Since then, I have had sake many times over but I have to
admit that the experience was not equally enjoyable each time. Until last week,
when I was invited to enjoy a boutique sake collection at Hyatt Regency’s TK’s.
This time, my first sip of Enter Sake’s Junmai Ginjo, Silver, almost took me
back to that wonderful afternoon in Hong Kong when I first enjoyed this
beverage. With honeysuckle on the nose and floral notes of cherry blossoms, it
has a clean and smooth finish. The second sake for the evening was the
Honjozo-style, Black. This is a clean, pure style of sake with mountain flowers
on the nose. Less sweet than the previous one, the Black has cleansing acidity
that provides good structure and a soft, silky texture.
Enter Sake
Enter Sake is a boutique sake collection curated by Canadian
musician and DJ Richie Hawtin. Richie has been exploring the world of sake over
the last twenty years through extensive trips to Japan. He has earned the
Advanced Sake Professional certification and was made an official Sake Samurai
by the Japanese Sake Brewers Association in 2014 for his efforts in promoting
sake abroad. The brand Enter also includes special sakes that are not available
anywhere else outside Japan.
Brought to India by the young and enterprising duo behind
Project Sake India, Enter Sake is already available at all the leading Japanese
and Oriental restaurants in Delhi’s five-star hotels and a few select
stand-alone restaurants as well. Arjun Khurana, partner, Project Sake India,
emphasised the importance of the right channels of importing and storing sake in
order to enjoy it at its optimal taste. “Like wine, sake bottles have no
expiration date, but they do not taste as good beyond three months,” he
laments. In fact, they got into the business of importing sake primarily
because of their love for it, and at times, inadequate availability.
Enter Sake, a name that one is not likely to forget {unlike
many other traditional Japanese names}, comes in wine-type bottles and is even
served in a wine flute, instead of a carafe and shot glass or cup. “We want to
make sake more approachable for the Delhi market,” says Arjun. Although this is
a non-traditional way of serving sake, it is not blasphemous, because sake is
the equivalent of wine in many ways. The pairing principles of sake also have
many similarities with that of food and wine. On that note I’ll leave you with
a few fun facts* about sake.
·
Made primarily from rice, sake is a fermented
beverage brewed using a micro-organism called koji and yeast.
·
It has alcohol content of about 13%-16%.
·
The quality of water used in brewing sake is
very important. Brewers take advantage of the various kinds of natural water
available in Japan to make excellent sake.
·
There are many different varieties of sake, and
it can be enjoyed either warm or chilled, depending on the type of sake and the
season.
*Types of Sake
There are several different types of sake, the following
special denominations are specified by the Japanese government.
Ginjoshu: Sake
made using white rice that has been milled so that 60% or less of the grain
remains. It also contains rice koji and water. It is characterized by fruity,
floral bouquet and a clear, crisp flavour. If the rice is polished down to 50%
or less, the sake is called Dai-ginjoshu.
Junmaishu: Sake
made only from white rice, rice koji, and water. It tends to have a mellow
bouquet and a rich, smooth flavour.
Honjozoshu: Sake
made using white rice that has been milled so that 70% or less of the grain
remains, along with rice, koji, brewing alcohol and water. It is known for its
mild, unobtrusive bouquet and a crisp flavour.
All other types of sake fall under the category of Futsushu, which is consumed widely
throughout Japan. This category offers various tastes, with each brand of sake
featuring a unique flavour that is characteristic of the brewery.
Lastly, sake pairing is NOT limited to Japanese food! It is being paired with French, Italian and even Indian cuisine.
Lastly, sake pairing is NOT limited to Japanese food! It is being paired with French, Italian and even Indian cuisine.
* The facts and sake specifications, courtesy Japan Sake
Brewers Association.