*Image courtesy of the Orkney Japan Association.*

This weekend Orkney has been honoured by a visit from Japan’s Consul General in Scotland, Mr Tadashi Fujiwara. It was his first official trip since he took up the post last November, hosted by the Orkney Japan Association, assisted by Liam McArthur MSP and the council. While Mr Fujiwara dropped in on School Place, Mrs Fujiwara browsed several shops along Broad Street. We were delighted to sell her some Orkney Fudge.

A more substantial exchange of food culture took place in a programme of demonstrations in the East Kirk on Friday and Saturday, where Yoshinobu Kono, a chef at the Japanese embassy in London, created two unique plates of Orcadian Japanese food.

To start, beef fillet that had been marinated in garlic and grated apple was seared then thinly sliced and served pink and tender on a bed of salad leaves. For the first time in its history, I suspect, Orkney cheddar was soaked in miso, then shredded to provide Parmesan-like bursts of umami flavour. The most interesting innovation was a savoury jelly made with Orkney Craft Vinegar and gelatine. Mashed before mingling with the rest of the dish, the jelly had a sweet but zingy flavour that set off the richness of the other ingredients wonderfully.

The second dish was seared scallops with Kombu-kelp rice, samphire and other green vegetables, and an unusual dressing made with milk and melted butter. Diced mozzarella was used as a garnish, though Yuka Johnston, translating and hosting, suggested that farm cheese would work just as well.

The second half of the evening was Sayaka’s demonstration of furoshiki, the traditional art of wrapping objects in a fabric square through careful folding. Imagine finishing your shopping then doing some origami on Shearers’ counter to take you groceries home in. It was very impressive, though I admit my attention had been caught by the equally impressive selection of sake lined up on a side table.

Sake is not just one drink, but a category that is nearly as varied and complex as wine. It would take a lifetime of study to comprehend it all. But we must start somewhere!

So let’s begin by saying that, though it’s often referred to as rice wine, sake is actually made by a brewing technique – where starches are turned into sugars before an immediate second fermentation turns the sugar into alcohol. This differentiates it from wine, where already existing fruit sugars are fermented directly into alcohol. So in that sense it’s more like beer than wine. Though, rather than coming from barley or wheat, the starches in sake come from rice. Lower-grade sake is often made with rice that could also be eaten, but the best quality brands use special sake rice.

Quality is further determined by the extent to which the rice is ‘polished’ before brewing. The important starch is at the heart of each rice grain, whereas the outer layers contain less useful fats and proteins. Careful milling of the rice removes the outer layers (which are then used in food production) leaving as little as 50% of the original grain for top-quality brewing. Sake comes in different colours and textures, and can be dry, sweet, or even sparkling. It’s often served warm – especially in winter – but connoisseurs drink the best sake cool. It can be enjoyed by itself or as an accompaniment to food. Orkney beef and scallops, for instance!

All of the above may seem trivial while war rages in Ukraine. Yet within living memory our country was locked in total warfare with Japan. It’s thanks to the activities of organisations like the Orkney Japan Association that we have put that time behind us, and can meet in friendship to increase understanding and appreciation of each other’s culture.

I’ll happily raise a glass of sake to celebrate that.

Three or four years ago there was little interest in sake amongst our customers, and we usually had one or two or none on our shelves. Now interest is growing, and we’re happy to have half a dozen or so at any one time - which change frequently as we explore this fascinating category.

This diary appeared in The Orcadian on 9th March. A new one appears weekly. I post them in this blog a few days after each newspaper appearance, with added illustrations., and occasional small corrections or additions.

Diary of a Shopkeeper, 6th March