Bar & Restaurant

Shouchu culture across the water. Sicilians say “buono” to the Kanro.

here was one thing I had wanted to try since I started this blog: to see how people overseas would react when tasting imo (sweet potato) shouchu.
As you know, around the world, there are a number of distilled alcoholic beverages made from potato, such as aquavit in Portugal, which is made from potato.
But I don’t think I have heard of distilled liquor made from sweet potato.
How would foreign people like Japanese potato shouchu?

With this on my mind, I traveled to Sicily, Italy for 10 days at the end of January.
It was a gastronomic journey with my friend, chef Shige of “MUNIRO”, a Sicilian restaurant in Shimokitazawa. I am a regular customer there.
As for details of my journey in Sicily, see my own blog “The Gastronomer’s Diary”.

Anyway…. So, I took the Kanro with me on this trip.
Actually, I took three types: the Kanro, the most orthodox one, the Tokusei Kanro and the Kanekyo Kanro.
How heavy they were!

Our journey in Sicily started with a harbor town called Siracusa
To start with, I would like to tell you about a guy named Pascualino, who played the important role of guide on this trip.

“Kenzii! (This is how he pronounced my name). Have a taste of this! Good, isn’t it? Oh, but before that, take a picture from this angle!” In this way, he excitedly showed us around.
He and his younger brother Roberto run a restaurant called “Ionico” in the bay area overlooking the sea of Siracusa.

There we enjoyed local traditional cuisine and found ourselves with full stomachs.
After gorging ourselves on “dolce”, which is an essential part of the Italian culinary experience, we deliberately brought out the Kanro.

“You know, this is a very popular distilled liquor in Japan made from potato!”

It was difficult to explain shouchu to an Italian for me, so I used the words “grappa patate”.“Grappa” is a famous Italian distilled alcoholic beverage made from grape. It’s a strong distilled wine with a high alcoholic content. “Patate” means potato. Actually, imo shouchu is made from sweet potato, so it’s a bit different, but I could only describe it like that.

“Hmm, I see…” said Pascualino as he brought the glass up to his lips.

Keeping the first sip in his mouth, mixing it with air, and enjoying the aroma coming through his nose, he smiled.

“Buono! (Good)” he said.

I was relieved…. I seemed to have cleared the first hurdle.

“Mmmm! Delicious!… It has retained its delicate potato flavor, and is really good. And it’s mild. But the alcoholic content is too week for grappa. If you drink grappa, you’ll feel the back of your throat burning!” continues Pascuano. Actually, grappa has a high alcoholic content, which is something that makes a strong impression on the drinker. Thus, they may have felt that a potato shouchu of 25% alcohol is not enough compared with grappa.

Roberto, after his first sip, gave a similar opinion. Then he said, “Wait a minute!” He left us for a while and came back with a bottle.

To me, the green bottle was similar in appearance to a “ramune” (Japanese old style soda pop) bottle. I underestimated it at this point.

I poured the water-clear liquid into a glass. And the instant I sipped it, a strong alcoholic pungency and indescribable deep, sweet aroma came through my nostrils.

“Wow, it’s strong! …But good!”

It was a distilled alcoholic drink, and believe it or not, made from honey.
Having been told this, I could really sense the sweet aroma of honey.

“We prefer this level of strength in a liquor”, they said, emptying one glass after another. Incredible! Maybe we should have brought the undiluted Kanro to counter this.
Imo shouchu is usually mixed with water to give it an alcoholic content of about 25%. Thus, they would probably be more impressed with undiluted shouchu. This will be a new challenge for us!

The day after next we arrived at our second stage, Hotel Nettuno, a resort hotel by the seaside where Shige had been trained in the kitchen to become a chef.

At a bar in the lobby, a man called us over to have a drink.

What he was holding was a bottle of martini. It’s cool to sip and savor sweet, sweet martini just like an Italian!

When we went into the kitchen, the people there welcomed Shige with open arms.

“Hey, Kiko (Shige’s nickname)! We see you’ve become a fully-fledged chef!”

It seems that they think highly of Japanese deft hands in the “battle field” of the hotel kitchen.
When we dropped by they were taking an afternoon break. We decided to take this opportunity to let them try the Kanro.

The head chef seemed very curious. Taking a sip, he said, “Hmmm…” and gulped it down.

“Oh, its great. It really tastes of potato, and has a sweet aroma. Buono!”

And another guy, seemingly of strong character and known as “Shige’s partner in crime”, gulped it down, too.

“Oh, good. Yeah, yeah, a little weak but it’s a grappa,” he said, drinking up two plastic cups of the Kanro.

Looking at their dynamic way of drinking, I expected the food that they prepared to be of an equally vigorous nature. How wrong I was! I was pleasantly surprised by how they served delicate appetizers in such an exquisite way. Wow!

Shige seems very much satisfied with the warm hospitality of his old fellow workers.

“When you call shouchu “grappa”, they take it to be a strong liquor. For them the impression may be a little different. ”

Maybe we need to think of another expression to convey the character of this shouchu to Italians. Next time, I really want to surprise them with how strong unprocessed shouchu is.
Anyway, I think people in Sicily viewed imo shouchu as being “faintly sweet distilled liquor with the aroma of potato”.

Well now, we will end the blog on this note. Did you enjoy the series?
We’ve tried storm visits and interviews of some bars, delving into shouchu culture and interviews overseas, to find the potential of imo shouchu from various aspects. We really enjoyed everything we did and had many wonderful experiences.
Thank you for sending us many good works for the “Drinkers’ Poem” column.
And I’d like to express special thanks to our sake connoisseur Chie, who has been tasting many drinks for me. She obtained the qualification of “wine expert”, and is surely on the way to becoming successful in the world of liquor and cuisine.

Lastly, I would like to ask for your continued support for the Kanro and the Kyoya Brewary. It’s the standard of Miyazaki shouchu, according to the chef of a Japanese restaurant in Miyazaki City.

I will continue to favor it myself.
I hope to see you all sometime soon and have a hot Kanro together!

Entry Admin : July 26, 2005 02:44 PM

Bar & Restaurant

Shouchu Tasting at a Soothing Bar close to the Tama River

The chilly days seem to be continuing as if the sweltering heat of a few months back were a figment of the imagination. At this time of year, it is incredibly gratifying to find yourself a warm spot and relax with some hot shouchu. Following on from Yamaken's visit to Bar Opa in Monzennaka, in this, the third part of the series, I'm going to take you to Cafe Sunset Beach, which is a cafe bar in my hometown. This is a bar where you can enjoy the hot southern atmosphere despite the cold sullen winter skies!

Now I don't want to brag, but my hometown, Noborito in Kawasaki, is receiving a lot of attention recently due to an increase in stylish cafe bars, organic food restaurants, and cafes. Also, because a number of universities are located close by, there are loads of cheap places serving great food aimed at the local student population. It takes about 20 minutes on an express train from Shinjuku, so it's pretty accessible from the city center. Close by there is the Tama River, and you can really just sit back and soak up the tranquil atmosphere.
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CAFE SUNSET BEACH
214-0014 Kanagawa-ken, Kawasaki-shi, Tama-ku, Noborito 1728
Tel: 044-933-8505
Opening Hours: 11:30am~02:00am
Closed on: Sundays and National Holidays

Located far from the hustle and bustle of the city and close to the Tama River, this bar can be reached by car from the city center if you follow the road by the side of the Setagaya Machida Line out to Machida.

The laid back atmosphere of a seaside clubhouse awaits you, in which you can really forget we are heading towards winter outside. When I dropped by it was just around Halloween, so there was a pumpkin glowing on the counter. Oh…and I should mention that the landlord bares a striking resemblance to Ichiro! (The likeness is seriously uncanny. I really wanted to take his picture, but he turned me down, saying that you guys have to stop by and see for yourselves!) In addition to the cocktails you'd expect at a place like this, they also have a range of drinks including shouchu, sake, and imported beers such as Kona from Hawaii, and Corona from Mexico.

So anyway, the shouchus we had the landlord try are the same as last time and are listed below. He supped them back on the rocks as he relaxed at home.

The Shouchus Tasted

	Shouchu	% Alc.	Distillation Method	Malt	Main Ingredient	Preparation
A	Kameshizuku	20	Low Temperature	White	Miyazaki Beni Kotobuki	Peel entirely
B	Superlight Kanro	20	Low Temperature	White	Kogane Sengan	Remove stalk only
C	Kanekyo Kanro	20	Low Temperature	Black	Miyazaki Beni Kotobuki	Remove stalk only
D	Kanro	25	High Temperature	White	Kogane Sengan	Remove stalk only
E	Tokusen Kanro	25	High Temperature	White	Miyazaki Beni Kotobuki	Peel entirely
F	Jidaigura	25	High Temperature	Black	Miyazaki Beni Kotobuki	Peel stripes

(Miyazaki Beni Kotobuki and Kogane Sengan are types of potato)

What was your impression of the shouchus?

"Kameshizuku goes down really easily since it has no overpowering characteristics. The Superlight Kanro is fairly dry. The Kanekyo Kanro is pretty fruity, so I imagine it may be popular with the ladies. It would probably go pretty well with the Avocado and Tomato Salad on our menu."

Here's the dish he's talking about. It's pretty simple with just the avocado and tomato cut up and served with salt and lemon. The richness of the avocado is ideally complemented by the freshness of lemon to provide a cool refreshing dish. What makes it even more fantastic is the way that the salt and lemon really bring out the sweetness of the tomatoes!! Fruity shouchus made by low temperature distillation would seem to be a perfect complement to dishes such as these, which have fairly simple combinations of flavors. Upon combining these flavors, we find that they don't clash with each other and are in fact a perfect complement.

So how about the rest of the shouchus?

"The Kanro is dry and fresh so I think it would go well with sashimi. The Tokusen Kanro is also dry, but is different to the Kanro since it exudes a stronger potato aroma. It's a kind of masculine shouchu. Jidaigura Kanro is sweet and has depth. That's possibly my favorite. Although not on our menu, I'd suggest it would go well with the thickness and richness of gratin or cheese dishes."

Shouchu and gratin…I never expected that! But from what he says, the taste of the food won't be overpowered by that of the shouchu, so they'll most likely complement each other. I really have to check that out sometime.

Listening to what the landlord is saying, the shouchus can be split into two broad categories. He says shouchus A, B, and C (those made by low temperature distillation) have a kind of feminine softness to them, and would go well with an appetizer or light meal. Meanwhile, shouchus D, E, and F (those made by high temperature distillation) have a stronger masculine character, and would suit more substantial dishes.

Have you ever made cocktails using shouchu?

"I have made them using the more pure white liquor, but wouldn't use real shouchu in which you can still taste the flavor of the original ingredients. I think it's best to enjoy them on their own rather than mixing them with other things. If you were going to use them however, then I'd suggest a relatively unobtrusive shouchu such as barley (mugi) shouchu."

Right now possibly the most popular base for a cocktail is vodka, since it doesn't have any particular aroma or overpowering flavor, and so it doesn't intrude upon any other flavors that you mix with it. Among the real or original shouchus the one that is most like vodka is barley (mugi) shouchu.

Hmm…but then again, possibly mixing things with real shouchu is really just a waste since you'd be ruining the great flavor of the original ingredients.

This time, the landlord drank the shouchus at home while enjoying a dish of cod stewed in soy sauce and sugar, and he says it is the perfect dish for all shouchus. Shouchu is certainly appearing to be a very versatile drink for the dining table; it is truly formidable.

But since shouchu seems to suit all types of dishes, I guess it must be pretty difficult to select just one dish that suits shouchu perfectly. I'm really grateful that the landlord took time out of his busy schedule to suggest a dish for us.

Although it appears shouchu goes well with all kinds of dishes, we will continue the search for a dish that suits shouchu even more perfectly than this times recommendation. It's certainly an interesting yet somewhat tricky challenge. I think you could have a lot of fun experimenting at home too! Why not give it a try?

Entry Admin : January 25, 2005 06:14 PM

Bar & Restaurant

Bar Abby in Roppongi introduces us to two Hebess Liqueur based Cocktails

I guess you’re all familiar with the name “Hebesu”, right?

Maybe some of you out in there in Kanto, or for that matter Kansai, have never heard that name, so I should explain. Hebesu is a variety of “Kankitsu” citrus fruit, which is a speciality of Miyazaki Prefecture. At Kyoya Brewery, they are currently selling “Hebess Ronde”, a barley shouchu in which Hebesu have been pickled.

About two years ago when I visited Kyoya Brewery, one of the staff in the storeroom showed me a Kankitsu, which was light green in color and a little smaller than your fist.

“Do you know what this is?”
“No, I’ve no idea.”
“It’s a local speciality of Hyuga. We call them Hebesu. They have a unique fragrance and taste really tangy. Right now we’re researching ways of using them to make shouchu,” he told me proudly.

The result of that hard work is “Hebess Ronde”, a highly refined sweet liqueur, which is pretty and light green in appearance. This new product is proving to be extremely popular, and one bar is even using it to make cocktails. That bar is Bar Abby in Roppongi – and that’s where we’re going to drop in on today!

Bar Abby, in fact, ranks among the highest performers of all the bars related to Kyoya web. The reason for this is that they have been stocking Kyoya shouchu, especially Kameshizuku, from years back, and have acquired a great reputation.

“Well it’s partially because I’m originally from Miyazaki, but when I started this bar, I did so because I wanted more people to know about the great taste of shouchu. I’m happy to say it’s become incredibly popular with the customers,” explains Bar Abby’s landlord, Imamura Yoshiteru.

It appears that Imamura has been using Kyoya shouchu at a range of different events. The Kyoya shouchu delivered to Aoyama Top Note while he was working there must have really got his “Hyugan” blood pumping!

“Some time back, I bought 48 bottles of Kameshizuku from Kyoya, poured them into a large custom-made bottle, and organized a “Nomihoudai” (drink-as-much-as-you-like party) for the customers with the other bars that we are affiliated with. It was a great success, and by the end the bottle was pretty much empty. Kameshizuku is smooth and delicious, and I think it really suits people living in the city.”

This is the guy who is going to make cocktails for me using Hebess Ronde! And what’s more, we are also going to blow the doors wide open on those cocktail recipes!!

“Well although we call them recipes, they’re actually pretty simple! The base liqueur tastes really good, and so it’s best not to do too much to it,” says Imamura as he starts making the first of the cocktails described below.

1. Hebess Cubano
This is actually pretty much the same recipe as the famous cocktail Sol Cubano. For those of you who are not familiar with Sol Cubano, it is a cocktail that was originally created by a Japanese bartender, and is now loved by many people around the world. Today, however, is the first time I have tried Hebess Cubano, in which the rum base used in Sol Cubano is replaced with Hebess Ronde.

How to make Hebess Cubano
(1) Start by making “rock” ice (or ice cubes). Put about 3 or 4 of these in the glass, so that the glass is neatly filled.

(2) Half fill the glass with Hebess Ronde.

(3) Prepare some fresh hand squeezed grapefruit juice, and pour about 1/3 glass of this into the glass.

(4) Add tonic water up to the brim of the glass.

Stir the cocktail, and you’re done.

So there you have it - pretty simple, but follow these steps and we have a Hebess Cubano!

From its beautiful light green appearance, to the way that the freshness of the grapefruit and its slightly bitter fragrance complement the aroma of Hebesu, this drink is absolutely fantastic. Hebess Ronde is actually a very sweet liqueur, but this sweetness is tempered by adding grapefruit juice, and a more mature flavor obtained.

“I think Hebess Ronde has a truly sophisticated flavor. As a bartender I find it really interesting; the bitterness of the peel, and the way the aroma gradually builds up yet at the same time stays delicious. It’s also good served simply as a liqueur, and even better on the rocks.、That’s possibly because the shouchu used as the base is really great……Anyway, Yamamoto, I know another interesting drink that I’m sure you’ll like. You have to try it!”
says Imamura as he starts to slice up a cucumber. He then takes the sliced cucumber, and starts to cut it into square pieces.
“This one is…well…let’s call it…Hebess Cucumber.”

2. Hebess Cucumber

How to make Hebess Cucumber
(1) Slice the cucumber, dice it, and then place it in the glass.

(2) Use the spoon side of a cocktail stirrer to push the cucumber lightly against the side of the glass so that the juice and aroma are released. Do not crush the cucumber!

(3) Add enough Hebess Ronde such that you can still just smell the aroma of the cucumber, and then stir.

(4) Add finely crushed ice, and serve accompanied with thin slices of cucumber.

Well it was surprising from the start, but this cocktail also includes a few refreshing bites to eat too!

If you drink Hebess Ronde on its own, then you will find that it has a sweet fragrance and is in fact quite sweet to the taste, but just adding the cucumber conjures up a refreshing and fresh sensation. This is a really pleasant surprise; they have a great affinity for each other. Cucumbers are a type of gourd, and as such have a strong and unique fragrance, but the raw flavor disappears when mixed with Kankitsu, and it actually makes Hebess Ronde taste much more sophisticated.

“Wow! That’s great. So fresh, and really more stylish than I expected!”
“I thought you’d like it! Actually, one of our regular customers and I came up with it together. We wanted to use the liqueur to make something a bit more exciting…and then it struck us…how about mixing it with cucumber? It really hits the mark!”

Seriously, the result is a nice surprise. If you ever have the chance of visiting Bar Abby, you should definitely check this drink out. It manages to be intriguing, and yet at the same time fairly orthodox. I guarantee that it will help you freshen up after eating some greasy food.

Hebess Ronde, is in fact a fairly strong liqueur at 30% alcohol, and because I didn’t eat anything before drinking, I started to feel drunk really quickly. In that state, I found myself asking Imamura about himself…

“I was born in Sadowara-cho in Miyazaki Prefecture. When I was a student, I worked part time in the catering business, and…well…to cut a long story short, bartenders are popular with the ladies aren’t they (laughs)! After graduation, I talked with an acquaintance, who was a bartender, and he suggested learning how to cook. Following that, I started to work at a restaurant in Moto-machi in Kobe. Then there was the earthquake. The whole town was in a mess; it wasn’t a good time to be a bartender. Around that time, I heard about the Bartender School in Tokyo, and I decided to come up to Tokyo and give it everything I had. While in Tokyo I became familiar with Aoyama Top Note and asked the owner, Musashi, for a job. He was kind enough to take me on, and with that my life as a bartender began.”

Actually, I recall going to Top Note myself when Imamura san was working there. From that time, you could tell his Hyugan warmth and energy was something that all the customers could pick up on.

“This bar opened in May 2003, but the place itself has actually been here for many years. The previous owner received an offer from the owner of Top Note to take on the bar, and ultimately that is how I came to be assigned here. The interior design for the shop was done by the illustrious Uchida Shigeru. For me, it’s really quite an honor to be placed in charge of such a great bar, so I really try my best to make it a success.”

Bar Abby, which is already popular in Roppongi, is also famous for its live jazz piano performances. Even though it is in Roppongi, fortunately it is located away from the glare of the spotlight and is ideally suited to the connoisseur. Having said that, each of the seats in the place is very relaxed, and the bar maintains its position as a place into which you can stop off and enjoy a drink.

“When it comes to Kyoya shouchu, in all honesty, I really like their traditional shouchus such as Kanro. As a local to Miyazaki, the potato smell is something that I like. But for non-locals, especially those from Kanto, Kameshizuku is perhaps easier to drink. It has no particular idiosyncrasies, it’s refined, and if you add a little water it exudes a wonderful aroma. If you get a chance to come here, you have to check it out! Of course we’ll always be happy to serve you a Hebess Ronde cocktail too!”

The material for this article was obtained at six o’clock in the evening on a Monday; a time when you really wouldn’t expect many people to be out drinking, but nevertheless, customers were starting to arrive as we talked. Coming for a drink to kick off the night I guess! Imamura winks as he goes off to pull a few beers.
Cool assured workmanship, and a warm Hyugan spirit. Clearly Imamura’s exquisite Kyoya shouchu cocktails were born from the combination of these two extremes.
At Bar Abby, delicious Kyoya shouchu is quietly breathing a breath a fresh air into the glare and bustle of Roppongi. I truly recommend Kyoya fans try this place at least once.

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Bar Abby
Tokyo-to, Minato-ku, Roppongi 7-chome, 8-2 Arukasaru Yagi 8F
03-3408-1367
18:00~02:00
Closed on Sundays and national holidays.

Entry Admin : January 12, 2005 11:22 AM

Bar & Restaurant

Japan’s Leading Bartender gives us the Lowdown on Six Types of Kyoya Shouchu!

Hi! It’s vagabond gastronomer Yamaken here, taking my turn to write the second entry in the blog.
While the main way to drink potato shouchu may be mixing it with hot or cold water, there has also been an increase in those enjoying it on the rocks. For me, this means that people have come to understand the flexibility and potential of shouchu. I have even started to wonder whether it can be used to make cocktails. But then again…I’ve never heard of a potato shouchu based cocktail. Of course there is the white liquor based Chuhai, but that’s not what I mean. I’m talking about cocktails based on original shouchu.
With this question in mind, I asked the staff of one of my favorite haunts, Bar Opa in Monzennaka, to take part in an interview and tasting session. Bar Opa a subsidiary of the famous store based in Ginza. The guy who runs the bar in Monzennaka is Mr. Mizusawa, who as you may know was the overall winner of the National Bartender Contest that was held the other day.
We gave Mizusawa six types of Kyoya shouchu, and asked him and his staff to taste them for us. We also asked him for a bartender’s point of view on the kind of cuisine that would complement these shouchus, and whether he thought potato shouchu would be suitable for making cocktails. A very cushie number…I’m sure you agree!
So with no further adieu, let’s introduce the six shouchus. Here we go…the basic ingredients, processing, and type of malt all revealed in one go! There’s just no end to this fanaticism!

The Shouchus Tasted

	Shouchu	% Alc.	Distillation Method	Malt	Main Ingredient	Preparation
A	Kameshizuku	20	Low Temperature	White	Miyazaki Beni Kotobuki	Peel entirely
B	Superlight Kanro	20	Low Temperature	White	Kogane Sengan	Remove stalk only
C	Kanekyo Kanro	20	Low Temperature	Black	Miyazaki Beni Kotobuki	Remove stalk only
D	Kanro	25	High Temperature	White	Kogane Sengan	Remove stalk only
E	Tokusen Kanro	25	High Temperature	White	Miyazaki Beni Kotobuki	Peel entirely
F	Jidaigura	25	High Temperature	Black	Miyazaki Beni Kotobuki	Peel stripes

(Miyazaki Beni Kotobuki and Kogane Sengan are types of potato)

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Guest taster: Mizusawa Yasuhiko
Born: 1971
Place of Birth: Nagano Prefecture
Credentials: Overall winner of the 31st National Bartender Contest!!

Thanks so much for today! How’s things going?

Well we’ve tasted the six types of shouchu. They are really great potato shouchus aren’t they! I don’t get much of chance to try Japanese liquor, but it’s definitely good. All the staff here got together for a thorough tasting session after shutting up shop.

So, how exactly did you taste the shouchus?

Well, we used special tasting glasses. Starting with straight shouchu, then trying it with just a little water, then with ice, and lastly mixed with water.
Each of the six types are really distinct. For example, the ones which give off an aroma when you add a little water are the Kanekyo Kanro, the Kanro, and the Tokusen Kanro. In fact, especially the Kanro, and Tokusen Kanro. They’re kind of like whiskey, in that if you drink them straight the smell of the alcohol can be so overpowering that you can’t quite catch the real flavor. But if you add just a little water, they release a hidden aroma. They’re really quite intriguing.

Which of the shouchus did you think was the best?

For me, the best was the Kanro. Out of all six types, this one has the best aroma. It brought back these nostalgic memories of the smell at the back of the storeroom at my place back home in Shinshu where we used to keep casks of homemade pickles…I guess it’s the aroma of fermenting that I remember! Actually, the other staff preferred the Tokusen Kanro, but for me the Kanro is the best.

I guess we should tell you that when we passed the six shouchus to Mizusawa, we didn’t tell him which was which. It was actually a blind test…and yet his choice, the Kanro, however, is the most orthodox shouchu. It seems his drinking sense lives up to his great reputation!

Did anything about the other shouchus interest you?

Yeah, actually the Kanekyo Kanro and the Jidaigura Kanro bare an interesting resemblance to vodka. I presume it’s because both of these shouchus are made using black malt. In fact, to be more specific, they are similar to North European vodka. There are actually three types of vodka, North European, American, and Russian. The one that is said to be the most pure and clear is the North European vodka, and it is this one that these shouchus are similar to.

The Superlight Kanro seems to be dominated a little by the alcohol. It’s pretty pungent. In that way, this one is similar to vodka too. As I said, I prefer the Kanro, but among the staff the Tokusen Kanro was the most popular. It certainly had a fruity easy to drink feel to it.

I couldn’t tell whether the method of preparing the main ingredients had much of an effect. Although, if there were two shouchus made from the same main ingredients and by the same distillation methods, then I think I could spot the effect of differences in the method of preparing the main ingredients.

What kind of dishes do you think would complement these shouchus?

Well, I suspected they might go well with potato dishes, so we tried a few, and they were indeed a good complement. For example, even just with normal potato salad the combination of potato with potato had a multiplying effect, and they really complemented each other well.
As I expected, they also went really well with our fried potatoes. We make them Toscana style, fried with garlic and herbs, and the strong flavors make for a really great match. I think it comes down to bringing out the original flavor of the potatoes in these dishes.

So, how about making cocktails with Kyoya shouchu? Do you have any ideas?

I wanted to try some too…but the alcohol content of the shouchus is a little weak for making cocktails. Because the alcohol content is low, when we add other ingredients it becomes really weak, and that kind of defeats the point of making cocktails. At 20~25% alcohol, they aren’t really that suitable for making cocktails.
I kind of think that shouchu is more enjoyable served on it’s own, and not really suited to being mixed with other flavors. For instance, if you add say passion fruit to shouchu, it really just fouls up that distinctive potato flavor. I’m sure that there is something that would really complement these shouchus, but the shouchus themselves need a higher alcohol content to work well in cocktails.

I see…Anyway, moving on…I’d like to ask what kind of thing you as a bartender look for in a shouchu?

Hmm…as a bartender, I really look for something that is a bit coarse and has a strong flavor. Coarse is good! Because then you have something to which you can easily add or remove other ingredients. Also, I really want a shouchu that grabs me as having something that distinguishes it from other drinks.
Kyoya shouchu is on the whole really charming and unpretentious, because basically you just drink it as it is. On the other hand, if you want to make cocktails, then I’d be looking something a little stronger. Hey, it would be great if that was the next stage of development for the Kanro and Tokusen Kanro! Really, I think that these two would be really well received in Tokyo.

Anyway, thanks so much for taking the time to share your opinions with us…I know you’re very busy!

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What I found really interesting was that Mizusawa and his staff recommended shouchus made by high temperature distillation. Perhaps it’s because bartenders prefer the stronger aroma achieved by high temperature distillation. Judging from the interview, this could be because when you mix them with other flavors, the strong aroma will remain till the end. In any case, it was great to learn about how the professionals do their tasting. It seems that adding even just a little water can make a great difference. I’ll be trying that out at home next time!
Mizusawa requested stronger shouchu, so I should get in touch with the Kyoya president, Mr. Watanabe, and ask him to dispatch some undiluted liquor! I look forward to trying the cocktails!
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Featured bar/restaurant: Bar Opa (Monzennaka machi)
Address: 204 Nikku Haimu Hachi Man, Tomioka 1-25-4, Koutou-ku, Tokyo-to
TEL: 03-5245-3539

Entry Admin : November 11, 2004 07:02 PM

Bar & Restaurant

Miyazaki' s Potato Shouchus at AOBA: The Shouchu and Seasonal Japanese Food Restaurant

Hi this is Chie, I’m a business lady who lives for great shouchu and fine cuisine. Nice to meet you, and thanks for dropping by! Today I’m blogging with Yakaken in support of shouchu made with a pride and passion! Here’s hoping it doesn’t get washed away in the boom. Cheers!!

This time round we took our shouchu and dropped in on AOBA in Nakameguro, Tokyo. The first time I came here was with someone from a club I was in at university, and I’ve been a regular ever since. With a great combination of fabulous cooking, wide shouchu assortment, the great owner, and not to mention the cool atmosphere, I completely fell in love with the place.
So yeah…we took with us six types of Miyazaki shouchu. You can see these in the first photo, Kameshizuka, Superlight Kanro, Kanekyo Kanro, Kanro, Tokusen Kanro, Jidaigura Kanro (from left to right). Each of these is slightly different whether it be the alcohol percentage, type of malt, type of potato, even down to the way the potatoes are peeled.
Today, the owner of AOBA, Mr. Hayama, is going to check these out for us. We’re going to be chatting about shouchu and asking his opinion of the six shouchus. Meanwhile I’ll be trying some of his incredible cooking, which is incidentally the perfect complement to shouchu!
“Miyazaki’s shouchus tend to be about 20% alcohol, and many of them are really easy on the palette,” comments AOBA’s owner as we settle down for the evening. By this time I’m really wondering what kind of food goes well with these shouchus? And what are we going to talk about!! I’m so looking forward to this!

Before we moved onto the main event, we quenched our thirst with some Ebisu beer, and also tried some Komgagi Dadacha beans from Yamagata Prefecture. Check them out! They’re so incredibly furry! This fur and the sweet aroma that exudes when you boil Dadacha beans is their defining characteristic. If you eat these straight after boiling, when they are brimming with flavor, the sweet taste will come surging forth…. knock that back with a cool fresh beer, and it is truly orgasmic!

Hayama handles all the cooking at AOBA, and on the night we dropped by he was very busy. Until things cooled off a little in the kitchen, I decided to try out a few dishes myself and see how well they went with shouchu. Firstly, thinking “if it’s got potato in it then it’ll be good”, I decided to go for the deep fried sato imo (I believe you call them taros in English). In this dish, the sato imoes were deep fried and served with a pinch of salt. They’re crispy on the outside, and this makes for an exquisite balance with the sticky inside. When added to this sticky sensation, the shouchu we brought with us resonates even more with the flavor of the sato imoes. It was an excellent and a very reassuring start to the evening!!
If you want to refresh after the greasy deep fried food, then I recommend the fresh Kameshizuku, Superlight Kanro, or the Kanekyo Kanro. If you want to enjoy the combination of sato imo and sweet potato, then I’m sure the Kanro, Tokusen Kanro, and Jidaigura would be a great complement. With such a range of shouchus, you can really have a lot of fun choosing the best shouchu for what you want to eat.

Anyway, let’s move on. Next up...I asked Mr. Hayama for some of his general views on shouchu and cooking…
“Even when we talk about Kyushu shouchu there is clear categorization, such as Kagoshima shouchu is made from potatoes, and Kumamoto shouchu from rice. Miyazaki represents the crossover point of all these shouchu cultures. There they have potato, rice, and barley shouchu. None of them have an overpowering aroma or flavor, and so they’re all easy to drink. That’s why they complement all kinds of dishes.”
Considering that shouchu is already said to be great with food, to further say that it isn’t overpowering really means that it can meet a wide demand. For people who want to chill out and enjoy food and drink, shouchu is sure to be warmly welcomed. But having said that, what we are looking for today is something that complements shouchu perfectly, and AOBA’s owner suggests jidori (naturally grown chicken). I think many of you may already know that Mayazaki is famous for a range of dishes made from jidori, including charcoal grilled chicken and southern fried chicken dishes. Local dishes and local shouchu!…without hesitation I started by trying the charcoal grilled jidoril!!

In this case, the jidori was actually farmed in Tokushima. The front right of the photo shows the heart, and at the back white liver. White liver can only be obtained from about 1 in 20 chickens. The jidori was charcoal grilled, and then mixed with a sauce containing sesame seeds and yuzu pepper, lemon is added to taste. “It’s fresh, so we only need to grill it lightly. But the heart has to be cooked for longer… it tastes better if it’s a bit firmer,” says Hayama.

Even the preparation is interesting!　Despite the fact it was only cooked for a moment, it is actually really firm and tasty to the bite. But what really sets this great dish off is the yuzu pepper and lemon. On cooking the liver, it loses a lot of its fat, and doesn’t have that raw meat smell. And then when you try it with the shouchu…Mmmmm…perfect! Actually, I didn’t even notice what is often referred to as the potato smell of the shouchu. And by saying that, I don’t mean that it’s a non-potato potato shouchu…it certainly leaves a great after taste. What I mean is that the shouchu doesn’t overpower the wonderful taste of the jidori, yet at the same time the strong flavor of the jidori does not constrain the flavor of the shouchu.
I also asked Hayama for his thoughts on the shouchus and how they should be drunk.
“Kameshizuku is really easy to drink, even for newcomers to shouchu. I like it straight. The aroma of the Kanekyo Kanro suggests that it is made from black malt. The Kanro is a really well-balanced shouchu. It has the distinctive flavor obtained from the Kogane Sengan potato. It tastes great on the rocks. The Tokusen Kanro is made using white malt and by atmospheric distillation, so it will probably taste good served with hot water. Generally speaking, atmospheric distillation of white malt yields shouchus that go well with hot water.”

We have only had time to cover which dishes each of the shouchus best complement, and I didn’t go as far as to consider whether they should be served straight, on the rocks, with cold water, or with hot water. Nevertheless, it is so interesting to hear the Hayama’s informed opinion about the ways to drink shouchu, and complementary dishes.
Hayama also made me maguro chutoro (medium fatty tuna cut from the upper belly) to go with the Kameshizuka. The tuna was freshly delivered today from Oma in Aomori Prefecture. Hayama cooked it just quickly on one side, and served it with ponzu (a sauce containing soy sauce and vinegar or citrus juice) to give a very refreshing dish.
“Japanese sake plays the roll of neutralizing dishes, while shouchu is thought to relieve the oiliness. This shouchu actually performs both of these rolls,” says Hayama “It acts to both soften the fresh smell of the fish, and really helps wash away the oil.”
It was the Kameshizuku, endowed with both of these characteristics, that Hayama served with the oily fish. It truly did tone down the fresh smell of the fish, thereby delivering a very refreshing dish that was most enjoyable! As Hayama suggested, the shouchu and maguro chutoro blend together in your mouth to give a unique taste sensation. First, a delightful mellowness forms in your mouth, and this is then followed by a refreshing sensation. This is the kind of experience that makes you feel glad to be alive!
It appears the various shouchus can be a complement to a range of different dishes, so you really can choose to drink them in whatever style you like.
As a writer, there is nothing that would make me happier than if this blog either creates even more interest among shouchu lovers, or sparks the interest of those who had previously given shouchu a wide berth. With the aim of making a blog to do just that, I’ll be listing my ideas each and every day. Please drop by and see us again!!

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Featured bar/restaurant: AOBA
Address: 1F Meguro Haitsu (Heights), Aobadai 3-22-1, Meguro-ku, Tokyo-to 153-0042
Tel/Fax: 03-3716-8600
Dinner:
7:30pm ~ 3:00pm (Mon~Thu)
7:00pm ~ 5:00am (Fri~Sat)
(Closed on Sundays and National Holidays)

Entry Admin : November 11, 2004 06:56 PM