Let me first pledge near complete ignorance as far as Sake goes.
I have neither read much about it nor tasted it but once.
Fortunately, I found a way to correct that flaw.
The Japan Society in New York offers Without Koji, There is No Sake, an introduction to the art of Koji and Sake making with Sake expert John Gauntner followed by a Sake tasting.
Here is a quick highlight of what the program is about:
rice onto which a special mold has been grown with great precision and
skill that converts starches to sugars, which in turn are fermented to
yield alcohol. Making good koji requires precise regulation of
temperature and moisture, and nothing has a greater impact on the final
flavors and aromas of sake. Like much of sake brewing, koji-making is
more art than science. Sake expert John Gauntner
discusses the art and science of making koji, what it is, the myriad
ways it can be accomplished, and how tiny changes to koji can result in
major differences in sake flavor."
The event takes place at the Japan Society (New York) on Tuesday, May 19 at 6:30 pm.
Tickets are $30 for General Public and $30 for Society Members.
John Gauntner's most recent book is The Sake Companion (Running Press)
For a more scientific look at the process read Studies on Molecular Breeding of Sake Koji Mold by Yamashita Nobuo (Hakutsuru Sake Brewing Co).
A sober look at Sake for Tokyo Thursdays # 87
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