Kanpai! MEET MIHO IMADA

With sake, you can enjoy a toast the Japanese way – with a wonderful hint of umami

Have you ever tried sake? If you haven’t, you’re missing out. This rice-based fermented alcoholic beverage dates back centuries and is the national drink of Japan, although it now enjoys an international reputation, too, thanks to its beautiful, diverse taste.

But sake is more than just a drink in Japan, it’s deeply connected to the history, culture and customs of the Japanese people, and that remains unchanged in the 21st century, as it’s still firmly rooted in the nation’s heart.

THE CRAFT OF MAKING SAKE

A traditional brewing technique is used to produce sake and it’s made from water and rice – an essential ingredient in the Japanese diet – along with kōji mould, which is created by growing aspergillus oryzae (a mould native to Japan) in rice. This process has been perfected over many generations of artisan producers, and it’s hoped the traditional knowledge and skills of sake-making with kōji mould in Japan will be recognised as a UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage tradition this year.

There are more than a thousand sake breweries in Japan producing different varieties, such as Daiginjo and Junmai. Each type has its own closely guarded raw ingredients, rice polishing ratio and method of manufacture. Plus, many breweries also take advantage of the local water, rice and food culture unique to their region, making individuality a competing feature.

Versatile, delicious and unique, sake truly is a work of art. So, what are you waiting for? Try it now and see just how good it is for yourself.

THE PERFECT ACCOMPANIMENT

Naturally, sake pairs well with traditional Japanese dishes, but it also lends itself to many western dishes featuring umamirich ingredients, such as cheese, charcuterie and tomatoes.

Master sake brewer Miho Imada (centre,

main image) is a fourth-generation

Åīðoeðī Ĵ ĴÌÐ AĈÌ wìķšģ Åīðoeðīř

in rural Hiroshima, which produces award-winning premium sake. In 2020, she was selected as one of the BBC’S

Ǫǩǩ ĉďįĵ ÐĊŪĶÐĊĴÐĂ oeďĉðċ Miho was born and raised in the brewery, but she pursued other interests in Tokyo before returning to start her own journey in brewing in 1994. She was just one of 10 female brewers at the time – sake brewing has always largely been considered men’s

work, due to the need for physical strength – and 30 years on, she’s now

one of 30 or so, as the numbers of women in the industry have gradually

increased. The key ingredient that makes Miho’s sake stand out from the crowd is her use of Hattanso, a type of sake rice

traditionally grown in Hiroshima.

#ÐŬAEĶĂĴ Ĵď AEĶĂĴÐOEĴÐ ÐĴĮ Ĩďĩķăīðĵř had waned, but she revived it from

a handful of seeds and started brewing her sake with it, which pairs particularly well with oysters (another

traditional product of Hiroshima).