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In This Issue:
The Kome Khronicles Part V
Did You Know? The New Sake Tasting Competition
Special Announcement
...and more.
The Kome Khronicles
Part V: Yamada Nishiki & Micro Climates
When we last left our "Kome Khronicles" (remember, kome means rice), I had just been humbled.
It happens a lot, but this particular incident was related to me smirking at the poor saps that had to count out 1000 grains of rice (the weight of which is the standard in measuring size), then seeing how
simply they did it. We were talking about Yamada Nishiki, how it grows so well in the land of its birth, Hyogo Prefecture, and my visit to Honda Shouten, brewers of Tatsuriki. And we spoke of the large brewers
of the Nada neighborhood in Kobe (which is in Hyogo, of course) and how much they contributed to making Yamada Nishiki what it is. Those that want to (re-)read that article in its entirety will find it here, in
the archives.
In essence, though, this Hyogo (Prefectural) Agricultural Tec h Center is the source of the purest, best Yamada Nishiki rice. After seeing folks culling the best from the best inside, we
(Mr. Honda, owner and president of Tatsuriki and I) then headed further into the hills, into the region known as Harima.
As we descended again into the plains we began to pass rice fields above which
flags flew bearing the names of large sake brewers of Nada. These tall banners indicated that he companies named therein had "dibs" on the rice of that field. We were now in the heart of Harima, and
traveling between the three villages that are recognized as making the best of the best of the best.
As I alluded to in the past, the producers around here devised a ranking system for their local rice
between 1952 and 1964 that determined just which plots had the best rice, and priced all rice of the region based on that standard. Known as the "Muramai Seido," or "Rice-village based
system," there was one village that was generally accepted to be the best.
The other villages in the Harima region, then, had their rice priced lower in direct relation to the price of top dog. For
example, if the best village had a price of 100, the next ten closest in quality would be priced perhaps two to three percent lower, and so on down the line to the lowly ones (bearing in mind they are still
amongst the best in the country) that might be ten percent cheaper. A chart showing the pricing model of the Muramai Seido can be seen here. Anyone can at least read the numbers, and see the big circle in the
center and how the prices go down as one moves away from those. The example shown is from 1938.
To me, what is interesting is that it was and is more or less universally accepted; all the farmers
kind of bought into this system. You'd think they'd argue about re-assessing the ranks or scrutinize the standards, but no, everyone agreed for the most part on the quality levels that came out of these
villages. What this goes to show - and herein lies my main point - rice responds to micro-environments, and just a couple of kilometers and small changes in soil, climate, and surroundings can make all the
difference in the world.
So these rice producers in Harima eventually came up with ranking grades for the rice fields, like A, B and C, and within that A-A, A-B and A-C. But again, these were not used
elsewhere, only within this tight little group, and only for their Yamada Nishiki. On top of that, the government also has inspection systems for rice, official ones, and all rice is graded by said inspectors
based on clearly defined standards. And these two existed separately and in parallel.
How were they able to pull this off? Because of the sponsorship of the big brewers of Nada. Those brewers
needed that rice, and were in full support of the system to see that they got what they wanted, for a price of course.
The villages, by the way, were called Yashiro-cho, Tojo-cho, and Yokawa-cho. Some of
the names have recently changed due to annexation for administrative reasons unrelated to the sake world.
Remember too that most brewer and rice growers in the country have nothing to do with this, and
may know nothing and care even less about its existence. It is pretty much something limited to the brewers of the region, especially Nada, and the few brewers that can afford and do insist on the absolute best
Yamada Nishiki, or at least one opinion of it.
But it continues intact today, supported by the quality of the rice that results. Interestingly, while there are concrete, measurable standards of quality,
a lot of it is just simply appearance as judged by those that grow it and brew with it.
After cruising amidst the fields of these three villages, the rice having been harvested a month previous, we
headed back to Honda-san's brewery, where the inimitable Tatsuriki is brewed.
As is the case when touring many a brewery, the first stop was the milling room. It was filled with 30-kg bags of Yamada
Nishiki, some of it Special A-A fields, and within that, of top "Special To p" grade. Folks, rice does not get any better than this, and I must admit, the appearance was totally different.
Size, sure. Color too. But what shocked me was the luster of the stuff. It was beautiful. I wanted to run it through my fingers and caress it for hours on end… I had never felt this way about rice
before. I almost felt like disrobing. Just when I was about to feel I should talk to someone about this, Honda-san beckoned me on to the next stage of the brewery tour.
While there is even more to say,
and I will get to that in future articles in this newsletter, the main point to be conveyed here is that rice can and does indeed vary in quality to very small changes in climate and surroundings. On top of
that, of course, is the skill of the producer. And, before it is all done, the skill of the brewer will wield at least as much influence too.
We will wrap this up with a few more pertinent and
interesting observations next month. For now, if you are interested in sake made with Special A-A Special Top grade rice, look for Kikhime Daiginjo or Tatsuriki "Akitsu" Junmai Daiginjo. Just be
prepared to pay for it.
Did you Know?
The Zenkoku Shinshu Kampyoukai (National New Sake Tasting Competition)
Later this month, the industry and government will have this year's
New Sake Tasting Competition. While it is no longer fully governmental, for close to a century Japan was the only country in the world that had a government-run blind tasting competition of its indigenous
national alcoholic beverage. It began in 1911, and as the contest was twice not held, this is the 96th running of the prestigious event that awards gold and silver prizes to sake of high quality.
However, most of that sake is not normally found on the market and in fact is brewed for the contests alone, with one main goal being to give brewers a forum where they can polish their skills.
Long ago, in particular, they could not sell this sake as it would be exceedingly pricey and was far too ostentatious for the normal consumer. So usually this "ginjo on steroids" was blended in
with lesser sake, often enabling the blend to qualify as a higher grade in the old "Special Class, First Class, Second Class" s ystem that was repealed in 1989.
Today, though, we can look for
contest sake in the stores starting in late spring; while it may be intense, it is always worth a sip.
Announcing the Sake Professional Course
New York City, July 27, 28 and 29
The 3rd Stateside Sake Professional Course will be held in New York City, on July 27, 28 and 29 (Monday through Wednesday). The location will be in Manhattan, almost certainly at Astor Center. The cost
for the three day intensive program will be $775. Go here for more details. Those interested in more detail can contact me by email. Attendance is limited to 50 and is just over half full (half-empty?) right
now.
For Local Readers
There is still time to get to the spring Ginjo-shu Kyoukai tasting in Tokyo will be held on Monday, May 11, at the Tokyo Kotsu Kaikan in Ginza, just outside
JR Yurakucho station. There will be two sessions, one from 2:30 to 4:30 and another from 6:00 to 8:00 in the evening. The cost to taste several ginjo sake from amongst 59 (count 'em!) brewers is a mere 2000
yen (2500 yen on event day). You cannot beat that! More can be found here, albeit in Japanese only. You can, however, simply show up for the event without a problem.
Further Reading
Dancyu Blog
I have begun a blog on sake related ramblings for the gourmet magazine Dancyu. It is, however, in Japanese. Should you be interested and able to check it out, you can find it here.
Also, for
those with the requisite interest, an article in English on yers truly.
Further Listening
I have also begun an audio program - five minutes at a time - that includes sake recommendations. The
monthly posts can be heard at www.japanlivingarts.com a fascinating blog covering a wide range of arts and traditions of Japan, done by Steve Beimel, a decades-long resident of Kyoto. It is worth visiting for
much more than the few measly sake updates!
Stay Subscribed!
Are you not getting this newsletter? I realize that is likeasking that "those not present please raise your
hand," but for future reference, should you spontaneously stop receiving this newsletter, please go here and sign up again. Should that not work, please go to www.sake-world.com.
Email newsletter
services are very careful not to be considered spam enablers, but the problem is that often very valid email addresses come back bounced as invalid. It is an unavoidable problem. So if you or someone you know is
not getting this, or stop(s) receiving it inexplicably, please do take a moment to double check that you are still subscribed.
Sincere apologies for the hassle, mixed with gratitude for reading this
newsletter.
Special Announcement Coming Soon
Later this month look for a special announcement regarding the impending release of my new e-book, "Sake's Hidden Stories,
the Personalities, Philosophies, and Tricks of the Trade Behind the Brew." It will be made available to readers of this newsletter at a special price for a short time.
While more will be revealed in
the special announcement, Sake's Hidden Stories reveals more about sake than any other book on the topic, and does it through the stories of 13 brewers and the world that surrounds them.
Sake Educational Products
Just a reminder to check out the Sake-World e-store,currently offering three educational products immediately downloadable for your education and further sake enjoyment. See
Educational Products at Sake-world.com. Currently, we have three products, with more to come soon, including a full-blown, comprehensive self-study course covering all the material in the Sake Professional
Course, and more.
First is The Sake Notebook, a 15-page pdf file guaranteed to jump-start your sake understanding and appreciation. It covers everything related to sake in a tight, concise
and easily digestible presentation replete with plenty of photos and diagrams for at-a-glance enlightenment. Sake basics, history, grades and quality levels, aging, temperature, storage and more are all briefly
touched upon to create a foundation upon which more sake learning can flourish. There is also a list of 250 (count 'em!) sake brands to look for and try. Finally, included with purchase is access to a
password protected area on www.sake-world.com known as "The Goodstuff" a regularly updated list of good sake r ecommendations, replete with brief commentary on each, and some indication of John's
personal recommendations and preferences. Available for $15.
Next is The Sake Production Slideshow, an executable file (Photojam) wherein resides a 15-minute slideshow of photos of the sake-brewing
process from beginning to end, giving you a glimpse into the day-to-day brewing environment of sakagura in Japan. Available for $15. Also, access to "The Goodstuff" comes with this product as
well.
Third is a bundled package of both The Sake Notebook and The Sake Production Slideshow
for those that cannot make up their minds or simply have to have - or give - both as gifts. Available as a set for $25.
Surely these would make wonderful gifts for those close to you that are itching to get into good sake, and their easily downloadable digital format makes it all that much easier.
Odds-n-Ends
Links to Sake Book Info and Archives
Past Issues Posted
The archives of this newsletter are again up-to-date. If you have missed any, feel free to check them out on the Sake-World
site.
More information on the following topics can be found at
www.sake-world.com/html/nl_related.html
Sake Homebrewing
Books on Sake
Information on the archives of this newsletter
General
information related to this publication
I hope you have found the above information helpful and entertaining. For more information about all things sake, please check out www.sake-world.com. Until
next month, warm regards, and enjoy your sake.
Questions and comments should be directed to John Gauntner, at the email address above.
All material Copyright, John Gauntner & Sake World
Inc.
Regards,
John Gauntner
Sake World, Inc.
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