87th Edition: [Tsubame-Sanjo Sakaba Kakimoto] x Specially Cultivated Gohyakumangoku Rice Junmai Ginjo <Freshly Pressed>
With less than a month left in 2025, snow has begun to accumulate like a white hat on the Higashiyama mountain range, which is the source of the water used to brew Yoshinogawa sake, and snowman icons are now appearing in the weather forecast. Winter in Niigata has truly begun to deepen.
Amidst all this, there was a rare, cloudless day... The steam from the rice brewing cellar, Showa-gura, slowly melted into the clear blue sky—a rare sight for a winter day in Niigata.
Although there is no snow yet on the premises, the temperature has dropped significantly, and sake brewing at Yoshinogawa is progressing smoothly. Even amidst the busyness, the expression on each employee's face is filled with the desire to "deliver delicious sake!!" We hope you will all look forward to Yoshinogawa next year!
Also at this time of year, JR Niigata Station has Yoshinogawa CoCoLo Niigata Store In Settsuya, Nagaoka City,Yoshinogawa Sake Museum BreweryBoth of our establishments have special recommended sakes waiting for your visit. For greetings and New Year's celebrations, please enjoy a glass of "Yoshinogawa" sake!
So, without further ado, in this segment called "Tipsy OneDish," we'll be visiting restaurants and bars throughout Niigata Prefecture to ask them to come up with snacks that pair well with Yoshinogawa sake. The restaurant that will be preparing the dishes for us this time is located in Sanjo City.Tsubame-Sanjo Sakaba KakimotoThis is [Name of chef]. This time, they prepared dishes that pair well with our specially cultivated Gohyakumangoku Junmai Ginjo unfiltered sake <freshly pressed>!
This sake was born from the desire to "create delicious sake using rice that the brewery has carefully cultivated, since we grow the rice ourselves." It is the first in a series of specially cultivated rice sakes, using Gohyakumangoku rice grown by Yoshinogawa Agricultural Products and certified as a "specially cultivated agricultural product." It is bottled as unfiltered sake, so you can enjoy the freshness of freshly pressed sake and the pure taste of Japanese sake. This series will be released in March as a low-temperature bottled sake and in June as a snow-cellar bottled sake. The storage method for this "freshly pressed" sake has been changed so that you can enjoy the changes in taste as time passes. First, please enjoy this first release, the freshly pressed sake.
And the person who prepared the dishes for this occasion was from Sanjo CityTsubame-Sanjo Sakaba KakimotoThis is "[Restaurant Name]". It's a popular restaurant located a 5-minute walk from JR Tsubame-Sanjo Station, and is bustling with customers on business trips from outside the prefecture.
This time, we asked them to make a dish that pairs well with our specially cultivated Gohyakumangoku Junmai Ginjo unfiltered sake, "Tomato and Cream Cheese with Salted Kelp," which is made to complement the sake. It's a quick and easy dish that you can make even after coming home from work. It's also highly recommended as a dish for your upcoming Christmas party! After the broadcast, it will be available at the restaurant, so please enjoy it with the sake.
Now, let's get straight to the recipe!
★Ingredients★ (2 servings)
• Tomato: 1
Cream cheese: 40g
・Salted kelp: 10g
・Perilla leaves: 2 pieces
・Noodle soup base: 1 tablespoon
Sesame oil: appropriate amount
White sesame seeds: appropriate amount
<How to make>
1. Cut the tomatoes into wedges.
2. Cut the cream cheese into bite-sized squares.
3. Cut the shiso leaves into thin strips.
4. Add the salted kelp, noodle soup base, sesame oil, and white sesame seeds and mix well.
POINT: Mash the cream cheese slightly while mixing it in.
5. Once plated, it's done!
This recipe is a quick and easy dish that requires no cooking – just chop and mix! You can even prepare dinner while enjoying a drink! The dish has a Western look that might make you think of Italy, but when you taste it, you'll be greeted by the aroma of sesame oil, the acidity of the large wedges of tomatoes, the saltiness of the cream cheese and salted kelp, and the addition of shiso leaves and mentsuyu (noodle soup base), resulting in a rich umami flavor with a distinctly Japanese taste. The freshness, rich aroma, and sweetness of the rice in the chilled "Specially Cultivated Gohyakumangoku Junmai Ginjo Unfiltered Sake <Freshly Pressed>" pair perfectly with this dish, making the pairing even more enjoyable.
And here's another recommendation from the shop!!
Original Tsubame-Sanjo style pork back fat stewed offal: Regular size ¥329 (tax included) / Large size ¥439 (tax included)
(Photo: Large size)
When you hear "motsu nikomi" (stewed offal), you probably imagine a miso-based broth, but at this restaurant, the head chef has devised a special soy sauce-based soup with a strong dried sardine broth, which is simmered slowly. This base is based on the pork back fat ramen soup of Tsubame-Sanjo, one of Niigata's five major ramen styles, and uses white offal from Niigata Prefecture. It's packed with chunks of root vegetables such as carrots and burdock, and the toppings of shredded green onions and seaweed add aroma and spiciness. Although pork back fat usually gives an image of being rich, it has a surprisingly clean taste. Pairing it with the specially cultivated Gohyakumangoku Junmai Ginjo unfiltered sake <freshly pressed> enhances the flavors of the offal and vegetables, while also providing a rich and full-bodied pairing characteristic of sake. Even one person can easily finish a large serving in no time! Please enjoy it at the restaurant.
The details of this event will be broadcast on NST from 6 PM on Saturday, December 13th.Smile StadiumIt will be broadcast within "[program name]!". It will only be broadcast within Niigata Prefecture. For those outside the prefecture, please check the YouTube channel "I love Niigata! ChannelYou can view it at [link/website].
「Tsubame-Sanjo Sakaba Kakimoto」
[Address] 2-18 Sugoro, Sanjo City, Niigata Prefecture
[Telephone] 0256-35-7055
[Business Hours]
Sunday to Thursday and public holidays: 17:00 - 23:00 (Food last order 22:00, Drinks last order 22:30)
Friday, Saturday, and the day before a public holiday: 17:00 - 24:00 (Food: Last Order 23:00, Drinks: Last Order 23:30)
[Regular holidays]
Closed on irregular days. *Please check our website for information regarding the year-end and New Year holidays.