Japan, Again Day10 & Sake Journey -洗米の巻 about rice-

The morning of last day going to Takashimizu Goshono brewery. 

高清水出社最後の朝。

On my last day, I tried to wash rice with other Kurabitos.

最終日は、蔵人の皆さんと洗米に挑戦。 

"This year, the rice crops are devastated". The master Sak brewer Kato told me with a sign.

Because of the extreme heat from last summer, the rice harvested after 

was super dry and hard in and outside, instead of ideal sake rice; hard outside and soft inside.

the hard and dry rice is very troublesome since it does not melt in the Sake mash well,

and lots of the flavors in rice are lost by heat.

This year they have been more careful about controlling experimenting 

with the rice washing, soaking and steaming process, as well as Koji growing process. 

And a kind of Sake rice originates in Akita; "Akita Sake Komachi" is the messianic rice this year

that normally melt too much in Sake mash, however this year it melts perfectly.

During my short stay at Takashimizu brewery, I got to learn from my five senses that

 Sake is made by these ever-changing factors of nature.

that's how it makes Sake, the wealth of Japan so amazing and specious.

「今年のお米は壊滅状態だ」加藤杜氏が嘆き続けています。

外硬内軟が理想の酒米。去年末の猛暑のせいで、外硬内硬でもろみに全く溶けない、

味わいが薄いお米ばかりなんだそう。新政の祐輔さんもブログで訴えておりました。

そのため洗米や浸漬の時間を多めに取って、蒸し上がりも多めに調整したり、

麹米のハゼ具合を強めにしたり、試行錯誤。

いつもだと溶け過ぎる米「秋田酒こまち」が救世主なのだと。

こうやって常に変わり続ける自然の力の中でつくられる日本酒。

短い間でしたが、その底力を五感で感じることができました。

日本酒はこの国の素晴らしい財産です。

Young, humble and strong team, Goshono brewery.

I will surely come back again.

若くて、慎ましく、強いチーム・御所野。

また帰ってきます。