Japanese ambassador shares passion for sake

By Darnell Dobson

Taste buds tingled and minds were engaged at a recent guided tasting of Japan’s iconic spirit, sake.

The April 1 event was part of the Nature Tastes series at the Canadian Museum of Nature.

The series gives curious food lovers the opportunity to indulge in food and liquor they may not have tried before, and learn about the science behind them.

The tasting was led by Japan’s ambassador to Canada, Kenjiro Monji, a world renowned “Sake Samurai,” or a top-level rice-wine aficionado.

The honorary title of Sake Samurai was awarded to Ambassador Monji by the Japan Sake Brewers Association for his contributions to the promotion of sake worldwide.

He is one of 66 Samurais across the world and just one of three currently in Canada. As an ambassador and a Sake Samurai, a title he said he respects greatly, Monji wants to make sake a popular alcoholic beverage of choice in Canada.

“First of all many people do not know about sake, that haven’t tasted real sake because it is not sold well in Canada,” Monji says. “If people actually experience the real taste of sake, I’m sure they will like it.”

The drink, which is made from rice, water, koji mould and yeast, is traditionally served warm, though chilled sakes are very popular during the summer time. Although rice is for the most part bland in taste, sake can have very fruity flavours such as apple and banana.

“It’s just like the high quality white wine but with a lot of different characters,” said Monji.

In addition to sampling some of the finest sakes in the world, attendees at the museum event were also given a crash course in the natural science behind the making of sake by one of the museum’s botanists.

Guests were served samples from six different sakes, including a special sparkling sake that the ambassador brought from his personal cellar.

Stefanie Gwilliam, who attended the event, agreed with the ambassador that sakes like the ones she tried should be more available to Canadians.

“I wasn’t really into sake in the beginning because I find that if you go to a traditional sushi place and they serve sake, it’s very strong and bitter  . . . And so if people were able to try the different types of sake, they’ll find that they might actually enjoy it,” said Gwilliam.

Monji said that promoting the drink globally is the focus of his mission as a Sake Samurai. He hopes that events like these will dispel the myth that sake cannot be served with western cuisine.

“People think sake is only good for Japanese food, but it is versatile so it goes well with western food, too,” said Monji. “In fact, it is much easier to match western foods with Japanese sake than to match wine with Japanese food.”

Jillian Steele, the project leader of adult and seasonal programs at the Canadian Museum of Nature, said it was her experience as an English teacher in Japan that prompted her to organize a sake-themed Nature Tastes event.

“For me having the opportunity to organize something with the embassy of Japan and the ambassador, who has such a breadth of sake experience, was an opportunity I really wanted to make sure was available to people here in Ottawa,” Steele said. She added that she believes events like the one held by the museum give people a bigger appreciation for sake, because they are able to sample the exotic drink while learning about it as well.

The museum will be hosting a beer-themed Nature Tastes event in June.