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January 25, 2005
Shouchu is Incredible
We investigate some of the more diverse uses of shouchu!
Hi everyone. When you hear the name shouchu, do you think of any other uses than perhaps mixing it with water for a tasty drink? Some of you may know that if you put fruit in a wide-mouthed bottle, add shouchu, and let it mature for a few months then you can make liqueurs.
Any other ideas? Not a lot springs to mind, does it?
Well not to worry…because this time, in a different savor to the previous blogs, we're going to look at how and where shouchu is used for purposes other than drinking. So yeah…let's get cracking and take an in-depth look at the various other hidden sides to shouchu!
Mirin
Did you know that shouchu is actually used in "Mirin" (a Japanese sweet rice wine used in cooking)? Well actually, to be more precise, shouchu is only used in what is referred to as "Hon Mirin".
Although we often just simply say "Mirin" in Japanese, there are actually a number of different types. We can separate them into three broad categories: "Hon Mirin", "Hon Naoshi" (which is "Hon Mirin" diluted with shouchu), and also "Mirin-fuu Choumiryou" (which is not strictly Mirin but a flavoring). "Hon Mirin" can be further separated into either "Junmai Hon Mirin" or "Zoujou Hon Mirin". The differences between "Junmai Hon Mirin", "Zoujou Hon Mirin", and "Mirin-fuu Choumiryou" are explained below.
| Junmai Hon Mirin | Zoujou Hon Mirin | Mirin-fuu Choumiryou |
| The main ingredients are glutinous rice, malted rice, and "Honkaku Shouchu" (real shouchu). These are allowed to mature for a long period, and the final product is about 14% alcohol. | The main ingredients are glutinous rice, malted rice, brewers alcohol, and sugar. These are left to mature, and the final product is about 14% alcohol. | A blend of glucose, alcohol, fermentation flavor enhancers, and chemical additives. The final product contains almost no alcohol. |
There are a surprising number of products all going under the same name of "Mirin". Actually, I learnt all these facts about Mirin just yesterday while attending a lecture for my higher "Sakasho" qualification as a sommelier. I was so surprised because I did not even know that shouchu was used in Mirin!
Of significant interest is "Mikawa Mirin", which is made in Hekinan City (Mikawa region) in Aichi Prefecture. This is manufactured using real shouchu made using "Sake Kasu" (sake lees) from a local brewery. Real shouchu made in this way is known as "Kasudori Shouchu". Although I have yet to try Mikawa Mirin myself, I hear that the use of Kasudori Shouchu gives it a truly enhanced flavor.
Mirin is used in shouchu…and Mirin plays a large role in Japanese cuisine, so it goes without saying that shouchu can also be used to prepare Japanese dishes. This is something that we will look into next!
Shouchu for Cooking
Shouchu can give very mellow flavors when used to replace Japanese sake in stewed dishes. Any kind of shouchu can be used in cooking, but "Kokuto Shouchu" (brown sugar shouchu), which is brimming with sweet aroma, is an especially appealing addition when making Japanese stewed dishes based upon sugar and soy sauce.
I guess that potato (imo) shouchu could also be used to good effect in stewed pork and chicken dishes. In his book "Honkaku Shouchu wo Tanoshimu" (Kobunsha Shinsho), sommelier and shouchu lover, Tasaki Shinya, writes the following:
"The characteristic aroma of potato (imo) shouchu has the effect of bringing out the aroma in pork and chicken. Pigs and chickens are typically reared on grain feed. As a result, the aroma of pork and chicken fat becomes similar to that of matured grain, and it therefore goes extremely well with potato (imo) shouchu, which has an aroma of steamed grain and potatoes."
Here, he is actually talking about combinations of food and sake at the dinner table, but basically if it tastes good when wining and dining, then it should be good if you use it for cooking! Please give it a try!!
Sweetening of Persimmons
Shouchu is also used to remove the astringency from persimmons. If you apply shouchu to the stalk of a persimmon, place the persimmon in a plastic bag with the stalk upwards, and leave it tightly sealed for a week, then it will become incredibly sweet. When I was a child, my mother often used to make sweetened persimmons for me. I recall that they were far softer and mellow than normal sweet persimmons.
The astringency of persimmons comes from tannin. Tannin dissolves in saliva, but if you apply shouchu (or another drink with high alcohol content), then the tannin changes state and becomes very difficult to dissolve in saliva. As a result, you can no longer sense the astringency. In principle, any kind of strong alcoholic beverage can be used to remove the astringency, but shouchu has been used traditionally since the lack of color and the moderate aroma means that it does not intrude upon on the flavor of the persimmon.
It really makes you reconsider the potential of shouchu, doesn't it!
(Reference: Nazenazo Kagaku: Shibugaki ga Amaku Naru no wa (Mainichi Newspapers))
So shouchu is not just for drinking, it has played a role in many different aspects of everyday life in Japan for a very long time! By looking into this just a little, I've really come to appreciate shouchu for its numerous and varied facets.
How about checking out some of the other uses of shouchu at home? If you make any surprising discoveries, then please let us know!
Posted Admin : January 25, 2005 06:15 PM
