Issue link: http://digital.copcomm.com/i/288975
april 2014 / the tasting panel / 61 S parkling saké is riding a wave of consumer interest in bubbles. Made in both dry and sweet styles, it was lifted from obscurity in 2003 when Formula Nippon race car drivers began celebrating with sparkling junmai daiginjo saké instead of Champagne, and the style became commercially avail- able in the United States few years a later. Japanese movie stars have also embraced sparkling saké. At the 37th annual Academy Prize awards ceremony in March, akin to the Oscars in the U.S., win- ners were fêted with Sho Chiku Bai's Shirakabe Gura MIO Sparkling Saké. At just five percent abv, MIO's lightness and carbonation downplay the perception of sweetness in this popular style, which is named for the stream of white foam that trails in the wake of a ship. With premium styles more readily available and the growing popularity of sparkling wines, interest in saké is at an all-time high. "Sparkling saké is a won- derful ambassador for the category," says Takara Sake USA's Izumi Motai. "And we're looking to food pairing as another key way to introduce more consumers to saké," he said. Through umami, saké shares a strong bond with Japanese cuisine both as an accompanying beverage and as an ingredient. "In the Bay Area, Japanese chefs are using different styles of saké in dishes from appetizers to desserts," observes Motai. As evidenced by the cuisine of Berkeley, CA's Chef Shotaro Kamio, who recently opened Iyasare in the Fourth Street space that was formerly home to O Chame. At Iyasare, Kamio uses saké in the preparation of several signature dishes inspired by the cuisine of Tohoku, his native home in northeastern Japan. "In Tohoku we have hot summers and long, cold winters," said Kamio; "curing, salting and fermentation methods are an important part of our regional culinary tradition." He points out that these techniques not only add nutritional value to ingredients, they also dial up the umami flavors. Kamio's signature beet-cured ocean trout is one example. The gravlax-style dish composed of deeply colored slices of cured trout, earthy shaved burdock and fennel root garnished with bright flavors of yuzu and sansho has captivated local food critics. MIO Sparkling Saké pairs ideally with the light textures and delicate flavors of this artful dish. Saké plays a starring role at Iyasare both on the wine list and in dishes like saké-steamed Asari clams in a broth of saké, yuzu and kombu (the ingredient that Umami: Past and Present Of the five flavors—sweet, sour, bitter, salty and umami— umami forms the basis of flavor in all styles of premium saké. The Japanses word umami was created in 1908 when profes- sor Kikunae Ikeda isolated the savory, delicious flavor of broth made with kombu seaweed as being unique from salty. When Ikeda combined the characters for delicious and taste, he gave a name to the flavor that has been with us since the 5th century BCE, when the Greeks first used the fish sauce garum as a condiment and the Chinese began brewing soy sauce shortly thereafter. Akira Komine's Kirala restaurant in Berkeley, CA focuses on home-style cooking techniques that require pristine ingredients. Sho Chiku Bai's Shirakabe Gura MIO Sparkling Sake starred at Japan's 37th annual Academy Prize awards ceremony. TP0414_034-71.indd 61 3/21/14 8:27 PM