【BLOG FOR SAKE CONNOISSEUR】
Yamada‐Nishiki 山田錦 has reigned as the king of sake rice for 100 years since it was selected in 1923 (Yes, it's exactly 100 years since Yamada Nishiki was born. Happy 100th birthday!!) at the Hyogo Prefectural Agricultural Experiment Station through artificial breeding with Yamadaho as the mother and Tankan-Wataribune as the father. Yamada-Nishiki is with large, shiny grains and a circular or oval white opaque area in the centre of the grain, called Shinpaku 心白, which allows Koji filaments to multiply in the centre of the grain, making it suitable for producing Koji with strong rice-melting power. It also has a low protein content, which reduces miscellaneous flavours. Sake made using Yamada-Nishiki is said to have a good aroma and a fine, mellow, so-called 'full-bodied' flavour.
Yamada-Nishiki has been considered the best for 100 years and is grown in many parts of the country, but the Yamada-Nishiki produced in Hyogo Prefecture is regarded as being of exceptional quality. This is because the natural conditions in Hyogo are extremely suitable for growing Yamada-Nishiki. In particular, the area of Yamada-Nishiki production in the mountains north of Mount Rokko has the perfect climatic conditions. The Seto Inland Sea-style climate is mild, with long hours of sunshine and low rainfall. However, the Rokko mountain range intercepts the warm air, resulting in low nighttime temperatures during the ripening period and a daily range of more than 10°C, which helps the rice to produce a good crop. The fine-grained clay soil is also suitable for crop growth as it retains water and nutrients well, allowing roots to grow deep. It is also rich in phosphorus and magnesium, which is said to improve grain tension and clarify the Shinpaku.
In fact, did you know that in 2007, a younger brother of equal, if not superior, quality appeared to Yamada-Nishiki, the champion of the world? This sake rice, named Hakutsuru-Nishiki 白鶴錦 after Hakutsuru, the sake brewery that developed it, and its older brother Yamada-Nishiki, which is a good quality rice, is relatively easy to cultivate because the rice does not grow as tall as Yamada-Nishiki, and it does not crack easily when polished, which reduces losses during milling. In addition, the rice is large and has a large Shinpaku, yet contains less protein and fat, which can cause a not clear taste, so sake with a good aroma and a good sharpness can be produced. As was the case with Yamada‐Nishiki in the beginning, once a great sake rice was produced, the process of trial and error in sake brewing began. Mr Takagi of the Takagi Sake Brewery, famous for its JUYONDAI 十四代 sake, is one of those who was fascinated by this Hakutsuru-Nishiki and has been using it to make sake for more than 10 years. According to Mr Takagi, the hardness of the rice is harder than Yamada-Nishiki, So she first few years were very difficult, with a lot of trial and error to gauge the water absorbency of this sake rice.
However, once that was cleared, he said, the steaming process would result in a fluffy, also sake would be with a beautiful fruity, citrusy aroma. Would my words have any credibility if I told you that this Hakutsuru-Nishiki is used for some of famous sake brands such as ZAKU 作, AZUMAICHI 東一, KUDOKIJOZU くどき上手, JIKON 而今 and UMENISHIKI 梅錦?
Somm Cellars will soon be offering three 'BEKKAKU 別鶴' made with this wonderful Hakutsuru-Nishiki. Stay tune.
Cheers,
Hiro
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