Continuing with my Sake and Wine comparison, let’s focus on 1.) types of acids, and 2.) alcohol levels. These components vary greatly, and understanding this will help to explain food pairing basics and to better select complimentary seasonings and sauces. Let’s first take a look at acids – the types of acids, and their concentration […]
Last time, I used my visit to Florida as an example to talk about the regional differences in terms of local cuisine and preference of alcoholic beverages. This time, I will talk about the food preferences associated with changes in living environment, using my stay in Europe as an example. Whilst in Europe, I ate many meat-based […]
I was recently in Miami. Other than being a bit more humid, my impression of Florida was that it was much like Southern California. And though I was aware of the unique food cultures there, the area’s preference for alcoholic beverages was beyond what I’d imagined. Miami is our nation’s third largest market for Japanese […]
In Japan, the practice of using wild grapes to ferment into grape wine existed even before the creation of sake some 2000 years ago. What’s historically more significant is that, as soon as sake becomes available, people switch to rice based liquor, thus wiping out grape wine production. How was grape liquor replaced by rice […]
Let’s take a look at sake from a brewing point of view. There are three major differences in sake brewing compared to wine. First, is the role of the koji mold. It’s the all-mighty koji that drives the conversion of rice starches into fermentable sugar. In wine brewing, fermentable sugars already present in the grape are converted directly into […]
Let’s take a new approach in uncovering the fascinating world of Japanese Sake – by comparing it to wine. Sake production took root in Japanese culture with the arrival of the wet-rice cultivation process brought from China into Japan some 3,500 years ago. Due to the warmth and high humidity that hovers over the country from spring to […]