there is no clash with Western flavors. However, for western cuisine prepared with cream sauce or rich oils, wine is usually more suitable to clean the palate in many instances.
  
  I’d like to suggest the following standards to choose Japanese sake to pair with Western cuisine.
  
  For dishes that go well with champagne, select sparkling sake
  For dishes that go well with chardonnay, try Junmai Ginjo or Daiginjo that is smooth in flavor
  For dishes that go well with Riesling, select Junmai Ginjo or Junmai with various deep umami flavors
  For dishes that go well with red wine high in tannin (tannic acid?), pair with Kimoto high in umami flavors or unfiltered Tokubetsu Junmai and Honjozo.
  
  When we start pairing as indicated above, you will discover the flavors will expand and deepen on your palates in ways that you haven’t experienced with wine, so please give it a try!

Sake Cocktails

Some stores are offering amazing sake cocktails these days.
NRN article about sake cocktails will give you some ideas about sake cocktails but the sake facts in that article are not all correct so please read them carefully.
To read the story click here.

米国の外食意識調査

公式には2009年の6月に米国ではリセッションは終わったとしているが、レストラン業界ではそうではなさそうだ。米国NPDの調査によると2007年から始まったリセッションは、消費者を２分させたとしている。不景気でも自由なお金がある人とそうではない人、要するに「持てる者と持たざる者」にはっきりと分かれてしまった。

NPDが2011年5月に発表した意識調査で回答があった76％は「持たざる者」、で；
１．外食回数を減らしている
２．高いレストランは避けている
３．注文する品数を減らしている
としている。景気が回復すれば寛容になる、としながらも高止まる失業率、物価上昇、ガソリン価格の上昇で出口は見えないでいる。
比較的余裕のある「持てる者」24％の回答者でも高いレストランは避けるとしている。

前者の「持たざる者」と後者の「持てる者」との外食に対する認識も違う。前者は、外食に対しては、ヴァリューと価格を重視、後者は、雰囲気やサービスに重点を置いている。

今後の予想としては、昨年2009～2010年2月に－3％成長だった市場が今年は横ばい、今後2019年までは、年1％の成長しか見込んでいない。
レストラン業界にとっては、ここ数年氷河期が続くものと覚悟をしなければいけない。

Food Umami and Sake

In my last issue, I wrote about how depending on whether or not culinary the term “umami” is recognized as a taste due to culinary differences, the taste exists but the term doesn’t always exist in some countries. This time, I’d like to discuss how Japanese sake is relevant to “umami.”
Elements that constitute the “Umami” taste are mainly from food groups high in protein and nucleic acids, the most representative and famous examples are a form of glutamic acid found in amino acids from kombu, or inosinic acid from dried bonito. Also, other examples include guanylic acid from dried shiitake mushrooms and succinic acid from shellfish. Past experience dictates that combining these elements will deepen or generate a synergistic effect of the “umami” taste.

The “Umami” flavors found in Japanese sake consists of glutamic acid, a type of amino acid. Also, kimoto sake contains different acids like succinic and lactic acids. Others included are arginine acid and tyrosine acid.

When pairing Japanese cuisine with sake, Junmaishu containing an abundance of glutamic acid goes well with foods containing inosinic acid, especially with amino acids found in fish. Also, succinic acid found abundantly in kimoto sake and lactic acid goes great with meats (such as chicken, beef and pork) and dairy products. Daiginjo sake contains malic acid in addition to the “umami” elements, so they are best paired with white fish and shellfish served with lemon, yuzu, and other citric juices.

In Japanese cuisine, Japanese sake is used as a hidden ingredient to enhance the “umami” flavors, soften animal protein, enhance the flavors of the food and to eliminate the gamyness of meats. Of course Junmai sake which is high in amino acid (no point in using gingo for cooking and it would be a waste) or cooking sake is recommended for cooking to best compliment and enhance the flavors of the food.

Why isn't there Umami translation in English?

Why isn’t there an English translation for the Japanese term “umami”?

The concept “umami” exists in various countries worldwide, for some reason in the West, the basic concepts of taste: acidity, sweetness, saltiness and bitterness were never recognized. While similar terms like “savory taste” is used to describe such flavors, the meaning is slightly different.

In a recent conversation with a French-American wine sommelier, I’m sure my choice of words weren’t the best when I stated to him, “umami is a very valued taste by the Japanese and refers to the compatibility between Japanese sake and the food,” to which he responded rather crossly, “every country has their own version of ‘umami’ that they cherish. The only difference is that there isn’t a single term that best defines that taste in their vocabulary.” Of course, I am also aware of the various umami flavors found worldwide, which made me wonder why such terms don’t exist.

One possibility is due to the term originating from “dashi,” or soup. Dashi is a concentration of flavors, a unique form of soup stock considered unique worldwide. Compared to soup stock in China and the West, where flavors are extracted from “extraction of umami flavors from broiling” meat and vegetables for a long period of time, dashi is a unique Japanese method of extracting flavors in a short period of only several minutes until the water broils. Contrary to the rich and high-calorie soup stock made in the West, the Japanese soup stock is mild, yet uniquely rich in flavor.
One basic concept in Japanese cuisine is to “capitalize on the flavors of each food ingredient,” which is why the soup stock is not flavored as much as possible to best enhance the ingredients as the basic method of preparation. Therefore, dashi = umami was long recognized as a “taste” in its own right. However, in the West, soup stock was recognized as a base to which many condiments (salt, pepper, spices, butter, etc.) are to be added, so the umami of the soup stock as a “taste” in itself was never recognized.

Flavors such as “umami” and “koku” (‘richness,’ this term unfortunately doesn’t exist in the English language either) are not only limited to compatibility with Japanese sake, but also extends to compatibility with wine as well. Next time, I want to expand more about the compatibility between “umami” and sake.

Sake in Niigata Sado

I am very glad that sake is getting more exposure.
This time, LA Times featured Obata Shuzo in Sado, Niigata.
I have never been to Sado island but someday soon would like to visit here!
To read the whole article, click here.