Shirosake(白酒) for Hinamatsuri

March 3 is Hina Matsuri (Doll Festival or Girl’s Festival), when people prays the happiness and healthy grows of girls. Families with girls display dolls in the house together with peach blossoms. They offer rice crackers and other food to the dolls. On Hina Matsuri, sweet sake is drunken and chirashi sushi is eaten.

 

 

The sweet sake is called Shirosak(白酒)- low alcohol (around 10%) for adults or Amazake(甘酒) – less than 1% or non-alcoholic beverage for children. It is thick, and looks a bit like yoghurt, though the texture and thickness can vary.

This year, I celebrated Hinamatsuri with home-made chirashi sushi and Tengumai Nigorizake instead of shirosake. (Although the color is white, nigorizake is different from Shirosake.)

Enjoy!

 

Tengumai Yamahai Nigorizake

天狗舞　山廃にごり酒

Kurumada Shuzo (Ishikawa Prefecture)

車多酒造(石川県)

 

Limited seasonal product (Winter only)

SMV: -15

Acid Level: 1.2

Seimaibuai: 65%

Alcoholic degree: 13%

Price: JPY945/720ml (in Japan)

 

Tasting Notes:

It has a subtle sweetness originated  from rice, silky taxture, and rich flavor with full of umami due to yamahai jikomi, but has a refreshing aftertaste which you never feel heavy. It is sweet in SMV (-15), but I would say drier than other nigorizake. It can be enjoy with majority of Japanese dishes.