Published: 6/18/2021
This week we’re all-in on the best stories, news, and new products from the Japanese food and beverage industries.
Japanese Food & Beverage: the Best of the Internet
Fukushima’s Niida Honke: Natural and Organic Sake
Not many businesses can claim the longevity of Niida Honke. They’ve been operating for an astounding 310 years. The brewery’s commitment to excellence and innovation continuously drives it forward.
Niida Yasuhiko, the eighteen-generation president/toji, is the current iteration of a long line of innovators. His focus on sake rice from their hometown of Koriyama, Fukushima is commendable. The move to all-organic rice production, which is extremely rare, takes this practice to another level.
Yasuhiko’s wife Maki is also impressive. She launched a line of kojimai-based chocolates and non-alcoholic beverages. And they’re selling as well as the company’s sake.
We could go on and on about this exciting sake brewery and its sustainable, local approach to brewing. But we think Nippon.com did a great job of telling the story of Niida Honke.
Finding this brewery’s sake outside of Japan isn’t easy. The company’s two most well-known brands are Shizenshu and Odayaka. And though they’re imported into the US and Canada, they’re nearly absent from the market. We found one listing outside of Japan on Wine-Searcher. We hope this changes soon. The world needs more sake like Shizenshu and Odayaka.
The Omakase Strawberry Introduces Luxury Fruit Stateside
Luxury fruit in Japan is a phenomenon that might seem foreign to Americans. But in Japan, growing the best possible fruit is big business. For example, a pair of Hokkaido canteloupe made international news when they sold for $27k in 2017.
A new company called Oishii is bringing this concept to New Jersey. Koga Hiroki’s Omakase strawberries are vertically farmed indoors with minimal pesticides. They’re selling for $50 for eight beautiful berries.
We’d love to judge these for ourselves. Until then, all we have is this entertaining Food & Wine post.
Alcohol Sales in the US are Booming
The pandemic has led to widespread changes in alcohol and food consumption across the globe. In the United States, as elsewhere, a shift toward drinking at home has caught on.
In these stressful times, it’s no surprise that drinking is on the rise in the US. By the end of 2020, alcohol consumption was up 2%. This is the biggest increase in 20 years.
Other trends include the explosion of the ready-to-drink (RTD) category and the rise of whisky. Especially interesting is the popularity of domestic, Japanese, and Indian whiskies have the spirit on track to surpass vodka consumption by volume in 2022.
Get the full update on the state of alcohol in the US from Drinks International.
Lonely Planet’s Newest Book: Eat Japan
One of the best things about Japan is the outstanding culinary options and their food culture. But for Westerners, it can be overwhelming. Lonely Planet has us covered with a new book about washoku and dining etiquette in Japan.
I wished I’d had this book before my first trip to Japan!
A Japanese Delicacy Growing Wild in BC
The US and Canada committed some shameful acts against Japanese Americans and Canadians during WWII. Properties were stolen, businesses were closed, and whole families were moved to internment camps.
They were forced to live in hostile conditions and get by however they could.
Fuki, Japanese butterbur or bog rhubarb, was a delicacy many had been growing. And the plant found its way to many of the camps back then. Today, fuki grows wild in the areas surrounding some of the former camps as a reminder of the past.
Atlas Obscura shares the sad story of these dispossessed Japanese people and the wild fuki they left behind.
From Squid Ink to Sakura: Ice Cream in Japan
Ice cream has been a hit in Japan since it was introduced in Yokohama in 1878. Some of their endearing classics, like black sesame, matcha, and sake kasu, have gone mainstream.
Other flavors like squid ink, soy sauce, and garlic are a bit more nichey. Ice cream topped with basashi (raw horse)? Apparently, you can find that too.
And besides odd flavors of ice cream, scientists have created a strawberry polyphenol powder that’s indistinguishable from ice cream, but it won’t melt. That’s pretty useful in the sometimes brutal Japanese summer heat.
Deutche Welle has a fun article about Japan taking ice cream to another plane.
The Big Four Japanese Beer Brewers Adapt
The big four Japanese beer brewers (Sapporo, Kirin, Asahi, and Suntory) have been battling slumping demand for 16 consecutive years.
From improved can design to producing craft brands, find out how these beverage giants are adapting to rapidly evolving markets from the Honolulu Star Advertiser.
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