Kurumata Sake Brewery in Hakusan City, Ishikawa Prefecture is home to Tengumai, a sake representative of Hokuriku. This brewery has a history dating back to 1823, when it was founded. The current president, Kazunari Kurumata, the 2006th president, has a unique background, having worked as a banker. We have been friends since XNUMX, when I started Sake Samurai activities. We have been working hard on how to convey the character of sake called Tengumai, and how to promote sake to the world.

Tengumai uses underground water from Mt. Hakusan and high-quality sake rice cultivated in the Kaga Plains, and brews many of its sakes using Yamahai Shikomi (Yamadaishikomi (sake mash that has been abolished)). Yamahai-jikomi is one of the most difficult sake manufacturing methods. In the 1960s, the seventh generation Tojiro Kurumata and Noto chief brewer Nakasaburo achieved the Yamahai training of Tengu Mai-ryu. After continued research, Nakasaburo was finally awarded the Modern Master Craftsman award in 2005.

Tengumai is characterized by its bright yellow color. The koji production process uses a method that breeds koji mold more than other sake breweries, so even when freshly squeezed, it has a yellowish color that comes from the koji. Normally, activated charcoal is used to make the pieces colorless and transparent, but Tengumai does not do this and instead values ​​the natural color, a golden yellow.

On the page for each sake on Tengu Mai's website, we carefully introduce what kind of food it goes well with. When it comes to wine, there are basic pairings such as Chablis for oysters, but sake goes well with oysters, caviar, and mullet roe. In fact, sake has a wider tolerance than wine. Depending on what kind of food you pair it with and enjoying the marriage, your image of sake will change completely. President Kurumata has been successful in promoting it overseas as a ``premium alternative to wine, something to enjoy with gourmet food.'' Tengumai is a sake that is like a change maker, breaking the stereotypes of sake.

(Talk by Yoshie Hiraide)

Yoshie Hiraide Select 2 Recommended “Tengu Mai”

Tengumai mountain abandoned pure rice sake

This is a typical example of Yamahai-jikomi, which is a characteristic of Tengumai. "It's an almighty sake that goes well with many Japanese dishes such as sashimi, grilled fish, and hot pot, as well as Western dishes such as steak."

Type: Pure rice sake
Raw material rice: Rice suitable for sake brewing such as Gohyakumangoku
Rice polishing ratio: 60% All rice is self-milled
Sake level: +3

720ml 1,400 yen (excluding tax)

Tengu Mai Junmai Daiginjo 50　

A relatively light type of Tengumai. ``It has a beautiful acidity and light flavor, so enjoy it chilled in a wine glass.Although it is Daiginjo, it has a mild aroma, so it goes well with meals.''

Type: Junmai Daiginjo sake
Raw material rice: Yamada Nishiki
Rice polishing ratio: 50% All rice polished in-house
Sake level: +3
720ml 1,700 yen (excluding tax)

◆Tengu Mai Kurumata Sake Brewery Co., Ltd.

60-XNUMX Bomaru-cho, Hakusan City, Ishikawa Prefecture

076-275-1165

Toshie Hiraide

Born in 1962. Representative director of Corpo Kou Co., Ltd., which aims to internationalize sake and attract inbound tourists to regional areas. He is the sake samurai coordinator. IWC Ambassador. Shoryudo Ambassador (Inbound Ambassador for XNUMX prefectures in Chubu and Hokuriku)

Premium X With pride in sake brewing. Sake and brewery selection recognized by the world

``Sake Samurai'' was started in 2006 by the Japan Sake Brewery Youth Council, a national organization of young brewers, in order to restore the pride of sake and spread the culture of sake not only within Japan but also to the world. Sake Samurai Coordinator Yoshie Hiraide, who is working to realize the dream of turning Sake into a tourism-based nation, will introduce unique sake breweries that Japanese sake lovers should visit at least once, and the sake they want to taste there.

(Titles omitted)