Tulsa Food

We’ve all been to Japanese restaurants or sushi joints and consumed that insipid warm junk that passes as sake.

Believe me fine folks, that juice resembles fine or premium sake like Bud or Coors resembles great beer (apologies to all Bud & Coors drinkers out there!).

Sake is one of those beverages that confuses nearly everyone, myself included. It’s essentially brewed like a beer but is considered a wine. But to my way of thinking, this is like trying to fit a square peg into a round hole. Sake is neither beer, nor wine. It is sake, and should be respected as such. Think about it – it is a totally unique beverage, very much a product of Japan, and in the vein of a nation with such a rich history, something to be venerated. It is truly a fascinating beverage, with a long and rich tradition.

If this article inspires just one person to go out and try some premium sake I will consider it mission accomplished. There are some beautiful examples out there – even in Oklahoma!

So, what is sake? It is a simple product, being produced from just four components – water, rice, yeast and koji. Like the production of great scotches, bourbons and so on, the end product is a direct result of the base ingredients. Integral to this is the quality of the water. As finished sake is comprised of roughly 80% water, the water composition and quality is extremely important to sake brewers. Traditional, small brewers are nearly always located near a great water source such as pure, deep wells, or underground streams.

If you love crisp white wines, especially herbal Sauvignon Blancs from the Loire or New Zealand I would heartily recommend searching out some of these delicious drops from half way around the world. Below I’ve provided tasting notes on some of my very favorite sakes – all of which you can order from your favorite liquor store.

Yokozuna, which now serves some fantastic sushi (my faves include the Hot Mess, Spicy Salmon, and two amazing pineapple rum laden rolls, the Drunken Money and the Rising Sun) also has two excellent sake flights (for $10 and $18) which are very reasonable priced and make a perfect accompaniment to their dishes.

Grades of Sake

Sake grade levels are determined by the percentage the rice is milled before the brewing process. In general, the more the rice is milled (polished), the higher the quality. The brewing process for higher grade sake is also more labor intensive and most steps are commonly done by hand and over longer time periods. Think of the Junmai and higher grade levels in similar terms to craft beer brewing, or artisan wine makers.

Futsu (“Table Sake”)

Made with regular table rice, often using automated brewing processes, and plenty of distilled alcohol. Futsu represents about 75% of the entire sake market with premium sake (those sake above this level) constituting the remaining 25%.

Junmai/Honjozo

Until recently, the minimum milling rate for Junmai was 70%, but the law changed and now no minimum milling rate exists for Junmai sake. Unlike for other sake grades, the milling rate must appear on the bottle. Honjozo sake is often a bit lighter than Junmai sake, due to the small amount of alcohol added at the end of fermentation.

Junmai Ginjo/Ginjo

Indicates a special and painstaking brewing process where fermentation proceeds at lower temperatures and for longer periods, and pressing is often done by hand. This extra effort produces a sake that is layered and complex, light, and fragrant. All Ginjo and Daiginjo sake are considered “super premium sake”. Less than 6% of all Japanese sake falls into this category.

Junmai Daiginjo/Daiginjo

An even more painstaking, labor-intensive brewing process than Ginjo, which results in sake that is even lighter and more fragrant and fruity than a typical Ginjo. Daiginjo often goes as far as a 35% seimaibuai (65% of the rice polished away). Junmai means “pure rice”, so no distilled alcohol was added to the sake during the brewing process.

Adapted from John Gauntner, Copyright 2002.

Enjoying sake

Sake is best served around 50 degrees, slightly chilled but not too cold because there are complex aromas going on.

A small wine glass, that you would serve white or a dessert wine in, is fine, or you can go with a more traditional vessel.

Sake should be consumed as fresh as possible and once opened a bottle, stored in the fridge, will last about a week. I actually freeze my sake once I open a bottle so it last over several months. Your mileage will vary.

Tasting Notes

These are some of my favorite premium sakes. I’ve split them into two sections, what I would classify as clear, or table, sakes (for sipping and with dinner) and nigori sakes, which are what one might consider dessert sakes, given that they give an impression of sweetness. None of these sakes will be widely available so you might have to special order them. Any good store will do that for you (if they don’t, you should take your business elsewhere). As such these prices are best guestimates….All prices are for 300 ml bottles. Larger formats (720 ml) might be available.

Premium Clear Sakes

Tozai “Living Jewel” (Junmai) – $10.99

This is a beautifully aromatic sake, with white grape, banana and cantelope aromas. The sake is medium-bodied, very clean, and finishes with white pepper. Absolutely fabulous.

Kikusui (Junmai Gingo) – $12.99

Aromas of banana and honeysuckle, with a soft, almost off-dry palate with good white fruit flavors. A good aperitif or introductory sake.

Tentaka Kuni “Hawk in the Heavens” (Junmai) – $14.99

This is an earthy style of sake, with wet mushroom, walnut, even hints of nutmeg all over the nose and palate. Incredibly rich, with a long finish, this is a complex and satisfying sake. For sake purists, this is perfection. It is also a serious value at this price!

Rihaku Wandering Poet (Junmai Gingo) – $16.99

A herbal nose that leads to banana, this is fresh and delicate in the mouth, light, almost effervescent, and has lots of flavor of honeydew melon and even kiwi fruit. Delicious.

Hisui Red Rice Sake – $14.99

This is an amazing sake, from Japan’s southern most brewery, brewed from heirloom ruby rice. The nose is redolent of cherry and soft red berries, with a delicious rich mouth-filling flavors, including strawberries. This is the closest sake I’ve had to a chilled red wine, and while I can only normally consume an ounce or two of sake at any one time the 300 ml bottle was soon gone. A unique and beautiful sake!

Takasago “Divine Droplets” (Junmai Daiginjo) – $32.99

This is one of the best sakes I have ever tasted. Incredible and so unique. This sake is drip-pressed (shizuku), a rarity by itself, and it is the only sake in the world drip-pressed in an ice igloo!! How crazy is that?! The igloo is rebuilt every year outside the main brewery building in Hokkaido, Japan’s northernmost island. What about the sake itself? A nose of spice and banana, with a palate that is gilt-edged. Melon, herbs and a minerally quality dances over the palate and leads to a lingering finish. It’s very very expensive, but as a special treat I’d certainly recommend it.

Nigori Sakes

This is a sake style that is either partially unfiltered, or clear sake that has had some of the lees of the fermented rice added back. It tends to be murky. These sakes taste off-dry in the mouth, and they are certainly an acquired taste, and won’t be for everyone.

Kizakura Snow Maiden (Junmai Nigori) – $10.99

The color of milk, this is a smooth and rich in the mouth, with flavors of banana and ripe limes. This is a great dessert sake for the price!

Nagaragawi Sparkling Sake (Junmai Nigori) – $14.99

Milky white in color, with aromas of vanilla and rich banana, this is actually a sake that tastes of rice, accompanied by banana flavors. It’s almost like drinking a rice and banana dessert! Bizarre, but tasty!

Health Facts

Sake is gluten-free, sulfite free and also kosher.

More Information

Yokozuna have just updated their website with the new sushi menu, and the Vine Connections web-site is a fabulous introduction to sake and its rich history. The terminology section is particularly useful.

http://www.yokozunatulsa.com
http://www.vineconnections.com/japanese-sake

Mark Stenner – The Tulsa Wine Club:

Mark Stenner is the founder and organizer of the Tulsa Wine Club, a local tasting group that meets once a month to sample wines. The tastings take place in private homes in the Tulsa metro area, and are casual and fun events. Participants of all age ranges enjoy 10-12 wines per event, served alongside the food each member contributes to the evening. They welcome anyone with an interest in wine, whether novice or expert. Mark believes in learning through osmosis, drinking wine and forming your own evaluation of your experience.

For more information about the Tulsa Wine Club Email Mark at tulsawineclub@yahoo.com