Special Limited Umashi Sato
| Ingredients | Sweet potatoes, rice koji |
|---|---|
| Alcohol | 25% |
| Size | 1800ml |
| Distillation | Normal pressed distillation |
| Koji | Shiro koji (white koji) / Kuro koji (black koji) |
Sweet potatoes spoil quickly after being harvested. The chemical changes directly effect the aroma of shochu which is why sweet potato shochu is sometimes thought of as having an undesirable scent. We use a combination of shiro koji (white koji) for the aroma and kuro koji (black koji) for the umami. It’s a sweet potato shochu with all of the rich flavor and none of the undesirable characteristics.
Suggested Way to Drink
Oyuwari (Mixed With Hot Water)
Mix Umashi Sato and hot water with a 5 : 5 ratio, always hot water first. Oyuwari then fills the air with a delicate aroma. Even though it’s rich, Umashi Sato has a clean after taste.
Served with water and / or On the Rocks
Even though oyuwari goes really well with Umashi Sato, it’s also quite enjoyable served on the rocks. This is a gift that comes from blending two types of koji. Put larger size ice in a old-fashioned glass, then pour in shochu away from the ice. Adding a little bit of water enhances the sweetness.
Snacks and Side Dishes
Due to the character of sweet potato shochu, it's better with strongly seasoned food rather than a lightly seasoned dish. Chicken wings cooked with shoyu (soy sauce), mirin, and sugar would be delicious. Making dengaku miso* sweeter than usual would be appropriate when serving on satoimo (Japanese taro root) or when making tofu dengaku.
* Grilled tofu and vegetables, etc. glazed with miso that's been cooked with sake, mirin, and sugar.
Tips and Additional Background
The name “Umashi Sato” originated as a catch phrase from Kojika's home town Kimotsuki-gun Aira-cho (currently Kanoya-shi Aira-cho) “Umashi Sato Aira (beautiful village Aira)”. In Kagoshima, both regional and people’s names are often hard to read, almost as if on purpose. It’s said that the Satuma han (feudal domain) intentionally made the names difficult so that information wouldn't leak to the Bakufu*
* Shogunate or feudal government of a shogun
