C5 - Storage and Service of Sake - completed Flashcards
Which four points should be considered when storing sake?
- keep it cool
- drink it young
- store the bottle upright
- avoid bright light
At what temperature should sake be stored?
- for short-term, below 12°C
- ideally refrigerated - below 8°C
- refrigeration is important to nama-zake and ginjo sakes.
At what temperature should nama-zake be stored?
Refrigerated, no higher than 5-8°C
Which style of sake has the shortest shelf life?
- Nama-zake
- Should be consumed within a six months of shipping from the brewery
Why should sake be stored upright?
To avoid contact between the liquid and the foil-lined stopper or metal cap
Why should sake be stored away from bright light?
- strong sunshine and artificial light, as well as heating can induce oxidation
- that makes the sake old and stale.
- Amino acids and vitamins in sake degrade on exposure to light, causing discolour and unpleasant aromas and bitter flavours.
How long will ginjō styles of sake stay fresh after opening?
Approximately one week
How long will most styles of sake stay fresh after opening?
Approximately two weeks, sometimes longer
What is nama-hine fault?
- An enzyme-derived aroma of nama-zake that has been aged.
- Generally seen as a fault but some drinkers see it as a positive when balanced - will often call it nama-juku (matured nama)
What are four (five) faults that you should check for before serving sake?
- Open too long (oxidisation)
- Out of condition (hine-ka)
- Nama-zake that has not been refrigerated properly (name-hine-ka)
- Light damage
- Microbial spoilage
When serving sake, why should you pour using both hands?
To show the most respect and care
Should ginjō style sake be served room temperature or warm?
- Room temperature - personal preference
- Warm/hot - no
What style of dishes pair well with warm or hot sake?
- Intensely flavoured and heavy textured dishes
e.g. Japanese hotpot or grilled food
Why are ginjō style sakes generally served chilled?
- At warmer temperatures ginjō sakes lose their aromas and flavours
Which styles of sake are best served warm?
- sake with high levels of sweetness, acidity, umami, and relatively high bitterness
- sakes where the acidity is lactic and succinic ie. kimoto and yamahai
- sakes that have been matured ie. koshu
How does warming sake change perception?
warming sake makes them seems:
- More intense
- More full-bodied
- Higher in acidity
Which styles of sake do not benefit from being served warm?
- ginjō (lose delicate aromas)
- nama-zake (lose dissolved CO2, seem less fresh)
- sparkling sake (loses bubbles)
What is nuru-kan?
Sake heated to 40°C
- Comfortable, non-burning warm temperature.
- Translates to ‘the warmth of a relaxing hot spring bath’
What is atsu-kan?
Sake heated to 50°C
- Very hot and slightly burning temperature
- Translates to ‘hot enough to warm body and soul’
What are the two methods that can be used to heat sake?
1- Hot water bath (water should be 80°C)
- sake temperature measured with a thermometer
2- Microwave (20-40 seconds for 180ml)
- sake can be heat unevenly
What is a kan-douko?
A specific utensil for heating sake.
What is the temperature referred to when using the service term ‘chilled’?
6-13°C
Suitable for all types of sake
What is the temperature referred to when using the service term ‘room temperature’?
15-18°C
Best suited to futsū-shu, hon-jōzō, junmai and if personal preference allows, can be used for ginjō
What is an o-choko?
Small sake cup made from pottery or glass
Usually 60mL
What is a kiki-choko?
A small white porcelain sake cup with two concentric blue circles that allow for assessment of clarity.
Used by brewers and judges
What is a tokkuri?
- A sake carafe.
- most common size is about 150-300mL
- made of pottery
- glass tokkuri sometimes has a small ice container built-in
What is a masu?
- A small wooden box made of Japanese cedar.
- sometimes used for drinking sake on ceremonial occasions.
- Usually 180mL, can also be 144mL.
- Traditionally used for measuring rice, not for drinking sake.
In reference to sake standard measurements, what is a gō?
180mL
what size is a sho?
1.8L
what size is a to?
18L
In reference to sake standard measurements, what is 180mL called in Japanese?
Gō
The WHO recommends that women should consume no more than how many units per day?
Two
The World Health Organisation recommends that men should consume no more than how many units per day?
Three
Which two food components can make beverages taste ‘hard’ (more drying and bitter, more acidic, less sweet and fruity)?
- Sweetness
- Umami
What effect can sweetness and umami in food have on beverages?
Sweetness and umami can make beverages seem:
- more drying and bitter
- more acidic
- less sweet and fruity
Which two food components can make beverages taste ‘soft’ (less drying and bitter, less acidic, more sweet and fruity)?
Salt
Acid
What effect can salt and acid in food have on beverages?
Salt and acidity can make beverages seem:
- less drying and bitter
- less acidic
- more sweet and fruity
True or false:
Food has more impact (especially negative) on how a beverage tastes than the other way around.
True
True or false:
Dishes high in salt are especially good at enhancing the flavours in sake
True
True or false:
Delicate sake provide an especially good pairing with intensely flavoured dishes
False.
Dishes that are very intense in flavour can easily overwhelm the delicate flavours of most sake
True or false:
Dishes high in chilli should be paired with sakes that are high in alcohol
False - although some may enjoy the burning effect of chilli and high alcohol.
Dishes high in chilli should be paired with sake that are lighter in alcohol and have some sweetness
How long can nama-zakes keep their freshness after their shipment from the brewery?
only a few months
compare the shelf life of nama-sake, ginjo, honjozo and junmai sake
- nama-zake - a few months
- ginjo sake - a few to 10 months
- honjozo and junmai sakes - about 10 months
In terms of blocking out ultraviolet rays, what are the most effective packaging?
- brown-coloured bottles
- followed by green bottles
- if the bottles are packaged in boxes or wrapped paper, should be stored in their protective outer packaging.
How to preserve an opened sake bottle?
- it should be sealed and stored in a refrigerator.
nama-zake should be consumed within ___ months?
6 months
characteristics of nama-juku (nama-zake being stored for a long periods)
- pungent aroma: hazelnuts, malt and bacon
- well-balanaced oxidative characteristics
- developed texture
- rich flavours
describe the sake fault: oxidation
- a bottle has been opened for too long
- fresh aromas are lost
- gain stale aromas
- deeper colour
describe the sake fault: Out of condition (hine-ka)
- a bottle that is too old
- stored at high temperature
- fresh aromas are lost
- stinky aromas of pickled vegetables
What is the best drinking windows for:
- most sakes
- nama-zakes
- Ginjo
- honjozo and junmai
- most sakes: within a year after their shipment from the brewery
- nama-zakes - within a few months
- honjozo and junmai: within about ten months
- ginjo: earlier than honjozo and junmai.
What is the difference between nama-juku and name-zake?
nama-juku are deliberately designed to mature, and need to be handeld by experienced staff and served at the best moment of maturity.
describe the nama-hine-ka fault?
- nama-sake has not been refrigerated properly
- the enzymes create aroma of malt and meat
- the lactic acid bacteria in the contaminated sake with can create extremely unpleasant flavours.
describe light damaged fault
- sake that has not been protected from light
- develop stinky aroas like burnt hair within a few days
- caused by exposure to daylight or artificial light.
describe microbial spoilage
- during sake brewing
- unpleasant-smelling sulfur compounds
- rotting vegetables, compost, curdled milk, stinky cheese, sticking plasters.
list two of the traditional Japanese ways when serving sake
- pour sake with both hands to show respect to others
- pour for others - means looking after each other.
When did the ginjo style sake became popular suddenly?
in the late 1980s and 1990s.
How people rate the hot sake in 1980s and 1990s?
“bad sake”
What’s unique about sake’s serving temperature?
sake can be served at a wide range of temperatures than any other drinks.
What is the disadvantage of microwave the sake filled in a tokkuri?
can result in uneven heat distribution.
How to avoid uneven heat distribution resulted by microwave sake in a tokkuri?
- place the sake in a heat-resistant tumbler or mug for heating
- then transfer it to a tokkuri
Roughly how long it takes to heat 180ml using the hot water bath method?
2 to 4 minutes.
Why wine glass is suitable for servicing sake?
- it’s ideal for serving permium sake under chilled or room temperature
- if it’s small enough, it can keep the sake being consumed at right temperature
- the tulip shape of wine glass can enhance the aromas
Describe the size and materials of a typical O-choko
- typically 5-8 cm wide
- capacity of about 60 ml
- make with pottery or glass
- flat base
- some are flatter and wider, narrow and cylindrical
Why the size O-choko is small?
- means they must be filled frequently
- it reflects a tradition of Japanese hostpitality
Describe an exception shape of O-choko for special occasions
- up to 20 cm wide
- broad, flat, lacquered
How the shape and materials of o-choko affect the sake tastes?
- thicker pottery vessels make the sake seems fuller bodied. Ideal for serving warm sake.
- flatter, thinner vessels make the sake seems lighter and fresher
- vessels made of tin give a fresh, cooling feeling on the lips when consuming chilled sake.
What kind of vessels are used by brewers and judges, rarely in hospitality?
kiki-choko
Why masu is not suitable for serving sake?
the wood can taint the sake
what size is one gō?
180 mL
- size of a typical masu
what size is one sho?
1.8L
- size of a magnum sake bottle
what size is a koku?
180 L
- for brewers measuring the annual production
- also for measuring fermentation and storage tanks
What is “one unit” according to WHO’s guidelines for alcohol conumption?
one unit is 12mL pure ethanol, equivalent to 75 mL of sake.
What is WHO’s guideline for drinking alcohol when driving, pregnant or in certain work situations?
don’t drink.
What’s WHO’s guideline of maximum units of any occassion per day?
four units (4 x 75 mL of sake; or 4 x 12 mL pur ethanol)
What’s WHO’s guideline of abstain from drinking?
at least once a week.
