As a part of my ongoing
tachinomiya project, I participated in a two-day
Introductory Sake Professional workshop over the weekend. I have drunk a lot of
sake over the last twenty years, but not in any educated way (probably quite the contrary...). But I learned so much from the experience. I hope to take further workshops and perhaps become a
sake sommelier... In any event, I am gaining knowledge that should be useful for future
tachinomiya/izakaya fieldwork.
The last part of the workshop was a
sake tasting exercise. My new
sake sensei sent all participants six small bottles of various kinds of
sake and an
ochoko. This is what it looked like when I opened the box.
And this is what it looked like after I removed the bubble wrap. I learned how to observe the color, aroma and taste of
sake. And there was plenty left over to enjoy after the workshop. It was a great weekend of research.
The workshop was also a wonderful example of a globalization. The
sensei is Italian and affiliated with a British
sake institution and the students were from Britain, Australia and America. The only Japanese participant was my daughter/research assistant with her zoom bombs and extreme interest in smelling the different kinds of
sake. Cheers! #jijisake
