OBACHAN'S SCRIBBLES

Remember the “space sake” project I posted about last year? Here’s an update, if you are interested. See this entry on a local sake brewery's blog. (Sorry, Japanese only. And it's our local dialect, not standard Japanese. But the photos give you an idea of what's going on, I think.) The fermentation was started last December at 18(?) breweries in Kochi.

The photos on the entry show their work at one of those breweries. The brown liquids in flasks are culture solutions containing the yeast that experienced a space travel (with Gregory Olsen ;)). The reason why there are two flasks is that they are using two types of yeast: high ethyl-caproate producing yeast and high isoamyl-acetate producing yeast. Those are the two leading esters used to give fruity aroma to ginjo-shu.

The first uchu-shu (space sake) is going to be launched in April, 2006, and I’m sure I’ll be in trouble then. Eighteen brands of space sake with different tastes. Yeah, you know how greedy I am… I'm tempted to try all of them to see the difference! I really hope that they sell this special sake in small-sized bottles, too.