Yukino Ochiai is talking about umami, the fifth basic taste after sweet, sour, salty and bitter. She describes umami as the “double-bass” of the flavour orchestra: a deep sense of savoury deliciousness on the tongue. But she’s not talking about the food of Japan. She’s talking about the experience of drinking sake made using age-old brewing methods.
Ochiai is a Sydney-based sake importer and international sake judge. In 2017, she was named Australia’s first female Sake Samurai, the highest honour bestowed by the Japan Sake Brewers Association, for her work in sake education and promotion. The perfect person, then, to share insights into the small number of sakes still made in Japan using the traditional kimoto and yamahai processes of creating a starter culture.
“Chefs love kimoto and yamahai,” says Ochiai. “They love how well these sakes go with food, because of the higher acidity and earthier flavours. And higher umami.”
Sake is brewed using rice, water, yeast and koji, an aspergillus mould culture that converts the starch in the rice into fermentable sugar. After the rice is steamed and the koji is added, sake brewers also introduce lactic acid to the mash, creating a slightly sour environment for the yeast to ferment properly.
This story is from the May 2020 edition of Gourmet Traveller.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 8,500+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber ? Sign In
This story is from the May 2020 edition of Gourmet Traveller.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 8,500+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber? Sign In
Barossa Valley
We hit the road for a weekend escape, exploring the best regional Australia has to offer. This month we head to the Barossa Valley in South Australia.
Legends of reinvention
As ultra-luxe hotel group Rosewood takes on three benchmark New Zealand lodges, MICHAEL HARDEN gets the read on this next chapter.
EVERYDAY
Easy entertaining, weeknight dinners and suppers to share, all made with speed, without sacrificing flavour.
Australia's most wanted
For love or money, building a wine collection pays dividends. NED GOODWIN reveals the Australian fine wines to put away.
MEET THE MAKER GREG LAMBRECHT
When US-based engineer Greg Lambrecht invented wine preservation system Coravin a decade ago, he changed the way we drink premium wine.
SANDALFORD
Following its recent reboot, this historic WA winery restaurant is ready to wine and dine a new generation of guests, writes MAX VEENHUYZEN.
PITZI
The team behind Fico trot out a chic new pasta bar which makes simplicity something special, writes ALIX DAVIS.
BATHERS' PAVILION RESTAURANT
A new era is dawning at a lower north shore landmark, writes MATTY HIRSCH, with an astute new recruit leading the way
VUE DE MONDE
A Melbourne icon emerges from a makeover refreshed and energised, writes MICHAEL HARDEN.
STEPHANIE ALEXANDER
Kylie Kwong celebrates the individuals helping to grow a stronger community. This month, we meet chef, author and original cook's companion, Stephanie Alexander AO.