Japan Cruising: Sake and Sushi Tasting at Sea

Most people who take cruises featuring wine and cuisine consider destinations like the Caribbean, Alaska, Mediterranean and perhaps the Greek Islands. Surprisingly, a country like Japan is a perfect multi-island destination for a cruise. During a recent Diamond Princess cruise we sailed to all four islands of Japan and Busan, South Korea. Sake and Sushi tastings were the highlight of the cruise adventure.

This cruise featured a specially prepared Sushi and Sake tasting in the Kai Sushi specialty restaurant onboard the ship, Diamond Princess. The Sushi chef artfully prepared our food pairings. Thai Reznich, Head Waiter and Sommelier, and Takahiro Hirata, Bartender and Sake Certified Specialist, conducted the tasting and described Sake’s styles and aromas.

The tasting was an “over-the-top” experience for us and may be offered as a regular feature on future cruises, according to Stephen Reynolds, Food and Beverage Director and Luigi Pascale, Maître d’hôtel. The exquisite tablescape included festive samurai-sculpted napkin figures brandishing bamboo swords in addition to the artfully fashioned sushi platters.

Sake is considered “rice wine” but actually is not a real wine at all. Sake making has more in common with beer brewing. This alcoholic beverage is made by taking specially milled and polished rice varieties and fermenting them with water and selected yeasts in a parallel fermentation process. This produces a 15-20% alcohol drink. The % of milling and polishing or “Seimai-Buai” of the rice determines the quality and style levels. These styles also dictate whether the sake is served chilled vs. warmed. My personal favorite style was the Junmai-Daiginjo sake, featuring a fragrant, floral, spicy-scented aroma that is served slightly chilled and paired with the shrimp and salmon sushi. Most premium sake’s should be slightly chilled.

See Sake Primer below.

Consider that Sake has a two millennia beverage heritage. Sake is produced in several regions of Japan including Kobe, Kyoto, Hiroshima, and Fukushima. Sake does not carry a vintage year like red and white wines, as the rice harvests tend to be more stable than grape harvests. The purity of the water in the region is important as it accounts for 80% of the content. Hard water produces a more masculine-style sake and soft water a more feminine-style sake. The winter snow-melt in the Japan mountains feeds the spring water source for sake creating ideal cold fermenting conditions.

Most sake bottles are beautifully labeled and etched, adding to the allure of the beverage. Sake should be stored chilled after opening and consumed within 3 days. Most sake is unaged.

With destinations like Tokyo, Yokohama, Nagasaki, Mt. Fuji, Kochi, and the north island of Hokkaido, cruisers can get a thorough picture of the culture, traditions, food and beverages of Japan. The Diamond Princess is one of Princess Cruise Lines Asia-destination ships. It was even built in Nagasaki, Japan. The ship passengers and guests were predominantly from Japan, China, the USA, Canada, New Zealand, and Australia. The dual English/Japan language accommodation ensures that the guests receive the most accurate cruise information and cultural attention. Specialty restaurants like the Sterling Steakhouse, Sabatini Italian venue, and the Kai Sushi restaurant are available making culinary exploration possible and Sake and Sushi pairing at-sea a reality.