The Fascinating World of TENGUMAI
The best Kanzake ever.
"TENGUMAI" was born in 1823 inside the walls of Shata Brewery located in Ishikawa Prefecture. "Tengumai" literally means "Dancing Goblin". The name stems from a tale long ago, where the winds in the deep forests surrounding the "Kura" sounded like goblins howling around the property.
A style of sake, commonly referred to as "Yamahai", stems from the full name "Yama-Oroshi Hai-Shi", which means the omission of breaking down the primary mound for the "Moto". This analogy refers to the initial phase in fermentation to help the yeasts and koji react in a way to increase natural Lactic Acid counts to ideal levels.
Yamahai sakes are defined by this extended primary fermentation phase that ensures the critical Lactic Acid concentration. Modern sakes simply add Lactic Acid in the beginning of the "Moto" tank to kick start this otherwise archaic but natural process.
By adhering to this traditional way of making sake, you achieve greater depth in your sakes. Yamahai sakes tend to be very rich, big boned, rustic and gamy. This sake has a wide range of acceptable serving temperatures. But is best served "Kanzake", otherwise known as warmed sake. The richness demonstrated by the higher acidity levels lends great pairing strength to not only grilled or roasted meats, but also to a variety of semi-hard aged cheeses.
We finally would like to welcome Ishikawa Prefecture's famed brewer and owner of Shata Shuzo, Mr. Kazunari Shata to this event. In addition to representing his Brewery here in NYC, Mr. Shata will be bringing by hand, a special "Tengumai Aged Junmai Daiginjo" label designed by the famed Alexander Gelman to share with all of us.
**All guests will depart with a special "Kiki-Choko" (small sake tasting cup)
Thank you all for attending last night's Tengumai Event. Mr. Shata was delighted to receive such a warm welcome and very excited to see the genuine enthusiasm for his very special sakes.
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