E AT & D R I N K
TABLE TALK
Cheers to Sake!
Sake is a staple on menus around town, but how much do we really know about this Japanese drink made from fermented rice? We tapped Vaughan Dugan, owner of Kapow Noodle Bar and certified sake sommelier, to share his knowledge of this ancient beverage. Written by CHRISTIE GALEANO-DEMOTT
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t all starts with the rice, but this isn’t your usual table rice. Sake rice is larger and has a starch-rich center. That center dictates the quality of the sake, so once the rice is milled, it is polished. The more of the rice that is polished away to get to that starchy core, the better the sake. It will be smoother and more delicate. Polishing is also time-intensive, thus yielding a higher price point. The rice polish ratio (RPR, or seimaibuai in Japanese) refers to the percentage of grain that remains after polishing, so sake with a 60 percent RPR means 40 percent of the outer layer has been polished off. An ultra-premium sake can have a polish rate of 30 percent, while table sake can have 70 percent. Percentages can get confusing, so if you’re going to remember just one thing, make sure to look for Jumani on the label. It translates
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to“pure,”so you’re guaranteed it wasn’t enhanced with additional alcohol or additives. Dugan’s best advice is to keep trying different types of sake.“There is no right or wrong answer. Stick with what you love. Drink what you like.”
• It’s referred to as the national beverage of Japan, but don’t call it sake there. It’s called nihonshu. • The U.S. brews sakes too, and some are worth checking out.
FUN FACTS • It’s pronounced sock-ay, not sa-key • Don’t call it wine. It’s not. It’s actually closer to beer, if anything. It’s brewed, not distilled (like liquor). • About 100 varieties of rice are specifically grown to make sake. • It’s made with only four ingredients: water, rice, yeast and koji mold. • Sake is gluten-free and sulfite-free. • ABV ranges from 14-16% (compared to wine’s average 12% and beer’s 5%). • It is meant to be consumed when it’s young (for the most part).
ADVICE FOR NOVICES • SAKE’S PRICE REFLECTS ITS QUALITY: higher price, better quality (generally). The Japanese have integrity in their art form, so if they spend time polishing it and making it, they charge accordingly. But that doesn’t mean you can’t find good sake at an affordable price. Search out deals and small brewers. (See below for suggested brands.) • It should always be served slightly chilled. • Don’t pour your own sake. The host will always pour for guests, and then the last person will pour for the host. • Never fill your cup to the rim. • Don’t shake the bottle. • KNOW HOW TO READ THE BOTTLE: the sake meter value (SMV) +5 means the sake is very dry, while at the opposite end, -5 means it’s very sweet. (And 0 is neutral.)
Vaughan Dugan
• On menus, look for the milliliters to know how big the bottle will be. Usually, it’s either 300 or 720. BRANDS INTRO ($): Soto (it’s approachable and goes well with everything) INTERMEDIATE ($$): Shimizu-NoMai (Pure Snow or Pure Dusk) WORTH THE SPLURGE ($$$): Dassai (23 Otter Festival)
CATEGORIES EXPLAINED
JUNMAI DAIGINJO – ultra-premium (50% or more of rice coating is removed) JUNMAI GINJO – super premium (40% of coating removed) JUNMAI – premium (30% of coating removed) FUTSU-SHU – table sake (less than 30% removed; this also includes hot sake and nigori (unfiltered cloudy sake).
bocamag.com • • • • March 2024
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