A Sake Named Desire

Let us ponder, for a moment, the nature of desire. Predicated upon a lack or an absence, desire is a richly textured, ever-changing tapestry woven from the lacunae in our lives. Desire is the source of great suffering, drama, and tumult; it is no wonder that Buddhist teachings exhort followers to divest themselves of it on the road to Nirvana.

Ah, but I am a greedy girl. I wrap the mantle of desire around me and wear it like an accusation; I ask for too much and am never satisfied. The delight of attaining the object of my desire is invariably tinged with nostalgia, the sad and delicious knowledge that this pleasure, too, is fleeting - in fact, already gone. Perhaps that’s why I’m so enamored of Kamoshibito Kuheiji.


It is precisely this elusive touch of nostalgia that Kuheiji Kuno, the 15th generation master of Manjo Shuzo, strives to create in his sake. An eccentric ambition, to be sure, but not at all out of character for a nihonshu iconoclast. A former model with more confidence than you can shake a stick at, Mr. K. likes to do things his way. He allegedly drives all the way from Nagoya to Niigata to procure his shikomi-mizu, the water used in sake brewing. When he decided that he wanted to expand into France, he just packed up a few bottles and convinced local chefs and sommeliers to try it. Needless to say, Kamoshibito Kuheiji is now being sold in France (although it is not currently exported elsewhere); hence the sake’s unusual name, Eau du Desir.

Living in Japan, I’ve been able to try the entire range of Kamoshibito Kuheiji, from sturdy Omachi Jungin to peacock-tail flashy contest Daiginjo, and have found them all to be excellent. The one I keep coming back to, however, is the Yamada Nishiki Junmai Ginjo. Its vivid, fruity attack is punctuated by acidity as crisp as a witty riposte, with subtle bitter notes showing in the finish. The soft, weighty mouthfeel lends an air of wistfulness. Particularly versatile with food, it paired nicely the other night with seared tuna, avocado, and cucumber pasta dressed in lemon juice and olive oil, but next time I’d like to experiment with stronger flavors. I’m also quite happy to drink it on its own.

I hope to reach Nirvana one day, but, at least for now, desire is a lot more fun.