Over 30 years ago when I was working at the Embassy of Japan in Ottawa, the sake available in Canada were only from those mass-produced in Japan or the United States and sold in paper cartons. People thought Japanese sake was a strong, distilled spirit and needed to be heated to be consumed. How things have changed in Ontario's sake market since those days! More variety, more popularity, and more availability for Japan's national drink! However, even now, I continue to see more potential for sake as a beverage to be enjoyed by the people of Canada and the world. Here are seven reasons why I love sake (and why you should, too):
(1) Sake can be paired with any type of food. Sake is not just for drinking with Japanese food. It can be paired with French, Italian, Chinese and other cuisine – you name it! There are many varieties of sake to match with different types of food. The various combinations of the components that make up sake's taste – sweet or dry, rich or light, with or without umami, and so on – as well as the different percentages of alcohol and acidity, result in countless sake products to enjoy. Dishes with subtle tastes pair well with aromatic Junmai Daiginjo (sake made from highly polished pure rice.) Full and rich-bodied Junmai (pure rice sake) can be paired with dishes with stronger flavours. Aged sake is a great match for steak. There is even a sake developed specifically for pairing with oysters. For cheese and dessert, dessert sake or plum wine will go surprisingly well.
(2) Sake breweries vary from the ancient to the modern, and all are active with innovation. Japan is an ancient country, and the origin of alcoholic beverages made from rice is believed to date back to the Yayoi period (300 BC-250 AD). The oldest sake brewery still in existence wase stablished in 1141, and, together with a couple dozen breweries that were established in the 15th through the 17th centuries, continues to produce great sake. They not only inherit their families' traditions but also create new products. Today there are about 1,400 sake breweries, and over 10,000 labels. Thanks to the research, innovation and hard work of the brewers, we can now enjoy a great variety of sake, including sparkling sake, low-alcohol sake, and sake liqueurs.