The Man Who Brought Sushi to America, Part VI

Introducing Sake to America

TJ: Can you tell us about the differences between how wine and sake are made?
KANAI: There are major differences between the two food cultures and the base ingredients. Wine from the Western food culture is made from a fruit; grapes laden with natural sugars. On the other hand, sake from the Eastern food culture is made from rice, a grain made up of starch with no naturally occurring sugars that can be converted directly into alcohol. So, the long chains of starch molecules must first be broken down into smaller links, then into sugars, a process that is achieved through the use of koji, an important mold that’s unique to the Japanese brewing art. In making wine, the end result depends greatly on the grape quality, so growers take immense care of their vineyards. However, with sake, although rice ingredient quality is important, it’s the brewing art that’s truly the key to quality sake.

TJ: How long can an imported bottle of sake last?
KANAI: As long as it’s kept chilled and is never exposed to sunlight, most premium sake can be kept for a while without altering the flavor or quality. But in general, sake is meant to be consumed while fresh.

TJ: Does it need to be kept chilled?
KANAI: Not all sakes need to be kept chilled. For fine jizake, if kept refrigerated, it can last for a couple of years or longer, but if it just sits on a supermarket shelf or at home, subjected to temperature fluctuations and light, quality will be compromised. So, in the U.S. market, you’d want to purchase sake at a Japanese supermarket like Marukai, Mitsuwa, or Nijiya, that has quick stock rotation; specialty wine shops; or Whole Foods Market that stock products refrigerated.

The complete article can be found in Issue #276 of the Tokyo Journal. Click here to order from Amazon.