About the Legendary Sake "YANAGI" Part 5 - How to make Hon-mirin a digestif?
It is easier to understand if you read from here.
https://note.com/herlix/n/n3c02f95d33d8
Continuing from ④
Using Hon-mirin as a digestif.
Using local specialty products.
These things have been decided.
However, how can Hon-mirin be made into a digestif?
How to make Hon-mirin a digestif?
In terms of gastronomy, digestifs are generally higher in alcohol content than aperitifs or drinks consumed during a meal.
Table wines and sake generally have an alcohol content of 5-15%, and since Hon-mirin is 13.5%, it would be considered a table drink based on alcohol content alone.
However, because Hon-mirin is also sweet, there are many situations where it is not suitable for consumption during a meal.
Digestifs are generally said to be drinks with an alcohol content of 15-40% or higher.
To make Hon-mirin a digestif, it is necessary to increase the alcohol content. But is it enough to just increase it?
As a product, there needs to be a necessity for increasing it.
Therefore, I investigated whether Hon-mirin with a high alcohol content had appeared in Japanese history.
The Edo period cocktail "Yanagikage"
I researched the history of Hon-mirin.
Initially, in an era when sweetness was precious, it was a drink for noble women or positioned as sake for Shinto rituals.
Entering the Edo period, common people across Japan were able to use Hon-mirin.
A book summarizing the common culture of the Kanto and Kansai regions by a merchant of that Edo period was published.
"Morisada Mankō"
In this book, a famous sake called "Yanagikage" appears.
It is said to be sake made by adding shochu to Hon-mirin, and it was drunk chilled with well water.
It seems to have been quite widespread, known as "Hon-naoshi" in Kanto and "Yanagikage" in Kansai, and even appearing in the rakugo story "Aona".
If it is this Yanagikage, couldn't I add shochu to Hon-mirin to increase the alcohol content and make it a digestif!
Maybe I can create a product with a historical background!
I remember being happy about that.
Let's try making a prototype of Yanagikage!
If it was that popular, it should still exist today.
When I looked up mirin manufacturers, I was able to confirm that several manufacturers were selling it. What surprised me when I ordered it was that each manufacturer was making the Yanagikage they envisioned, and there was a wide variety, from colorless, transparent, and smooth ones to dark red, viscous ones like black honey.
This was lucky.
Because the fact that the recipe is not fixed means,
there is room to create my own Yanagikage.
What must be kept is,
"A mixture of Hon-mirin and shochu"
First, I collected Hon-mirin from Aichi Prefecture, added shochu,
and started by making various Yanagikage.
To make delicious Yanagikage...
No matter how much history it has, it is meaningless if it is not delicious.
Even if you think the initiative is interesting, alcohol is a luxury item.
If it is not delicious, it will not continue.
So, to pursue deliciousness, I first ordered Hon-mirin from Aichi and Gifu prefectures.
First, I tried drinking the Hon-mirin itself.
"...Oh, it's delicious."
Honestly, until I drank mirin, I had a fixed idea of it as a seasoning, and I had resistance to drinking it. And I am a lightweight drinker.
I don't like the sharpness of alcohol or its unique aroma.
But I could drink it normally.
Maybe because it's sweet...
I gained a little confidence, so next I tried diluting it with shochu to make Yanagikage.
Depending on the blend, the sweetness and alcohol stimulation mainly change.
This is where being a lightweight drinker comes in handy.
Because I am sensitive to the stimulation of alcohol, I searched for a delicious ratio that I didn't feel uncomfortable with.
But while I was trying various things, I suddenly realized.
"Wait? Who do I want to enjoy this the most?"
The target is "women who like desserts"
As I was developing Yanagikage as a digestif, I thought about what would be considered a merit.
Color, sweetness, aroma.
If you try to increase the alcohol content, the amount of shochu increases, so these are lost.
To make the most of its goodness, it is better not to increase the alcohol content as much as possible.
If so, even if it is a digestif, the alcohol range is on the lower side.
When looking for a digestif with a lower alcohol content, when is that?
Rather than enjoying the alcohol alone, I think of wanting to pair it with dessert.
It would be women who like desserts and want a lower alcohol content if possible.
So, I made the target image women who like desserts.
Thinking that way becomes a guide for deciding various flavors.
Appearance is also important, sweetness is also important. And aroma too...
I found the color and sweetness I was looking for.
However, I felt the aroma was lacking.
The aroma of koji is good, but it inevitably reminds me of mirin, and from there, I imagine seasoning.
How can I make this aroma even better while utilizing it?
Let's add something to scent it!
In this way, the base Yanagikage and the direction were decided.
Next, I will look for something to add to complete the aroma and taste.
For those who want to know what I made for now, please look here.