Ryo Iwa– Author –
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Pressing (上槽 / Joso): How Moromi Becomes Sake
Imagine weeks of careful fermentation finally complete. The tank holds a thick, milky mash called moromi. Yet this cloudy mixture is not sake just yet. Pressing in sake brewing is the stage that turns that mash into a clear drink. It sep... -
Black Jack Watermelon (ブラックジャック)
Picture a watermelon with a jet-black rind. It has no stripes at all. Slice it open, and deep pink-red flesh appears. Best of all, you find almost no seeds. This striking fruit is the Black Jack watermelon. So what is the Black Jack wate... -
Sokujo (速醸): The Modern Yeast Starter
Nearly every bottle of sake you drink starts the same way. It begins with a yeast starter called moto. So what is sokujo in sake brewing? Sokujo is the modern method for making that starter. Brewers add food-grade lactic acid right at th... -
Yamakujira Nabe (山くじら鍋)
Picture a cold mountain village in old Japan. A heavy iron pot bubbles over the coals. Inside simmers dark, marbled wild boar meat. This warming dish is yamakujira nabe. It is one of Japan's oldest game-meat hot pots. So what is yamakuji... -
Yamahai (山廃): The Simplified Traditional Starter
Some sake tastes bold, savory, and wonderfully complex. That depth often traces back to the yeast starter. So what is yamahai in sake brewing? Yamahai is a traditional yeast starter method born from kimoto. It drops the grueling yamaoros... -
Kimoto (生酛): The Traditional Yeast Starter
Have you ever tasted a sake with firm acidity, deep umami, and a quietly earthy structure? There is a good chance its character began in the yeast starter. In traditional kimoto sake brewing, few stages matter as much as that starter. So... -
Taiyo no Tamago (太陽の卵)
Some fruits cost more than a fine bottle of wine, and Taiyo no Tamago mango is one of Japan's most famous examples. So what is Taiyo no Tamago mango? It is not a separate variety but a premium brand of Miyazaki-grown Irwin mango. To earn... -
Moromi (醪) : The Main Fermentation Mash
Sake truly takes shape in one bubbling tank. That tank holds the moromi. So what is moromi in sake brewing? Moromi, written 醪 in Japanese, is the main fermentation mash of sake. It is the thick mixture of steamed rice, koji, water, and ... -
Moto (酒母): The Yeast Starter of Sake
Great sake begins before the main fermentation ever starts. Hidden inside the brewery is a small but powerful starter called moto, also known as shubo, the "mother of sake." So what is moto in sake brewing? In essence, moto is a concentr... -
Igisu Tofu (イギス豆腐)
Summer in Japan brings heat, humidity, and tired appetites. So coastal cooks invented cooling dishes to fight the season. One of the most unusual comes from the Seto Inland Sea. People there make Igisu tofu, a jelly-like dish from seawee...