Sake from yeast from space

by | May 4, 2018 | Sake News from Japan

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Nikkei Style has a article on a sake with a very special ingredient – yeast from space.

Not originally from space, to be fair, but it has been to space and back. First made in 2006, the sake is produced by the Takagi brewery in Kōchi Prefecture after their prefectural association fell in love with the idea. For the prefecture’s 18 breweries, facing the collapse in sake consumption, the crazy idea seemed like a gift from the heavens.

To qualify as Uchūshu (宇宙酒, literally “space alcohol”) sake must be made from a yeast normally used for sake brewing that has been sent into space. The strain of yeast currently in use spent 10 days on the International Space Station when it was docked to the Soyuz spacecraft in 2005. It can be used either alone or with other yeast in “space sake“.

The other requirement is 100% sake-specific rice from Kōchi Prefecture, either Gin no Yume or Kazenaruko. Junmai ginjō must be polished to at least 55%, and and junmai to at least 65%, and on top of that the aroma and flavour must pass inspection by the Tosa Uchūshu Shinsakai, a local committee for space sake. According to the Kōchi Prefectural Industrial Technology Center, yeast that has been in space produces more flavour compounds than its earthbound counterpart.

One more spacefaring ingredient was added from 2009, namely rice grown from seeds that had been sent into space. The article recommends trying it with “space food”, the rations sent up with astronauts, including space curry, space rice, space rice cake, space bread and space takoyaki.

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