SSSIA

By Yuji Matsumoto

There are a lot of delicious foods that become available in autumn. Representing fish would certainly be sanma (pacifice saury) and katsuo (bonito).

For vegetables, it would be mushrooms and eggplant etc. Whichever item you choose goes together just right with Japanese sake. Regards to Japanese sake, there is a draft sake fermented this year called 'hiyaoroshi' that is hard to get overseas but can also be seen on the market.

Seasonal items in autumn are relatively high in fat and many dishes are well seasoned. For Japanese sake that goes well with those foods would certainly be Junmai or Kimoto. Also, many of these sakes are delicious hot which makes them suitable for different dishes.

If it is a lightly seasoned dish then a chilled Junmai would go well with it. If it is a rich dish then the flavor can be balanced with hot Junmai sake. For regional sakes, Junmais of Nada region, Hiroshima, and Hokuriku (northern area towards the Japan Sea) are full body, Junmai of Tohoku area is slightly fruity, and many in Hokkaido and Niigata are smooth and dry.

Even if you are living abroad, with the proper connections in most cities you should be able to find seasonal items of Japan and be able to cook some fine dishes. Hope you will be able to enjoy seasonable items of autumn of your choice and Japanese sake.

旬の秋を楽しむ

秋になると日本ではいろいろと美味しいものが出回る。代表的な魚はもちろん、秋刀魚、カツオ。野菜類でいうとキノコ、ナスなど。どれをとっても日本酒にぴったりと合うものばかりである。日本酒でいうと海外ではあまり手に入りにくいが“ひやおろし”という今年仕込まれた生酒も出回る。

秋の旬のものは比較的脂分が多く、味付けもしっかりとした料理が多い。それに合う日本酒と言えば、やはり、純米やキモト系である。また、これらの酒の多くは燗をしても美味しいので合う料理の幅も広がる。

味付けがあっさりなら純米でも冷やして飲めば相性がよい。また、こってりとした料理なら燗をしてバランスをとることもできる。

地域性でいうなら、灘地方、広島、北陸の純米はフルボディー、東北地方の純米は若干フルーティー、北海道、新潟は端麗辛口が’多い。

海外で在住されていても大体の都市で工夫によっては、日本の旬のものが揃い、調理できるはずである。それぞれの好みで秋の旬と日本酒を楽しんでいただきたい。