Published: 5/29/2021
This week we explore our favorite guilty pleasure: the California roll. And as usual, we found the latest news and articles from the Japanese food and beverage industry.
The Iconic California Roll
Yeah… the California roll. It’s easy to dismiss but hard to avoid. This delicious roll helped popularize sushi in North America.
Astoundingly, it may have been the most significant evolution in sushi since nigiri was invented nearly 150 years prior.
The California roll ushered in the era of gaudy Americanized sushi rolls. So love it, or hate it, it’s worth exploring in detail.
Check out our latest post where we explore its ingredients, contested origins, nutritional info, popular variations, and more.
Product of the Week
Azumaichi Junmai
We are an affiliate partner of Tippsy Sake, so we like to keep up with the products they carry. They have a great selection, but it was still a surprise to see cult sake brand Azumaichi show up in stock and for a reasonable price.
Their Junmai is creamy, off-dry, savory, and herbal—and very hard to find. If you’re interested, you can find it here. As an affiliate advertiser, we earn commissions from qualifying purchases.
Japanese Food & Beverage: the Best of the Internet
Sushi and Drink Pairing Tips
Pairing sushi with alcohol can be a fun and rewarding experience. It can also be a bit overwhelming.
That’s why we were excited to find a respectable article from The Traveler covering the subject. The author clearly knows what she’s talking about. You may even get some ideas for your next sushi bar visit.
And since this is a favorite subject of ours, we thought we’d mention a few of our go-to pairings at Japanese restaurants. Some of them are classics, while others are a little less well-known.
- Japanese lager and tempura
- stouts and Japanese dark lagers with oysters
- Pinot Gris with Americanized sushi rolls, gari, and wasabi
- dry German and Austrian Riesling with most nigiri and sashimi
- Junmai Daiginjo sake with sashimi, Daiginjo sake with nigiri
- mackerel and Sauvignon Blanc
- Namazake with mustard greens
- rich Kimoto and Yamahai sake with steak (like Kenbishi or Tamagawa)
- barley and rice shochu with chicken karaage
- sweet potato shochu and pork tonkatsu
- sweet Nigori sake and mochi-based dessert
- low-alcohol sparkling sake with fresh fruit
- Kijoshu sake with ice cream
A Covid-Driven Sake Slump
The United States has long been Japan’s number one sake export market. But due to pandemic restaurant closures, sake sales took a big hit in 2020.
Additionally, the limited sales opportunities combined with sake’s short self-life and need for optimal storage has led to some tired sake being sold to unsuspecting consumers. Many brewers worry this will hurt the enthusiasm for their products. And rightfully so.
Wine-Searcher has a pretty interesting article about the state of the sake export industry and the hopes of an improved 2021.
Eduardo Dingler Discusses SFWSC Winners
Beverage champion Eduardo Dingler was a judge at the most recent San Francisco World Spirits Competition – one of the best of its kind in the world.
Check out Dingler’s overview of the category winners which includes several shochu and awamori.
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