This week we’re lucky to be joined once again by Niigata Sake Lovers founder, sake educator, guide, and evangelist extraordinaire, Tomomi Duquette.

Tomomi’s sake vocabulary that she’s brought to the bar this week on her own terms is particularly interesting in that it flies directly in the face of what her sake homefield is best known for. In Niigata – generally considered the karakuchi motherland – genuinely amakuchi sake is relatively few and far between (although that’s gradually changing, as well).

In general, karakuchi is more prevalent vocabulary – both in sake conversation and on the label – than amakuchi. That being said, for every karakuchi sake, there’s certainly a delicious bottle of amakuchi out there as well, isn’t there? So, why doesn’t it seem to get as much attention? Is karakuchi as universally loved as it seems, or is amakuchi equally synonymous with beloved sake?

In order to discuss amakuchi, we kind of have to address karakuchi, as well, so this week you sort of get a two-for-one here at On Your Own Terms. Lucky you!

Do you lean more karakuchi or amakuchi? What’s your personal barometer for each? Let us know @sakeonair on Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook, or send us a message with your thoughts and experiences to [email protected], and we’ll discuss.

We’ll be back with more Sake On Air – On Your Own Terms, very soon.
Until then, kampai!

Sake On Air is made possible with the generous support of the Japan Sake & Shochu Makers Association and is recorded and broadcast from the Japan Sake & Shochu Information Center in Tokyo. The show is brought to you by Potts.K Productions with audio production by Frank Walter. Our theme, “Younger Today Than Tomorrow” was composed by for Sake On Air.