When you think of top quality rice for making Japan’s finer drinks, Southern Kyushu is generally not one of the first regions that comes to mind. There are several active volcanoes in the area, and rice does not grow comfortably in soil with a high ash content. That is part of the reason that Southern Kyushu has become synonymous with sweet potatoes, a vegetable that is happy … [Read more...]
Shochu Experts around the World
Zipangu Shochu Magazine, now in its third year, has tended to focus on the people and companies that make shochu, or at the very least are based in Japan (see last year’s feature article on Chef Marc Matsumoto). This is an obvious necessity since the publication’s mission is to spread shochu’s story far and wide, something that has yet to happen on any noteworthy scale. The … [Read more...]
Chef Marc Matsumoto: Bringing Japanese Food and Shochu to an International Audience
The culinary artistry displayed on NoRecipes.com comes from the mind and creativity of Chef Marc Matsumoto. This blog is where he shares the best versions of the food that he comes up with, whether that be his take on a classic Japanese Chicken Teriyaki, or a modern Italian and Mexican mashup. Marc took some time out of his extremely busy schedule of media appearances, writing, … [Read more...]
Shochu and Awamori Day Events
November 1st is the semi-official start of the distilling season in Kyushu and Okinawa. Most distilleries are already cranking away well before that time, but the day has nevertheless been anointed "Honkaku Shochu and Awamori Day." And what a day it is! There are events all across Japan to commemorate Japan's indigenous spirits, all of which involve some volume of … [Read more...]
Shochu Tram: A Train You Hope Reaches its Destination Late
This year’s edition of the Shochu Tram, an annual staple of the Kagoshima summer, departed on its first journey August 22nd and the shochu-filled excursions embarked every night for a week. Most journeys were hosted by a single distillery, but the night of the 22nd featured a consortium of shochu makers and most guests were from overseas. A Special Kind of … [Read more...]