Japanese rice wine Sake is back with a bang in India

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NEW DELHI: After a brief lull, the buzz around Japanese Sake – often referred to as nihonshu (日本酒) in Japanese, is back with a bang.

Nineteen breweries from Japan and an Indian company dealing in this healthy alcoholic drink made of fermented Japanese rice staged a tasting session for the Sake lovers at the Embassy of Japan on Saturday, March 20.

Satoshi Suzuki, Ambassador of Japan (Extreme right)

The event was divided into morning and afternoon sessions keeping in mind the social distancing norms due to COVID-19 scare for the select guests that included Japanese restaurants, offered Japanese Sake, Japanese food, and a variety of Japanese green tea.

It was organized by the Embassy of Japan, with the participation of Sake Club India, and EIJ Consulting, Rad Elan, Sasaki Seicha – a well-known green tea manufacturer in Shizuoka together with Mittal Teas, and others.

14 Breweries displayed their products through their consultant firm EIJ Consulting. EIJ consulting introduced 13 Sake breweries from Tottori and one from Kyoto, Japan.

In addition, five Sake breweries displayed their products for a hybrid tasting lecture.

Mika Eoka of Japan Sake and Shochu Makers Association joined online from Japan to make a presentation. An Indian importer Rad Elan also introduced its products.

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In October 2019 also, a Japanese Sake tasting event was held at the Embassy of Japan.

Hidehito Jay Araki, Advisor, EIJ Consulting with a wide range of Sake products.

Previously, the erstwhile Ambassador of Japan in India Kenji Hiramatsu had hosted “An Evening with Japanese Sake 2019” at the same venue.

A dozen Sake breweries, brewers, and exporters from Japan accompanied with Miss SAKE 2019 Sae Haruta had reached India then to promote Sake amongst Indian foodies as well as Hoteliers.

“(I am) pleased to have offered an exquisite tasting experience of Sake and Japanese food to the Indian connoisseurs. I am hoping that Japanese cuisines and Sake will be as popular in India as Indian foods are in Japan,” Satoshi Suzuki, Ambassador of Japan, said in a tweet on Saturday.

Related article: Want to do business with Japanese? Eat Japanese food, Drink Sake, enjoy Karaoke music, and have Patience

Because of the social distancing norms, the number of guests invited for the Sake tasting session was limited to 40, and 32 of them could make it to the Embassy on Saturday, said Hidehito Jay Araki, Advisor, EIJ Consulting.

Ramesh Sharma from Rad Elan, and Ravi Joshi, Sake Club India.

The Sake variants the firm deals, include Sanin Togo Junmaishu  Goriki,  Chiyomusubi,  Junmaidaiginjo Goriki50, Densho Goriki Junmai Ginjyo, Benten-Musume Jukusei Koshu, Shuuhou Iwaizumi Junmai Ginjou, Junmaishu USAGI LABEL, Junmai Sparkling Nigori, and others.

“EIJ Consulting represented 13 Sake breweries from Tottori and one from Kyoto, Japan during the Sake tasting event. I also represent Mittal Teas, and introduced a wide variety of high-quality Japanese green tea,” Araki added.

Ramesh Sharma, an expert on Indo-Japanese affairs and consultant promoting Sake represented Rad Elan along with its owner Amit Goel, said that the company introduced Sake including Hakushika, Hakutsuru, Namazake, Junmai, and Genshu.

Ravi Joshi, Founder, Sake Club India.

According to Sake Club India though the Sake in a very nascent stage in India but interest in Sake is growing, and it’s a positive sign, and the major driver for this is the proliferation of Japanese cuisine in India.

“People here are going to Japanese restaurants and trying out various Sakes. Now it also a very imp part of corporate soft skills. What wine was twenty years back in India, Sake is at that stage in India where the interest is growing and people want to know more about it. Sake Club India was formed to project the beverage in its actual light and want people to venture into it and know about it,” said Ravi Joshi, Founder, Sake Club India that aims at promoting the cause of Sake in India.

The Club derives its strength from being an Indo-Japanese community with frequent exchanges on Sake. Several of their members are also located in other parts of the world, actively participating in their activities through online means.

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