Nihonshu
Today’s post is a little different from my usual postings. It’s about a new drink that I’ve had the luxury to be introduced to. It’s the stereotypical Japanese drink. Sake!!!
A little history on Sake would be the best way to understand what it is and how to best enjoy it. Like any liquor, you can either drink until you pass out, or savour the flavours with your meal. I have enjoyed a few different sakes in my time here in Japan. Because I’m not so social with others, mainly they aren’t the priority compared to my girlfriend, I’ve had few opportunities to actually savour and truely test the different types of sake. Sake, as you can research on wikipedia, is closer to beer than wine, but the alcohol content is much higher. It is similar to vodka, yet very distinct. It is a drink that you can enjoy hot, lukewarm, or cold. I prefer cold as the aroma tends to stay in your mouth longer. Sake is also a bad translation that was started around the end of WWII. Sake is a translation for “alcohol”. The official Japanese word for “sake” is nihonshu. However, unless you are traveling in Japan, don’t worry about it as you’d only confuse the Chinese waitress at the sushi restaurant. 
Sake is heavily based on region, and it shouldn’t be confused with shochu. Shochu is, for a lack of a better word, a derivative of sake, but made with different fruits. The best sake drunk is pure rice sake. You should also look for the “spicier” sakes, if possible. I had the luxury to try a sweet sake recently, and it wasn’t my favourite. A spicy sake has a kick to it, so if you aren’t a fan of strong liquors, I recommend a sweet tasting one. Of course, tasting is all relative, so the best thing to do is try both out. I also suggest avoiding places that sell sake out of the box. It’s like drinking wine out of the box. If you are fine with it, by all means, give it a try. Since I have a guide with me whenever I get sake, I recommend the “junmaishu” which is pure rice sake. I also suggest you try picking up a bottle at the liquor store, chill it to your desire and enjoy.
More often than not, sake is served in a glass, the same size as a single shot, or a double shot if you are up to it. The old school drinking from a wooden box cup is not common except in special sake only bars around here. You can always buy a special sake bottle/carafe. I haven’t noticed any difference between getting the sake from the bottle, or a carafe. One nice way to serve it is to buy a small “appetizer dish”. You can place the shot glass on the dish and pour the sake until it overflows. You sip the top and drink as much as you want and pour the remaining back into the glass. It’s mainly for effect and the shop wanted you to know that you got your full serving, plus a little extra. Ultimately, you can drink it out of the bottle, but that’s not what sake is all about.
Within culture, sake is not a popular drink anymore. Shochu has taken over, but even shochu isn’t as popular as beer. Beer is probably the number one drink in Japan. Mixed shochu drinks, wine, and then whiskey/sake probably comes in last. This is my informal poll from my students, so it’s probably either bang on, or completely off. Sake is seen as the “old man” drink. Your parents are the only ones to drink it. Sake may seem “exotic” to you, but rest assured, there is nothing truely exotic about it. It’s a great drink and one that is not as popular as it should be. Many Japanese people are overly Westernized, so they need some help remembering exactly what sake is and how good it is. In Canada, it only exists in sushi restaurants and liquor stores.
I recomend sake with almost any heavy meal. Sushi tends to be a light meal, and while it’s a good complement to sake, many people forget that sake can be enjoyed with anything. Even a steak. How about pasta? The next time you are in a Japanese restaurant, order lots of yaki-tori (chicken skewers), and drink lots of sake. It’s a very typical thing to do. If you are in Richmond, or in a big liquor store, pick up a bottle, chill it, and have a nice night with some friends. Just be careful as sake can take some time to like. Give it a bottle and you may end up liking it a lot.
For a list of stores with good sake, click here:
http://www.bcliquorstores.com/en/products/627703?region=5
For the real information on sake, click here:
http://www.sake-world.com/
