Woolworths_Taste_July_2017

RAISE THE BAR
Sake to me, baby
Rice: good for eating, great for drinking. Just ask Japan, Korea (north and south) and China,
who each have their own answers to transforming the humble grain into satisfying sips
CLEMENGOLD SAKE TODDY
Combine 2 shots sake and 1 shot ClemenGold juice in a Consol
jar and screw on the lid. Submerge the bottle in a heatproof
jug or bowl of just boiled water until warmed through, about
3 minutes. Meanwhile, sprinkle a bit of sugar over two slices
of ClemenGold and caramelise with a blowtorch or under the
grill until slightly charred. Divide the hot sake-and-juice toddy
between two heatproof tumblers and garnish each with
a caramelised ClemenGold slice. Serves 2.
JAPAN: SAKE
Made with polished saka mai (sake rice), water, yeast
and koji mould, sake is created through a two-stage
fermentation process, making its production closer
to that of beer than wine. There are two main styles
of sake: one made only with rice, and one fortified
with brewer’s alcohol. Plum sake, made by infusing
plums with sake, is also popular. Generally, premium
sakes should be served chilled, while less expensive
versions benefit from being heated. If it’s the good
stuff, it should be smooth with subtle sweet, bitter,
acidic and even umami notes.
KOREA: SOJU
With an alcohol percentage of around 20%, this spirit
doesn’t pack quite the wallop its moniker “Korean
vodka” would imply, but because it’s customary
to finish a whole bottle (usually around 360 ml) in
one sitting, its potency is said to sneak up on you.
Traditionally distilled from rice (although wheat and
barley versions are also common), soju is slightly
sweet and viscous. It’s commonly served straight up
in a shot glass, but can also be mixed with fruit juice
(a popular drink at Korean barbeques) or beer.
CHINA: SHAOXING JIU
Shaoxing jiu hails from the Zhejiang province of
China and is the oldest type of yellow rice wine in
the country (we’re talking between 770 BC and
476 BC ). Made by fermenting rice with water before
being pressed, filtered and aged, it’s available in
dry, semi-dry and sweet varieties, and amber in
colour. It’s traditionally served at 38°C (warm it up
by putting the bottle in a jug of hot water), so it’s
perfect for getting nice and toasty. It also doubles
as a pantry staple, adding flavour to stirfries.
PHOTOGRAPHS JAN RAS PRODUCTION HANNAH LEWRY FOOD ASSISTANT CAMILLA REINHOLD TEXT ANNETTE KLINGER
EXTRA SOURCES CHILLEDMAGAZINE.COM; SLATE.COM; 1STFOREVERYTHING.COM; GOGHISM.COM; HAPPIEBB.COM; STONYBROOK.EDU; CITS.NET; SHANGHAIDAILY.COM; LEAF.TV; BONAPPETIT.COM