Sake is good for health and skin

By Kim Eun-jung

“Many Koreans have become more interested in Japanese sake which is good for one’s health as well as beauty care.”

Yoshitaka Murai, 52, president of Sakaya Korea, importer and distribution outlet of sake from Asabiraki, made this remark at a lecture he gave on Jan. 17 under the title of “How to Enjoy Sake” at the Public information and Cultural Center affiliated with the Japanese Embassy in Seoul Monday.

He introduced four main features which attracts foreigners. “Firstly, sake is good for one’s health. It is said in traditional Chinese medicine’s yin and yang theory that sake is an alcohol which makes the body healthier,” Murai said.

Sake keeps the human body warm. “Usually alcohol including soju make a body cold, but Japanese sake, having plenty of amino acid, keeps the body warm,” he said. He added the body becomes warmer for three to five hours even when people drink cold sake. “This prevents excessive sweating of the head and muscles.”

Secondly, it is effective for beauty care. Murai said sake contains anti-aging components with many Japanese women washing their face with sake. It is rumored that geisha bathed in it. Geisha are traditional Japanese entertainers skilled in classical music and performing arts.

“The yeast in sake also protects the skin from pimples and helps to keep it white. I think that is the main reason why a number of young people drinking sake are increasing,” he added.

Thirdly, people drink the alcohol at a wide range of temperatures from 5 degrees to over 55 degrees Celsius. “They can experience a different taste of the same kind of sake depending on the temperature,” he said.

Lastly, sake makes a good companion with most food, especially raw fish. He said when people drink wine, they need to find a matching food. On the other hand, sake goes well with not only Japanese but also Western food such as seafood salad and spaghetti with pesto.

Murai said he wants to give more lectures to let many people know the beneficial functions of sake. “In the case of wine, a sommeliers help customers understand it. However there is no one to explain about sake, so through lectures I want people to drink right and feel sake’s deep taste as old history,” he said.

Yoshitaka Murai was born in Iwate prefecture in 1958, where Nanbu Toji, one of the major sake areas, is located. He studied fermentation technology in Tokyo University of Agriculture. He is the fifth president of Asabiraki.