During a five-course dinner this summer at the intimate L.A. restaurant Ceviche Project, dishes like Hokkaido scallop tostadas and black shrimp aguachile were served with three different sakes: a junmai, junmai ginjo and junmai daiginjo. The fruit, light smoke and umami of the expressions matched seamlessly with the bright and herbal seafood dishes. An unmistakable blend of cultures, the food hopscotched across the Pacific, pulling influence from Mexico and Japan in equal measure. The sake did, too.
You May Also Like: Is Sake Finally Having Its Moment? A New Generation of Brewers Think So
These trans-Pacific pairings were the highlight of the U.S. launch party for Nami, Mexico’s first—and only—sake brand, which is now available at prestigious stateside bars and bottle shops. The Culiacán, Sinaloa brewery was founded in 2016 and aims to honor Japanese culture while changing the perception of its hometown, which has faced cartel violence for decades.
“Sinaloa is often in the news, and not for the right reasons,” says Matthieu Guillerpon, advanced sake sommelier and Nami’s brand ambassador. “We wanted to show a different perspective.”
Image Courtesy of Nami Sake A Cross-Cultural History Lesson
While the beverage isn’t well known in most of Mexico, Japan’s influence is notable across the republic thanks to a wave of immigration in the late 19th century. By 1910, nearly 10,000 Japanese expats had settled in Mexico—and more arrived in the ensuing decades. One of those early newcomers created cacahuates Japonéses (translation: Japanese peanuts), a popular snack still
This Article was originally published on Wine Enthusiast
