éks TEMPURA - EDITION No.1

TEMPURA

EDITION No.1

Food: NIHONBASHI
SONOJI

Sake: HATSUKAME

TEMPURA

EDITION No.1

Food: NIHONBASHI
SONOJI

Sake: HATSUKAME

A pure sake that evokes a sense of refined elegance and elation is the perfect accompaniment to tempura, the flower of Japanese cuisine that continues to evolve with the times.

“The style of tempura has changed with the times, and nowadays the prevailing style of tempura is light, and well drained to remove any excess oil. Currently, tempura that highlights the natural flavours and textures of the ingredients is gaining popularity. To match such delicate tempura, sake with a sense of elegance and elation as well as a refreshing finish is the perfect accompaniment.” (Sonoji : Suzuki) “This sake is based on our brand 'Kame', winner of the highest award in the Junmai Daiginjo sake category at the world's largest wine competition, and is an assemblage of several sake varieties.” (Hashimoto : Hatsukame)

TEMPURA

EDITION No.1

TEMPURA

NIHONBASHI
SONOJI

SAKE

HATSUKAME

Concept １

Currently, the mainstream style of tempura is light, with a focus on the ingredients. To enhance the delicate flavour of the ingredients, a smooth, clean sake is ideal.

In the past, thick, heavy tempura was the norm, but today the trend is towards a lighter, less greasy style of tempura. Our restaurant also aims for tempura that does not feel oily at all when you taste it, so we adjust the frying method according to the temperature of the oil, the ambient temperature and humidity, as well as the moisture content of the ingredients.
Tempura is a much more delicate dish than it looks. For this reason, the best sake to pair with tempura should be highly aromatic, have a clean flavour, pristine clarity, and have a smooth texture that glides smoothly from the palate to the stomach.

Tempura is a simple cooking method that highlights the natural flavours of the ingredients.
In particular, for pairing with light tempura that doesn't leave a greasy aftertaste, we thought it was important to have a dry, light-bodied sake that wouldn't tire the palate even if you drink it throughout the entire course of a meal. Hatsukame's flagship brand ‘Kame’ is matured for three years at a temperature of minus seven degrees (-7ºC), and is characterised by its rounded, gentle flavour.
While it goes well with tempura just as it is, we thought that it needed a slightly fresher, more youthful flavour to go well with Sonoji's light, crisp style of tempura, so the brewery tried blending several kinds of sake for the first time.

Concept ２

The prawns, squid and kisu (Japanese whiting) that appear at the beginning of the course are the essence of tempura. As you drink, your spirits rise, and you instinctively reach for your chopsticks in anticipation of the next dish.

"At our restaurant, we serve light ingredients such as prawns, squid and Japanese whiting at the beginning of the meal. If the sake we pair with these ingredients can win over our customers' hearts, they are likely to continue to drink the same sake until the end of the meal. With this in mind, we focused on the compatibility of these ingredients with sake.
The keyword that we arrived at in our quest to enhance the appeal of these light ingredients, while also aiming for a taste that would leave a lasting impression on our customers, was 'elation'’. We thought that if the sake was one that would make your heart soar with each sip, and envelop you in a sense of elegance and elation, it would complement the light ingredients without detracting from their natural flavour."

"'Kame' has a ripe melon-like aroma that is unique to matured sake. However, to create a feeling of 'elation’, we also wanted a lighter, fruity aroma. After trying dozens of different blends and focusing on the aroma, we were able to draw out a slightly ripe yellow peach and banana nuance from the sake. Originally, Hatsukame sake was made with the aim of minimising the production of organic acidity to create a gentle flavour and aroma. This time, we have added a gorgeous aroma. The fruity notes impart a refined, gentle sweetness that perfectly enhances the subtle sweetness of the light ingredients."

Taste

Blending several varieties of sake results in a deeper flavour. A sublime marriage of all kinds of ingredients, including the produce of the mountains and the bounty of the sea.

"A sake that goes well with light ingredients has a gentle flavour, so it naturally complements tempura made with mountain vegetables, spring vegetables, carrots, turnips, lotus roots and other root vegetables. The ideal sake for tempura also needs to have a wide range of flavours and a smooth, soft texture that is easy to drink, so that is it can be enjoyed by people who are not familiar with sake as well as by sake connoisseurs.
The appeal of sake is its aroma. Sake, which is made from rice, appeals to the DNA of the Japanese people, and in particular, the sake we have developed has a beautiful aroma that is both mature and elegant, so I think it can be enjoyed on a wide range of occasions, from special events to everyday use."

"Originally from Shizuoka, the yeast used in this sake is characterised by its understated yet elegant flavour. I think that the gentle fruitiness of the flavour, which is not too strong or too weak, goes well with cooking methods that bring out the full flavour of the ingredients, like tempura. This time, we made sake by blending several types of sake, which was the first time this has been done at Hatsukame, but I think that blending made the sake even more multilayered and gave it a deep, rich flavour. I hope you will enjoy the marriage of this sake with other ingredients, such as seafood and mountain produce, as well as ingredients with a light flavour, such as prawns and squid."

TASTING NOTES

Complex aromas of grain-like notes with hints of ripe yellow peach and banana. The taste has a well-balanced, clear umami flavour with a pleasant bitterness. It has a clean finish and an elegant lingering aftertaste of mushrooms and nuts.

FLAVOUR CHART

FLAVOUR

Well Balanced
Sharp
Complexity
Smooth
Clear

AROMA

Ripe Banana
Yellow Peach
Cereal
Almond

SERVING SUGGESTIONS

Hanabie (around 10°C)

FOOD PAIRING

It has a light texture like tempura, but - as it is very well balanced - it can also be enjoyed in dishes with a lighter oil content. In addition, it goes well with light, mineral-rich ingredients such as shellfish and chicken, and can be enjoyed with salty dishes.
Other dishes that go well with it include lightly-pickled white fish such as kasugo (young sea bream) and kohada (gizzard shad), as well as pasta with clams, and ohitashi (greens blanched in dashi broth) and Japanese mountain vegetables.