The Malaysian Insider :: Food

Posted: 26 Sep 2012 07:51 PM PDT

The Sake Sommelier Association says sake can be paired with fine dining fare like foie gras and truffles. — AFP-Relaxnews pic

PARIS, Sept 27 — In an attempt to reverse flagging sales in its birthplace where sake is considered "an old man's drink," the Sake Sommelier Association is challenging adventurous gourmands to think outside the wine box and consider pairing the fermented rice wine with their French or Italian dinner.

Unlike wine, which boasts legions of professional and amateur fans decoding the age-old beverage, sake remains a bit of a mystery for Western consumers – something London-based sake sommelier Xavier Chapelou hopes to change.

Here's a primer on how to differentiate various types of sake, and why it works well with foie gras, duck confit and truffles:

There are more than 30 different types of sake, says Chapelou, but here are the main ones you'll find in liquor stores.

Honjozo Shiboritate: a fresh type of sake with a light palate and fragrant nose

Ginjo: Normally very floral, medium to rich-bodied sake

Junmai Daiginjo: Very fragrant nose with hint of exotic fruit. A usually full-bodied type of sake with a long finish

Nama Zake: Unpasteurised sake

Taru Zake: Aged sake in a cedar barrel

Nigori Zake: Cloudy, unfiltered sake

Happo shu: Sparkling sake

Koshu: Aged sake, often soft and mellow

Why it goes well with certain foods

Sake has a higher alcohol content than wine and is therefore more volatile, explains Chapelou. In the mouth, alcohol content evaporates more quickly, turning the drink into a kind of solvent. That in turn kickstarts a process known as retro-olfaction or retro-nasal, in which the nose and the mouth work in tandem to discern all the aromas of the sake and food.

Some of the common noses of sake include green apple, melon, peach, ripe banana, lychee and chestnuts, he says.

High levels of natural monosodium glutamate in sake also help enhance and concentrate the flavour profiles of foods rich in umami – the fifth sense which detects earthy, meaty flavours – like black truffle, ripe tomato, miso stock, and Parmesan. — AFP-Relaxnews

Sommeliers try to make sake fashionable with foie gras pairings

Posted: 26 Sep 2012 04:40 PM PDT

A group of sake sommeliers is challenging diners to pair sake with foods liks duck confit, black truffle and Parmesan. — AFP-Relaxnews pic

PARIS, Sept 27 — It could be construed as a tough idea to swallow, the notion of pairing rich French foods like duck confit and foie gras with Japanese rice wine.

But a group of sake sommeliers is challenging diners to throw out preconceptions about traditional food pairings and to consider the potent, national drink of Japan as an alternative dinner companion to wine.

In an interview with Relaxnews, Xavier Chapelou of the Sake Sommelier Association presents a compelling case for why sake makes for a harmonious companion to certain foods like foie gras, black truffle, Parmesan and ripe tomatoes.

It's a combination of its high alcohol content and elevated levels of natural monosodium glutamate, he explains, all of which help to boost and enhance the flavor profile of foods in the mouth.

Part of the hard sell, meanwhile, comes from a pressing strategy to promote sake in the face of flagging sales in Japan, where the drink suffers from an unfashionable and outmoded reputation.

"While sake is still the national drink of Japan, it's now considered an old man's drink," he said from London. "Consumption is declining because young people are drinking beer, cocktails and wine."

To reverse this trend, the association devised a strategy that taps into the Japanese consumer's love of all things European as well as the stock they put in medals, labels and seals, Chapelou said.

Reversing falling sake sales in Japan

This summer, a panel of sommeliers judged sake samples from breweries across Japan at luxury department store Harrods in London, where they bestowed 18 gold, 17 silver and 16 bronze medals at the London Sake Challenge, the first of its kind.

Award-winning bottles will bear the seals of approval which will serve as a buyer's guide for Japanese consumers faced with an ocean of sake choices. It's expected that this new purchasing tool will be highly successful, especially given how much the Japanese value rankings, labels and seals, Chapelou said.

Pairing sake with luxurious foods like foie gras and duck confit is also a deliberate strategy to elevate the beverage from its general reputation as an inexpensive apéro and post-meal type drink to an alcohol worthy of fine dining fare.

As Chapelou points out, it's not a huge stretch, given that celebrity chefs now feature sake on their menus -- like Heston Blumenthal on his menu at The Fat Duck – as do Michelin-starred London landmarks Le Gavroche and Club Gascon.

At the former, a dish of duck miso, nashi (Asian pear) pearls and crispy lotus is paired with a Tatsuuma, Shiboritate Sake. — AFP-Relaxnews

Kredit: http://www.themalaysianinsider.com

Rabu, 26 September 2012

The Malaysian Insider :: Food

The Malaysian Insider :: Food

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