For sake’s thirst: More consumers are warming up to Japanese wine

Food & Drinks

For sake’s thirst: More consumers are warming up to Japanese wine

Thursday April 06 2023

Vegetable tempura at the Washoki and Sake tasting event at Artcaffe Cellar in Nairobi’s Westlands. FILE PHOTO | POOL

Wine makes many people sweat. It is hard enough to differentiate normal wine—if there is such a thing—let alone Japanese wine.

This is exactly what was happening a couple of weeks ago at an invite-only washoku and Sake tasting event celebrating 60 Years of Japanese and Kenyan Relations at Artcaffé Cellar in Nairobi.

For the unsullied, Sake (also spelt saké) has a history of over 2,000 years and is as much a part of Japan as Buddhism and sushi.

Sake is primarily made from rice, but not just any rice. It is not the rice that is eaten; rather sake is made from shumai, or brewer’s rice, in other words, rice grown specifically to be made into sake.

The quality of sake is hinged upon seimaido, or seimaibuai, which means the extent to which the grains of rice have been polished before being made into sake.

In other words, the higher the polishing ratio, the higher the quality, which you can deduce from the price of the sake.

(The polishing ratio is the percentage of white rice remaining in the centre of the rice grain after polishing. For fruity floral flavours the rice is highly polished, which is vice versa when you want more complexity and umami flavours, with cereal and lactic aromas.)

Like wine, the sake is then fermented, the rice converting to sugar and the sugar ultimately into alcohol in a process called multiple parallel fermentation, which is more complex and unique than that used in winemaking.

Koji mold, the national fungi of Japan,  is used for making sake— which is combined with steamed rice, water, and a fermentation starter.

The thing with sake is that more than 80 percent of it is water, which is why eyebrows would not be raised in certain corners when you hear it being monikered as “water that has passed through rice”.

But do not be fooled. Sake can hold its own candle against many wines. In fact, sake is around 15 to 17 percent ABV (alcohol by volume), which makes it a little stronger than most wines.

You will realise how strong it is if you keep sipping only to stand up and stagger. The strongest sake—genshu, for example—is only around 22 percent ABV.

Sake is served in small glasses, which can be misleading. The ambassador of Japan to Kenya, Okaniwa Ken admits that there has been a growing thirst for Japanese wine in Kenya.

“Promoting good wine and good Japanese food will attract foreign visitors. I know even at Utalii College, there is a training for Japanese cuisine,” he says.

Conventional palate

He however notes that vis-à-vis the Japanese, Kenyans have quite a conventional taste palate.

“My experience with Kenyans is that they have a conservative palate, but then they are also open to new tastes. But with this kind of tastings [sake and Japanese food], they can appreciate and even embrace Japanese food and wine.”

“Sake,” he adds, “Is not a hard drink. You can buy it and drink it at home.”

Kevin Wachera, a sommelier says there are three popular sake variants in Kenya: the Honjozo-shu, Junmai, and Namazake.

“With respect to Kenya’s taste palates, we have come a long way. Until recently, all you could find was sweet wine—sweet red and sweet white,” he says. “Now we are embracing different textures and different tastes, including sake.”

Different sakes

When it comes to sake, it is a buyer’s market due to the many variants in the market.

However, they are generally categorised by the five main types of sake: The Junmai-shu, which is made of rice only and no distilled alcohol is added.

“This is ‘virgin sake’” and requires a minimum of 60 days to achieve its fine and complex notes,” says Mr Wachera.

Sake ranges from Sh2,400 to Sh4,000 a bottle.

Junmai sake is the pick of the bunch and in the top-tier category. The Junmai category is historically the “way sake was.”

The Honjozo-shu, which has a little distilled alcohol added to it is full-bodied, well-brewed, and with complex earthy flavours.

The Namazake is not pasteurised. It is considered a wild sake, says Mr Wachera. The rice is unpolished and the alcohol is added.

“It goes for about Sh2,400 for a 2.2-litre bottle,” Mr Wachera.

There are other variants of sake including the Ginjo-shu (highly milled rice that sometimes has alcohol added and sometimes not); the Daiginjo-shu (even more highly milled rice); the Futsushu (which means “ordinary sake,” the table wine of sake.

It has no regulations); and the Nigori (often called cloudy sake, it has particles of solid rice suspended in the sake, normally served chilled).

More female drinkers

Mr Wachera says sake is not new in the Kenyan market but only recently has it started getting the traction that it deserves, obviously because there has been a palate shit to embracing new beverage.

Ambassador Okaniwa however notes that when it comes to preference, women seem to have their heads turned more toward sake. “I see more women enjoying sake, maybe women are more adventurous when it comes to wine,” he says.

In Kenya, sake primarily exists in Japanese restaurants.

“At Artcaffé, we have decided to take it on board not just for Japanese culture but also from a culinary perspective,” says Mr Wachera.

Sake is a sipping beverage like wine. It can range from dry to sweet and is more acidic than beer. It is often toasted, known as kanpai, loosely translated to “drink your cup dry.”

Sake cups are called ochoko, and sake pitchers are called tokkuri. You can choose to either have your sake cold or warm.

For cold sake, it is recommended to use smaller cups made of porcelain, metal or glass. For warm sake, it is best preferred in porcelain or ceramic cups.

“In regards to pairing you need to savour and engage with the sake. You need to smell the different flavours to understand how it pairs,” says Mr Wachera.

There is a saying about sake—sake wa ryori wo erabanai—which British sake brewer Philip Harper wittily translates to “sake does not get into fights with food”.

With sake, you are assured that it will not compete with your meal to become the focus, rather it compliments, working in harmony to create lasting tones of flavour.

Sake, is a passport beverage, everyone’s big brother, versatile with ability to easily blend in onto non-Japanese markets.

“Food is an important part of our culture. It’s about respect for nature and we try to use the best ingredients every season, not to overcook so that you can appreciate the flavours,” adds Ambassador Okaniwa.

Not smooth sailing

Just like most wines, the uptake of sake is still low due to the high cost and lack of awareness.

“Taxes imposed on alcohol importation are quite high thus raising the cost which is passed on to the consumer,” says Mr Wachera.

“Plus, the general audience and spotlight towards sake is not high. A lot of people are still not that privy to sake.”

What does Ambassador Okaniwa say to anyone who has not tried sake?

“Well, if you really want to taste good sake, you have to visit Japan,” he says.

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