Rice Wine Quotes

“Ah, Setchubai. "Plum Blossoms in the Snow." Perfect, and not just because of the name. It's a little sweet, but it'll go very well with the hotpot.”
― Hisashi Kashiwai, The Kamogawa Food Detectives

“Main ingredients: rice, distilled alcohol, brewing saccharides...' what's that all mean?"
"During the second World War, something called sanbaizōshu was created as a way to make sake from a small very small amount of rice."
"'Sanbaizōshu'?"
"Essentially, you take sake made the proper way but then dilute it until it's three times its original volume.
Besides water, the main additive is distilled grain alcohol, followed by malt syrup, glucose, and MSG to fix the flavor."
"What? You add a completely different alcohol that wasn't created during the brewing?!"
"Monosodium glutamate? I can't believe they'd add such a thing to a drink!"
"You're right. This isn't real sake. Although we now have an abundant supply of rice, the big beverage companies still make sanbaizōshu since it's an easy way for them to make a profit."
"But I trusted them because they're popular brands..."
"It's the other way around. Most of the large companies with huge advertising campaigns on TV and whatnot use this method."
"Then what about this bottle with "Junmaishu" on it?"
"It's from a small brewery in the countryside, a sake made from nothing but rice, kōji, and water.
This is the kind of sake that should have an ingredient label so that people can see that it's truly pure. It's a tragedy that we have it the other way around here in Japan.
Is there any other country in the world that's degraded their traditional drink like this?It's an important part of our culture and it's almost been destroyed.”
― Tetsu Kariya, Sake

“Sake is the best when it comes to pairing with seafood. It's often said that Chablis and raw oysters go well together, but I've got my doubts about that. I find a strong off taste lingers after I eat raw oysters and drink Chablis."
"Why is that?"
"Wine has a lot more sodium in it compared to sake. The sodium compounds are part of what gives wine its fine flavor.
But at the same time, I think one of those compounds brings out the fishiness of the seafood.”
― Tetsu Kariya, Sake

“In France, caviar, truffles and foie gras are considered to be the three major delicacies.
And when the French eat caviar, they don't drink wine with it.
The French aren't stupid. They're more than aware that no wine goes well with caviar.
That's why they drink vodka with it. But they don't know about sake."
"You're right. Vodka's usually served with caviar."
"But vodka really isn't a drink to have during a meal."
"It's not just caviar--- I don't think wine goes well with any kind of seafood.
It doesn't matter whether the fish is grilled, simmered, raw or in a bouillabaisse. And it's completely out of the question for things like raw oysters, karasumi and sea urchin.
Wine contains far more sodium than sake.
And some of those sodium compounds do not mix well with the fats in the fish, so that distinctive seafood flavor ends up being emphasized even more.
On the other hand, sake has hardly any sodium, so it doesn't bring out the fishiness.
And the sugars from the rice starch enhance the flavor of the food."
"Hmm."
"Come to think of it, shiokara tastes a lot better when you eat it with rice than when you eat it on its own. I guess this is the same thing.
It's the power of rice.”
― Tetsu Kariya, Sake

“I believe that sake and wine are the only drinks in the world that have achieved the level of being forms of art.
Wine is made from grapes. Grapes have a lot of sugar in them to start with.
Although it's a gross simplification, if you crushed the grapes and put them in a barrel they'd naturally ferment and turn into wine.
But that's not the case with sake. In order for fermentation to occur, the starch in the rice has to be converted into sugar.
And that involves a far more complex and difficult process than what's involved in making wine.
In the entire world, no other country has developed such a refined drink out of cereal grains.
What you usually get out of cereal grains is something like beer, which has a low proof...
... or a distilled liquor like whiskey, which has a high one.
I want you to understand what a wonderful and unique thing sake is...
... and to appreciate the amazing skill it takes to create a drink that is practically an art form out of plain rice.”
― Tetsu Kariya, Sake

“An indigo bottle is placed in front of us. "First rule of sake." Yoshi picks up the flask and one of the matching ceramic cups. "Never pour for yourself." He pours a shot for Taka and me. I reciprocate, pouring one for Yoshi.
We hold the cups close to our faces and sniff. Sweet notes rise up and we toast. "Kanpai!" Then we sip. The rice wine goes down cold but warms my belly. A few more sips and my limbs are warm, too. Scallops and yellowtail sashimi are served. We sip more sake. By the time the yakitori arrives, our bottle is empty and my cheeks are hot.
The group of salarymen have grown rowdy, their ties loosened. Yoshi winks at the pink-haired girls and they collapse into a fit of giggles. My God, to have such power over the opposite sex.
Gyoza is next. The fried pork dumplings dipped in chili oil burn my mouth but soak up some of the sake, and I sober a little, just in time for the group of salarymen to send us a round of shōchū, starchier than the sake but delicious all the same. We toast to them, to the bar, to the night, to Tokyo. My stomach is near bursting when the chef places agedashi---fried tofu---in front of us. Finally, Taka orders fermented squid guts. I don't try it, but I laugh as he slurps them up.”
― Emiko Jean, Tokyo Ever After

“Choosing a wine to pair with escargot is difficult. The escargot have been grilled with garlic butter and have a strong, meaty taste.
But they're neither seafood nor red meat. So none of these wines would be right."
"But I thought escargot was a common dish in France. So wouldn't they know what the right wine pairing would be?"
"Like Koizumi-san said, Chablis, Meursalt or Pouilly Fuissé wouldn't go well with the escargot. Even with red wine, you'd have to choose a very full-bodied one.
Try tasting the escargot with Koshino-Karoku."
"The strong aftertaste of the garlic butter is washed away. It's a lot more refreshing!"
"And it helps bring out the rustic flavor of the escargot!”
― Tetsu Kariya, Sake

“This is beef short ribs marinated in miso.
First you mix hatchō miso and Sendai's red miso with sake.
Then you place the short ribs in the mixture; they should be left to marinate for a day or so.
Then you take the ribs out and grill them over a charcoal fire."
"Miso and beef are a great match, aren't they?
It's a pity that people in other countries don't know about miso.”
― Tetsu Kariya, Sake

“Try this smoked chicken with a dressing made from wine vinegar and herbs.
Than the liver sashimi with just salt. Try the gizzard and chicken leg sashimi with salt and sesame oil.
This one is from Nakagomi-san's Yorozuya brewery. It's a Shunnoten Junmaishu, 'Takazasu.' I've warmed it so that it'll be 108 degrees when poured into your sake cup."
"108 degrees! Do you have to be that precise in warming the sake?!"
"Of course. That's why the Okanban's job is so important. I've made it slighty lukewarm to stimulate your taste buds, It should be just the right warmth to enjoy the delicate differences of the various sashimi."
"Wow. You really put a lot of thought into warming the sake."
"Okay. Let's try the sake and food together."
"The chicken leg is sweet! And the warm sake wraps that sweetness and enhances it in your mouth!"
"The warm sake spreads out the aftertaste of the liver on your tongue!"
"The more I chew on the gizzard, the richer the taste becomes!"
"Man, it's totally different from cold sake! Its scent and flavor are so lively!"
"Exactly. That's what's important. Warming the sake brings the flavor and scent to life, so they're much stronger than with cold sake. That's the reason you serve sake warm."
"I see... I never knew there was a reason like that behind warming sake."
"And now the main dish--- yakitori. Please start with the chicken fillet, heart and liver.
This is a Shunnoten Junmai Daiginjo that has been aged a little longer than usual. It's made from Yamadanishiki rice that has been polished down to 45 percent and then dry-steamed to create a tough malt-rice...
... which is then carefully fermented in low temperatures to create the sake mash.
Many people think I'm out of my mind to warm such a high-class Daiginjo. But when sake like this, which has been aged for a long time, is warmed to be 118 degrees when poured into the cup... you can clearly taste the deep flavor of the aged sake."
"Wow!"
"But 118 degrees is a little hot, isn't it?"
"I wanted you to taste the succulent, savory chicken heart and other skewers...
...with a hot Daiginjo that has a rich yet refreshing flavor and can wash away the fat."
"I think Junmai Ginjoshu tastes good when you warm it. People who claim that it's wrong to warm Junmai Ginjoshu don't know much about sake."
"Aah... the sake tastes heavier since it's warmer than the last one!"
"The flavor and scent of the sake fill my mouth and wash away the fat from the chicken too!"
"This sake has such a rich, mature taste!”
― Tetsu Kariya, Izakaya: Pub Food

“Chicken meat, gizzard, chicken skin and chicken wing.
This time, I added about 10 percent more water to the Takazasu I gave to you...
...and let it sit for about a week to blend the alcohol and flavor together. And I've warmed it just like the last one so that it will be 118 degrees when poured into the cup.
If the temperature is any lower than that, the sweetness of the sake becomes too distinct and it loses its lightness."
"Hmmm! This one tastes so light, even though it's the same temperature!"
"After eating for a while, people tend to start getting a bit tired. If you warm this sake up to the right temperature, it helps you continue to eat."
"That's right. And this sake is not only light, but it also has a strong, rich taste...
... so it can capture the fatty parts like the chicken skin and chicken wing and boost their flavor."
"This way, you can continue to eat, and you'll never get tired of drinking.”
― Tetsu Kariya, Izakaya: Pub Food

“A new sake was served, this one white and creamy--- an unfiltered nigori sake that tasted of jasmine, orange blossom, and vanilla.
King salmon with smoked soy sauce was followed by a bite of sea bass topped with a dollop of lime foam and sea salt. Fatty tuna was followed by an even fattier tuna, each delightfully buoyant and yet like velvet on her tongue. And then a mysterious dark yellow paste arrived, wrapped in a column of seaweed.
"Uni!" gasped Ruby.
"What in the world is uni?"
"Sea urchin--- it's a delicacy." Ruby swiftly ate the bite and moaned shamelessly, her eyes closed.
Cassie hesitantly popped the food into her mouth--- it was strangely creamy and coated her tongue with the tropical flavor of mango, in stark contrast to the crunchy, salty seaweed. It was, without a doubt, simply delightful.”
― Emily Arden Wells, Eat Post Like