Japanese tradition has a thousand-year culture of alcohol, in addition to sake in recent years also whiskey is achieving considerable success among the tables and in the pubs of the Japanese. Japanese whiskey is mainly produced in Yamazaki, a municipality located in the province of Osaka and bordering the land of Kyoto. The geological characteristics of this area make it a very precious place for the supply of high quality water. In recent years the Japanese whiskey has depopulated thanks to a television program that has highlighted the tradition and flavors, in fact up to the 60s was not successful among the Japanese. It was only in the 1970s following a major commercial promotion that the whiskey took its place among the tables of Japan. Despite being a young whiskey, in many ways it manages to reach the quality of the most delicious Scottish whiskeys, the geographic conformation of Japan plays a fundamental role in this. Yoichi a municipality located in the province of Hokkaido, is known for its geographical and climatic resemblance with Scotland. The typical whiskey you drink in Japan is Mizu-wari, to which water is added to make the taste sweeter. The story of sake is very different, boasting millennia of tradition since the fifth millennium A. C. when the sake originated in Chinese lands. Rice wine is an essential product, which derives from the fermentation process of rice, water and koji spores, a product that does not fall into any category of alcohol, but which is classified separately, given the particularity of the production. Its ancient history reflects the Japanese tradition and its particular geological conformation, the sake in addition to being one of the most famous spirits in the world, ideal both with fish and the traditional Japanese cuisine, but above all with the typical sweets of the place.
Information about Japan
Region |
Japan |
Country |
Japan |
Climate and soil |
Japan's climate is generally temperate but sometimes varies significantly from north to south. The average winter temperature is 5.1 ° C, while the average summer temperature is 25.2 ° C. The highest temperature measured in Japan is 41 ° C recorded on 12 August 2013. The rainy season begins in May in Okinawa. |
History |
The first historical information on G. can be found in Chinese accounts of the 1st century. A.D. The oldest surviving Japanese texts are very later: the Kojiki ("Memories of the Ancient Events", 712) and the Nihon shoki ("Annali del G.", 720). The spread of a Jōmon culture followed, starting from the 3rd century, a population of Mongolian origin known as Yayoi, in possession of an advanced technique of irrigation of rice. The company was divided into three groups. At the top were the uji, large groups of families with blood ties, in which emerged the figure of the patriarch who had the function of chief (uji no kami) and high priest. The be, manual workers dedicated to agriculture, artisanal and artistic production, were partially free. Then there was a limited number of yatsuko, or slaves. The foundation of the Yamato State, around the 3rd century, took place through a process of absorption of the weaker uji by the more powerful ones. An assembly of Uji leaders was organized, presided over by a sovereign, and the country was divided into provinces (kuni). The tradition established in 552 the introduction in the archipelago of Buddhism, an effective channel of transmission of the most advanced Chinese culture: the writing and more advanced agricultural and irrigation techniques were introduced. |
Typical products |
The whiskey produced by Taketsuru for Torii was launched in 1929. Shirofuda was shamelessly Scottish style: large, strong, smoked with peat. It was too much for the local market. Taketsuru left Suntory in 1934, and Torii changed course to a new, lighter spirit, which he called Kakubin. Kakubin was much more successful, and the blend is still produced today. Taketsuru subsequently opened his own distillery in Yoichi, on the northern island of Hokkaido, where he produced his beloved smoked whiskey. The base of the Japanese tree is firmly rooted in Taketsuru's Scottish education; his Scottish family maintains this bond. Japanese whiskey is made with malt imported from Scotland. It is a combination of blended and single malt |
Typical dishes |
One of the main ingredients is rice, but pasta, fish, vegetables and legumes are also common, usually seasoned with various local spices. The meat is generally absent from traditional cuisine, but present in some dishes of foreign origin such as tonkatsu. The most popular dishes are sushi, sashimi, but also ramen, udon and soba, as well as tofu and natto dishes. Sake and green tea are common among the drinks and there is a good variety of sweets (wagashi). There is no concept of first course, second course, side dish, fruit and usually all meals are brought to the table at the same time, which are consumed without pre-established order. Many dishes are convivial, in the houses are cooked with a portable stove directly on the table and the diners serve from the pot. There is a wide use of fried dishes in different ways, the heaviness of which is balanced by a large quantity of vegetables. |