The Food Programme

The Sake Revelation


Listen Later

If your experience of sake has been limited to simply 'a hot cup of alcohol after a meal' like Sheila Dillon it's time to listen without prejudice. With thousands of breweries each producing dozens of varieties there is more range than most of us understand.

After a slump in sales in Japan young people are now returning to sake and in the UK interest is growing rapidly with top restaurants listing more choices, plans for specialist bars and more people in the drinks trade now qualifying in sake expertise.

But how do you know where to start? A lack of Japanese can make bottles hard to understand and when do you drink it hot or cold? What food can you pair them with? How do you avoid the really bad ones?

Sake samurai and sommelier Natsuki Kikuya explains how different varieties should be drunk and how the novice can gain confidence . She's joined by passionate sake convert, drinks writer Anna Greenhous and Techno DJ Richie Hawtin aka Plastikman fell so in love with sake he's now taking it to a new generation of young clubbers around the world.

Meanwhile the race is on between 2 breweries to produce the first sake in the UK. Will it be Scotland's Arran brewery or the Japanese Dojima brewery which is investing in a multi-million pound operation in Cambridgeshire?

Produced by Anne-Marie Bullock.

...more
View all episodesView all episodes
Download on the App Store

The Food ProgrammeBy BBC Radio 4

  • 4.6
  • 4.6
  • 4.6
  • 4.6
  • 4.6

4.6

241 ratings


More shows like The Food Programme

View all
Global News Podcast by BBC World Service

Global News Podcast

7,763 Listeners

From Our Own Correspondent by BBC Radio 4

From Our Own Correspondent

370 Listeners

Business Daily by BBC World Service

Business Daily

526 Listeners

More or Less by BBC Radio 4

More or Less

893 Listeners

Newshour by BBC World Service

Newshour

1,058 Listeners

Woman's Hour by BBC Radio 4

Woman's Hour

408 Listeners

World Business Report by BBC World Service

World Business Report

297 Listeners

In Our Time by BBC Radio 4

In Our Time

5,519 Listeners

Friday Night Comedy from BBC Radio 4 by BBC Radio 4

Friday Night Comedy from BBC Radio 4

2,118 Listeners

Desert Island Discs by BBC Radio 4

Desert Island Discs

2,091 Listeners

Gardeners' Question Time by BBC Radio 4

Gardeners' Question Time

279 Listeners

The Food Chain by BBC World Service

The Food Chain

349 Listeners

Ramblings by BBC Radio 4

Ramblings

161 Listeners

Inside Health by BBC Radio 4

Inside Health

97 Listeners

The Life Scientific by BBC Radio 4

The Life Scientific

239 Listeners

All in the Mind by BBC Radio 4

All in the Mind

63 Listeners

Evil Genius with Russell Kane by BBC Sounds

Evil Genius with Russell Kane

342 Listeners

Have You Heard George's Podcast? by BBC Sounds

Have You Heard George's Podcast?

234 Listeners

Sliced Bread by BBC Radio 4

Sliced Bread

162 Listeners

Elis James and John Robins by BBC Radio 5 Live

Elis James and John Robins

330 Listeners

Good Food by Good Food

Good Food

43 Listeners

You're Dead to Me by BBC Radio 4

You're Dead to Me

3,211 Listeners

Just One Thing - with Michael Mosley by BBC Radio 4

Just One Thing - with Michael Mosley

203 Listeners

Sport's Strangest Crimes by BBC Radio 5 Live

Sport's Strangest Crimes

71 Listeners

This Cultural Life by BBC Radio 4

This Cultural Life

132 Listeners

Uncanny by BBC Radio 4

Uncanny

686 Listeners

Lady Killers with Lucy Worsley by BBC Radio 4

Lady Killers with Lucy Worsley

577 Listeners

Believe in Magic by BBC Sounds

Believe in Magic

626 Listeners

The Global Story by BBC World Service

The Global Story

370 Listeners

Miss Me? by BBC Sounds

Miss Me?

244 Listeners

The History Podcast by BBC Radio 4

The History Podcast

57 Listeners

Rory Stewart: The Long History of... by BBC Radio 4

Rory Stewart: The Long History of...

79 Listeners

What's Up Docs? by BBC Radio 4

What's Up Docs?

118 Listeners

The History Bureau by BBC

The History Bureau

112 Listeners