What is the name of the drink popular in Japan? Sake: famous Japanese drink. Special glassware for sake

Japan and China are famous for their tea ceremonies. Green tea It is rightfully considered the national drink of both countries. But he is not the only one who is traditional. There are other Japanese and Chinese national drinks that are in great demand all over the world. Green tea has actually gained high popularity in many countries. It originally appeared in China, and a little later Japan adopted it from its neighbors. This drink receives a lot of attention after meals. They drink it slowly to get a good feel for the taste. Sweets are not served with it, as it is believed that they can only spoil the taste of tea. When the first mug is drunk, more water is poured into it, since it is believed that the second brew is much tastier than the first. The tea ceremonies that take place in both countries are truly a beautiful sight. Sometimes they can last for hours complete immersion in the wisdom of Chinese philosophers. Sake is otherwise called rice vodka, not entirely unreasonably, because the strength of this drink does not exceed 19 degrees. It is obtained from water and rice, by fermenting the latter. There are many varieties of sake, differing in consistency and strength from 14 to 19 degrees, because in every corner of Japan it is prepared differently. Depending on what products are added besides rice, the taste and color of sake may change. Often this vodka may have a yellowish color due to lemon or a mushroom taste, soy sauce and even cheese. Sake can sometimes be added to a marinade, such as pickled pink ginger. Shochu is also a Japanese alcoholic drink. Its strength is 25 degrees. There are two main types of shochu: korui and otsurui. When producing these types, the first should not exceed 36 degrees in strength, and the second should not exceed 45 degrees. In any case, so that the drinks are not so strong, they are diluted. In terms of its taste, shochu has many variations: barley, fruit, rice, potato, sugar and others. The taste can be sweet, bitter, slightly sour. Plum wine is in a special position in both Japan and China. It is made from a special variety of green plums, ume. The finished wine has a golden color, and to give it red or green tint, the wine is infused with red perilla leaves or green tea. This wine is served not like grape wine in a transparent glass, but in a bowl with a short stem. And ice added to plum wine can help reveal its taste, which is considered unacceptable for grape wine. Plum wine is served with sushi and meat, and combined with desserts. If we talk about Chinese traditional drinks, they are mainly characterized by color, such as baijiu and huangjiu. The first translated means “white alcoholic drink”, and the second means “yellow alcoholic drink”. The most popular variety of baijiu, “Maotai,” can range in strength from 40 degrees to 60 degrees. Moreover, its price is quite high compared to other drinks. In essence, this is rice vodka. Huangjiu is otherwise called yellow wine, which is prepared from rice or millet. When held up to light, it is transparent with an amber tint. It is not only served as a drink, but also added when frying fish and meat. Some types of meat are even specially soaked in this wine before being placed in a frying pan. Despite the huge amount of alcoholic beverages, it is almost never possible to see a drunk person on the streets of Japan and China, since the drinking culture presupposes peace and sleep after a large amount of drinking.

Alcohol is a completely common drink for Japanese society. Almost no party is complete without it; in addition, it is also customary to serve various alcohol-containing drinks at business meetings.For this reason, in the Land of the Rising Sun you can find a large number of various types alcohol, and excellent quality.

Below are the most popular alcoholic drinks from Japan:

Beer- as in many other countries of the world, this is the most popular alcohol. Beer first appeared on the island of Hakkaido, and the recipes were brought from Germany. The Japanese also have exotic species beer, for example (we wrote about him earlier).

Happoshu(literal translation - "sparkling alcohol") - beer with low malt content. Such drinks appeared quite recently, and their main feature is the same strength as beer. But there is noticeably less malt here, which makes the drink taste more pleasant.

« Third beer"is already a real novelty in the Japanese brewing industry. There's no malt here at all. Instead, soybeans, wheat and even peas are used. The drink is popular, and its production volumes will only grow.

Sake- rice wine, which has managed to acquire many admirers outside the Land of the Rising Sun. When preparing this drink, a clear sequence of actions and the use of the best ingredients are important, otherwise the final result will be far from ideal. The alcohol content in the final product is 10-20%. Sake can be consumed hot or cold.

Shochu- a fairly strong drink, the alcohol content of which can reach a significant 40%. It is prepared on the basis old recipes, and served with ice and fruit juice.

Light fruit drinks, the alcohol content of which ranges from 5-8%. Flavors vary widely, but fruits from the citrus and pear families are generally preferred. Representatives of the fair half of humanity love to drink such drinks.

Plum wine- a wine that is made from Japanese plums and has a surprisingly pleasant taste. Even those who have a very cool attitude towards alcohol will approve of this drink. Plum wine is usually made at home, but can often be found on Japanese store shelves.

Anyone can buy alcoholic drinks in local supermarkets, liquor stores and even in vending machines. You can buy alcoholic beverages until 11 pm local time. It is interesting that in Japan alcohol is sold from the age of 20, and not from 18, as in our country.

Japan is an amazing and mysterious country. But why does it seem so inexplicable to us? Apparently, the fact is that the Japanese have always strived to find harmony and enlightenment. After all, what is Japan for us? This is primarily hospitality, respect for elders, harmony, exoticism and generosity. And the national alcoholic drink called “sake” helped them in this for many years, which, by the way, is not only a means of achieving spiritual enlightenment, but also a legacy of centuries-old traditions and rituals of the Land of the Rising Sun. But the Japanese also have many other traditions and customs not related to alcoholic beverages, such as: tea ceremony, sumo, kimono, Kabuki performance, karate and geisha. To understand the Japanese mentality, you need to go into detail about history and become familiar with their customs and rituals.

Japanese culture

The Japanese are very hardworking people. And how is everyone normal people, after a working day they need to somehow relax. Their national tea helps them in this, over a cup of which they relax and have intimate conversations. Geishas often help conduct the tea ceremony. In Europe, there was a certain stereotype that geishas were Japanese courtesans. But this is far from true, because geishas sell only pleasures for the soul, not the body. In Japanese, "geisha" means "person of art." From an early age they are taught to sing, play the musical instruments, painting, calligraphy and a host of other useful things. Adult geisha comprehensively developed people and can support any male conversation. Thus, a geisha is a woman of celebration, a combination of beauty and intelligence, attractiveness and femininity, including sexuality. The Japanese also love to compose haiku and admire sakura. Without the latter, it is generally impossible to imagine Japan.

Japanese customs

The number of traditions and customs in Japan is very large. In this country, almost all areas of life are permeated with numerous ceremonies and traditions. For example, in Japan, handshakes are not accepted; instead, bows are used, which must be done with a certain frequency and respect. By the way, the lower the bow, the higher the respect for the opponent. Politeness is in the Japanese's blood. They can’t even directly refuse anything, so as not to offend a person. Anyone who has been to Japan, the first thing they will notice is that all the residents, especially the women, are very friendly and smiling. This circumstance confuses many tourists, because the Japanese manage to smile even in unpleasant moments. But a close distance between interlocutors or “familiar” hugs are unacceptable in Japan; this causes a negative attitude among residents. It is also not recommended to look a Japanese person in the eye or actively gesticulate, because such behavior is perceived as aggression.

The face of the nation, or Who is a real Japanese

The Japanese are the most paradoxical and incomprehensible people. These are very subtle and sensitive natures and at the same time very deep, conscientious and judicious. On the one hand, they manifest themselves in art and in the composition of haiku, and on the other, they have long been known for their cruelty towards their enemies and towards themselves. Remember this word - “harakiri”. I am sure that almost everyone has heard about this terrible ritual. But the Japanese themselves do not consider this terrible, but on the contrary, they consider dying from their own katana an honor and the prerogative of the strong in spirit. Those who committed seppuku were considered heroes after death, since ripping open the abdomen was a very painful death. Such suicide was committed mainly on the battlefield, so as not to be captured, or it was used against criminals or of one’s own free will, thereby demonstrating the purity of one’s thoughts before the gods and people. But now in Japan no one commits seppuku anymore, because cruel times are long gone gone, and there are no real samurai left. Another one important detail, characteristic of Japan, is their religion - Buddhism. There is an opinion that hara-kiri was committed precisely because of the concept of the frailty of existence, which this religion propagated. Buddhism long years shaped the character and worldview of the Japanese. He made enormous contributions to the traditions and identity of the people of Japan. It was Buddhism that helped the Japanese build centralized state and to unite enemy Japanese tribes under the auspices of a universal world religion. Buddhism also significantly influenced Japanese education and culture. He had a tremendous impact on the development of drama, philosophy, poetry and other things. What do we know about Japanese alcoholic drinks besides rice vodka? But still, the most interesting customs are associated with the culture of drinking alcoholic beverages.
In ancient Japan, rice vodka was a purely imperial privilege. It was even considered the drink of the gods. Scientists say that this alcoholic drink is more than two thousand years old. In ancient times it was used for funeral ceremonies, and in Japanese mythology There was a deity called the "Rice Warrior". As you can see, this drink was famous throughout Japanese history. But only in the 17th century did it become available to everyone. This alcoholic drink is essentially rice vodka with a strength of 14-20 degrees, similar in consistency to thick wine or liqueur. The main advantage of this drink is its low calorie content, as well as the fact that it is made from natural products. The finished product is judged based on four criteria: “light/strong” and “sweet/spicy.” It is believed that the drier the drink, the lighter it is. Simply put, the stronger the Japanese spirit, the drier and rougher its taste. And the degree of spiciness is determined by the number - the higher it is, the spicier the drink. There are many varieties of this alcohol, and they all have differences in aroma and taste. But if we talk about this in general, we can say that the “fire water” from the depths of Japan is very specific and resembles low-quality moonshine or whiskey. Cheap varieties are bitter, while expensive ones are similar to sherry.
But Japan has other national alcoholic drinks. True, they are not very popular, but they are still worth mentioning. In addition to rice vodka, there are other Japanese drinks - these are: nihonshu, shochu, happoshu, hachimitshu. The first is made from water, rice and sourdough, the second is a clear alcoholic drink similar to vodka, which is made from potatoes, the third resembles weak wine, and the last is Japanese mead. Perhaps we should also mention Japanese beer separately. This rather young drink is in great demand in the Land of the Rising Sun. It began to be produced only in 1873, and already at the end of the 20th century the first Japanese beer establishments appeared. Few people know that in Japan not only people, but also animals like to drink beer! In this bizarre country, in order to obtain the most delicious “marbled” beef in the city of Matsuzdaki, cows are specially fed beer, and they also give massages in the morning. By the way, Japanese gourmets are willing to pay 5-8 times more for such meat.

The influence of alcohol on culture

By the way, many probably know about this style of martial arts as the “drunken style.” At one time, this style was demonstrated by the popular Hong Kong and part-time American actor Jackie Chan in the famous comedy “Drunken Master.” This film immediately gained enormous popularity, and then its sequel was filmed. The “drunk style” technique was well shown in this film. martial art kung fu, which also exists in reality.
By the way, some believe that two sources of inspiration contributed to the emergence of the “drunk style”. According to the first version, the Buddhist one, a kung fu master once accidentally killed a man, after which he went to a monastery to atone for his sins. But, unable to withstand the temptation, he got drunk and in a drunken state killed several dozen monks. Having sobered up in the morning, he realized that his drunken relaxation helped him prevail over a whole crowd of monks. After this incident, the development of a drunken fighting style begins. The second (Taoist) version, or rather the legend, says that there once existed “eight drunken immortals.” In Taoism, immortality was incomprehensible and ultimate goal. So eight Taoists were able to achieve this state and, to celebrate, celebrated this matter with a grandiose drinking party. Then a fight broke out among them, during which it turned out that the technique of fighting while drunk was much better than usual. So the Taoists decided to practice the “drunken style.”

As you can see, alcoholic beverages have long contributed to the promotion of Japanese culture and even their national martial arts. If it weren't for alcohol, the world would never have heard of such interesting legends and would not have seen the legendary films.

Alcoholic drinks are as popular in Japan as they are here in Russia. Japan without its rice vodka is like our country without vodka. Both with them and with us, the entire society is permeated with thin threads of alcohol addiction. I would even dare to say that it is with alcohol that states begin to be built. After all, it would simply not be interesting to live without it, and what kind of life is there without the fun and joy that these simple strong drinks bring, but within reason, of course. Alcohol is the engine of progress and the vector that directs the culture of countries in their own direction. It is he who makes a great contribution to the formation of traditions and the emergence of culture. You just have to look at how the Japanese honor the culture of drinking alcoholic beverages to be convinced of this.

Drinking culture

The Japanese drink their national alcohol, adhering to special rules. The drink is drunk from small “choco” cups, designed for just a few small sips. According to Japanese custom, you should fill your cup before each toast. However, doing this yourself is considered bad manners. Rice vodka can be drunk either warmed or chilled, and this is another feature of this amazing drink. The Japanese most often prefer to drink it chilled, believing that this is the only way to reveal its true taste. Experts count about 90 shades of the aroma of this drink, and all of them have a variety of rich fruity notes. By the way, the Japanese celebrate sake day every year on October 1. This holiday was established in 1978 by the Central Assembly of the Japanese Wine Trade Union. However, the hardworking Japanese people do not rest on October 1, because this day is not considered a day off, and is also not national holiday. The fact is that by October 1, rice ripens, and then begins New Year winemaking. October 1 is the best reason for the Japanese to pour a glass or two of their national strong drink and once again exclaim - “compai”! On such a significant day, many lovers go to bars and cafes to celebrate this great (from their point of view) day.

Rice vodka is a universal alcoholic drink of the Japanese people. It can be combined not only with national dishes Japanese cuisine, but also with light snacks such as cheese, chips, nuts and others. The Japanese say that when drinking this drink friendship is born. And indeed it is! After all, the culture of drinking this alcoholic drink is conducive to friendship and warm feelings. This ceremony truly embodies Japanese politeness. While drinking their favorite national drink, the Japanese talk about anything, but as soon as the cup is empty or someone gets tired of the proposed topic, the interlocutor will helpfully pour a strong drink for their friend to take over the baton. In this way, he ends the interlocutor’s speech so that he can take a break and begin to listen to his comrades. If you ever happen to take part in this ceremony, do not forget to say “compai” after each cup of rice vodka poured, which means “drink to the bottom.” Japan is an interesting and multifaceted country with great history and original traditions that are not found in any country in the world. So if you have never been there, then I advise you to visit this amazing country, get acquainted with their customs and traditions, and also try their national alcoholic drinks. After all, to feel the spirit of Japan, you need to see this country with your own eyes. As they say: “it’s better to see once than to hear a hundred times” or read the same number of times. You are welcome to visit this amazing country and taste the alcoholic drinks of the Japanese people.

Hello my dear readers, Konniti Wa!

You ask, what's wrong with me? Nothing at all. I just decided to dedicate my next post today to a drink that everyone has heard about, but few have tried. Did you guess it? This sake is the Japanese national alcoholic drink.

And Konniti Wa is the Japanese Hello with which I greeted you. In Japanese, the name of the drink sounds like sake, or rather, they talk about sake, but I will stick to our customary accent - sake.

The Japanese use this word to describe a whole group of alcoholic drinks that cannot be called vodka, wine, or beer, but more on that later. And the drink that we know as sake is called nihonshu.

So, what is sake and what is it eaten with? Now let’s figure it out together.

The tangled history of the drink

I’ll start my story about sake from modern times. My acquaintance with the Japanese national alcohol began with an unpleasant discovery: in Japan there is a national Sake Day! And we don’t have a day of vodka – the national Russian drink!!! It's a shame! Here my favorite female person told me on my arm that every day we have Vodka Day. Well, then, especially – where is the holiday?

In general, this professional holiday of Japanese winemakers, or rather sakemakers, is celebrated on October 1, but everyone goes around drunk. Officially, this day was included in the holiday calendar in 1978, and now many companies give their employees a day off, since drunkenness at work does not lead to good things.

The history of this drink goes back more than 2 thousand years. I won't bore you strange names emperors and dynasties who whipped sake, but I’d rather tell you a beautiful legend. A Japanese crane flew over Japan, carrying a grain of rice stolen from the peasants to its children.

Then the stupid crow croaked, the crane got scared and dropped the grain. And it, as if on purpose, landed straight into the stem of the cut reed. The upset crane flew off to look for another grain, and the grain of rice dangled in the sweet molasses and fermented.

And it turned out something intoxicating. A traveler walked by, smelled the aroma, tasted the drink and... he felt good. He realized what was happening, threw rice into the reeds, and when the process was completed, this man went straight to the emperor, who was suffering from idleness and idleness.

The emperor tasted the intoxicating drink, bought the recipe from the walker, and learned all the details. Then he cut off the fool’s head, took the money back, and began making sake only for the palace. But the crane was respected - many sake labels feature this bird.

A legend is a legend, but the following facts have been preserved in history:

• Until the 7th century AD The people practiced the following recipe: people chewed rice, then spat it into a large wooden vat, where this porridge fermented. Then on holidays this thick mash was eaten with chopsticks. This not very appetizing, to me, low-alcohol dish was called “kuchikami no sake” (kuchi - mouth, kami - chew).
• Since the 8th century, chewing has been replaced by adding koji molds to water-rice porridge. Since the 10th century, the drink began to be distilled and filtered. But only for the imperial palace and offerings to the gods.
• In the 17th century, people who also wanted to drink and suffer from alcoholism rebelled. Then they started making sake for sale.

This is where the story ends. Today, the production of this drink is based on a high-tech basis, sake is the Japanese national pride, like Fuji, and the country has a whole cult ceremony on how to drink it.

Variations on the theme of sake

By the way, sake is it, which I was surprised to learn. We have the name rice vodka floating around, but as it turns out, it’s not vodka at all. Sake is a cross between wine and beer.

The manufacturing process itself is reminiscent of beer production: fermentation, filtration and pasteurization. But in taste and strength - and this is about 18-20 degrees, it resembles wine. In Japan, the most popular brands of sake are 15-16 degrees strength, which are obtained by diluting the pasteurized drink with spring water.

From us you can buy a drink, which is also called sake, with a strength of 35-40 degrees - this is natural rice vodka. Called shochu, it is made by adding moldy rice to sake, then re-fermenting and distilling.

Manufacturing technology

For this drink, special rice is used, with very large grains and a high starch content. There are two main varieties: Omachi rice is grown in Okayama Prefecture, and Yamadanishiki is grown in Hyogo. Water is also taken from a specific source - from five sources in total. Important Requirement– it should not contain iron.

Traditional sake is now made using an 8-step algorithm:

1. Grinding rice. Turning captures from 30 to 70% of the grain, the process lasts 2-3 days. The higher the polish, the more expensive the sake will be.
2. The rice is washed, soaked for up to a day, and then steamed. This is a very delicate process, calculated down to the second, otherwise the fermentation will go wrong.
3. Most important stage– cooking kozdi. This is similar to preparing dough - mold is added to the rice and left for up to two days to begin fermentation.
4. Preparing motto - the first shutter. Koji sponge (which replaces yeast) is mixed with all the remaining rice, water is added and wait 2-4 weeks until everything turns into mash.
5. Preparation of basic moromi butter. The bottom line is that steamed rice and water are added to the motto and co-fermentation occurs over 4 days. Then the composition is kept for almost another month.
6. Pressing, during which the sake drips off, leaving behind a white sediment of sakekasu.
7. Filtration through activated carbon.
8. Pasteurization and aging for 6-12 months.

sake brands

Types of the drink vary according to such criteria as the degree of polishing of the rice and some additional components.

• Futsushu is essentially rice wine (sake without pasteurization and gradation). Cheap and sour.
• Tokutei meishoshu is an elite drink, the best of the varieties.
• Honjozo is the most expensive variety, the degree of rice polishing is 70%. A few% pure alcohol is added to this variety.
• Junmai is 100% pure sake, without any additives. Valuable variety.
• Ginjo - the degree of polishing of rice is less than 60%, flower yeast is also added during the fermentation process, so the drink has a pleasant taste and aroma.
• Daiginjo is sake upper class. Grinding is less than 50%, but the most valuable rice is used, and fermentation occurs at low temperatures.

How to drink, what to snack on and what to say

• Sake should be drunk from special ceramic choko cups (o-teko, guinomi, sakazuki), in small sips with breaks. The process can be stretched out for hours, interspersed with leisurely conversation. It is not customary to leave an unfinished drink - this is very Bad sign. Cheap varieties of the drink are heated (this way you don’t notice a slight moldy smell), while expensive brands, on the contrary, are cooled to a temperature of 5 degrees – this way the taste and aroma are better revealed. Although, in the winter cold, expensive sake is also heated - for “warming”, so to speak. By the way, export bottles indicate the temperature to which one or another variety should be heated. Range from 30 to 55 degrees. There are special tokkuri jugs for this purpose.
• They snack, of course, not on lard or pickled cucumber, and sushi, sushi, sushi (mini sandwiches), rolls and dried squid.
• Toast also exists in Japan. Instead of our “come on!” they say "kampai" there. Clinking glasses is not accepted.

And finally. As it turns out, people drink less sake in Japan than in the US and Europe. The Japanese, in general, are a light-drinking nation. For them, “getting drunk like a pig” means drinking more than 3 cups of choco with sake in the evening.

It’s somehow not interesting even to go to this Japan. And their geishas are somehow unreal, like plastic. And our vodka is strong and delicious! And the women are so beautiful, warm, lively. It’s so good that I was born in Russia!

On this joyful note I say goodbye. Don’t go missing if you want to learn a lot more interesting things about the alcoholic traditions of the world. And about our good moonshine.

A trip to Japan wouldn't be complete without a little alcohol tasting. We suggest studying this material before your trip to understand the local drinks.

Hajde, druže: a great guide to Bosnia and Herzegovina

August 26, 2019

The world's longest flight will be 20 hours

August 26, 2019

Let's explain the news: Thailand will become more mobile for tourists

August 26, 2019

Flying in the Middle: A Survival Guide

August 23, 2019

Nervously and on the sidelines: is it possible to smoke IQOS on an airplane?

August 23, 2019

My grandfather - Orthodox priest in New York: part 2

Japanese lesson

What is sake (sake, 酒)? In some free crossword puzzle, the correct answer will be “vodka.” In an article like “100 facts that will surprise you” they will write that this is wine.

All over the world it is believed that sake is the name of a special alcoholic drink made from rice and it (the drink) cannot be defined in any of the generally known categories.

But in Japan, the word refers to all alcohol in general. And what is called sake all over the world is actually “nihonshu”.

Types of alcohol in Japan

Sake

The whole world has become accustomed to sake as the name of the drink, so even in Japan everyone has already come to terms with it.

Types of sake

1. Junmai is an Aryan type of sake, in the sense that it is made from pure rice, without additives or mixtures.
2. Honjozo - sake with added yeast.
3. Ji-Zake - you can call this type of sake “craft”, since it is produced by private mini-companies.
4. Nigori-zake is a cloudy white sake with a creamy flavor and slight acidity.

Special dishes for sake

• Tokkuri - carafe from 180 ml to 360 ml.
• Ochoko cups are tiny cups of 20 ml. Since the drink is stronger than many people, it is better to drink a little at a time.
• Guinomi are also sake cups, but they are larger than ochoko. Guinomi means "to swallow a lot." Japanese alcoholics prefer to use these cups.

Shochu / Shōchū / 焼酎

A strong drink distilled from rice, barley, buckwheat or potatoes. It is more powerful than sake, so many people dilute it with water, tea or juice.

Chu-hai / Chu-hai / チューハイ or 酎ハイ

This general term to refer to a fruity alcoholic drink that is sold in cans in any store or supermarket. No, this is not the Blazer look.

Whiskey

The most popular souvenir. Famous brands- Yamazaki Suntory, Shirasu and Hibiki. Whichever bubble you choose, it will be beautiful and delicious.

In Japan, they love the highball drink, made from whiskey and soda. Highballs can be found in both supermarkets and restaurants. Very refreshing and easy to drink - we recommend it.

Beer

Some people are surprised, but beer is the most popular alcoholic drink in Japan.

Brands worth paying attention to:

• Asahi - the guys made a revolution in the world of Japanese beer. There is a sweeter and a tart option.
• Suntory is the most sought after beer with a deep and rich aroma. They position themselves as “premium beer”.
• Sapporo is a bitter beer brewed according to a secret patented recipe.
• Kirin tastes like a classic lager.
• Ebisu is for those who like it to be very bitter.
• Orion is a beer that you rarely find outside of Okinawa (be sure to grab it if you spot it somewhere).

Happoshu / Happoshu / 発泡酒

This is what they call “second” and “third grade” beer. Tastes like beer, but less malt. Hence the mild taste and low price.

In Japan, only a drink that contains more than 67% malt is considered beer. The rest is just pampering.

Hoppii / Hoppii / ホッピ

Hoppii is a practically non-alcoholic drink with the taste and smell of beer. It is usually diluted with shōchū. The resulting mixture tastes like very strong beer. You can try hoppiya in any Japanese bar.

Wine

Japan has very delicate and delicate wines, so they go well with local cuisine.

Umeshu (梅酒) and other fruit liqueurs