People who love Japanese food, shochu, and sake, have an event coming up that is designed just for them.
All Japan News, Inc., is sponsoring the Japanese Sake Shochu Beer California Challenge, which is a shochu, sake, and beer tasting party. Shochu is a traditional Japanese hard liquor that is a distilled spirit made from vegetables and grains, usually buckwheat, rice, barley, sweet potato, and sugar cane. It differs from nihonshu (sake) in that it is distilled in the same way vodka and brandy are distilled, while nihonshu is fermented, which actually places it in the category of a wine. In fact, sake is sometimes called “rice wine.” In addition, shochu has a higher alcohol content than nihonshu (about 13% to 16% for the nihonshu, as compared to 25% to 37% for the shochu).
There is more than drinks on the menu, however. Attendees will be able to enjoy such Japanese dishes as takoyaki, oden, and yakitori. Takoyaki is a Japanese fried snack, and oden is a one-pot meal, usually made with ingredients such as eggs, vegetables, and fish cakes, stewed in a soy broth. Yakitori is probably much more familiar to the American palate; the popular dish consists of chicken, placed on a skewer and grilled.
The tasting party is set for February 22, from 5:00 pm until 8:00 pm, at the Miyako Hybrid Hotel Torrance, on South Western Avenue in Torrance, a short drive from Carson. Banner printing can be used to create decorations for events like this.
