Terada Honke Sake Brewery in NYC

Back in March, I had the honor of being part of Terada Honke's first sake seminar and tasting event in East Village NYC as an interpreter.

Situated approximately 54 miles northeast of Tokyo in Chiba Pefecture, Terada Honke is a 340-year-old sake brewery well known for their 100% organic sake. Mr. Masaru Terada is the 24th generation owner and the head sake brewer who married into the Terada family (only men can take over family businesses in traditional Japanese culture). Mrs. Satomi Terada, the daughter of Terada Honke, is a culinary artist; her expertise is all things fermented (probiotics), creating unique recipes using by-products (e.g., sake lees, etc.) of Terada Honke's naturally brewed sake.

Terada Honke's sake is absolutey authentic! It's made with nothing but nature's blessings at their best: indigeneous species of rice completely free of pesticide and other harmful chemical substances, the underground water from a well in Kozaki Shrine located right behind their brewery (now, that's what I call the REAL 'natural spring water') and microorganisms tha grow on their organic rice called Koji (i.e., white molds--no worries, they're good molds, not to mention, "organic"!)

These essential sake ingredients and other microbes living inside the brick walls of their centuries-old brewery collaborate in perfect harmony. Together, they pave the way for the most pivotal stage of the entire sake brewing process called fermenation. Fermentation is defnitely not synonymous with decay or decomposition. Once fermented, it's completely safe and lasts for ages. Did I forget to mention, it's probiotic??

When you consider the fact that billions of microbes reside inside our bodies, what we feed them makes a huge qualitative difference. If we feed them with the right kind of food (e.g., fermented or probiotic), they'll grow into healthy and therefore happy microbes, and vice versa. What's more, they'll return the favor and keep us healthy & happy! Microbes and we have a synergic kind of relationship. We need each other to empower and self-actualize to our fullest potentials!

Anyway, it was a tremendous privilege to have met Mr. & Mrs.Terada in person and be part of Terada Honke's NYC debut (NB: Their sake is not yet available in the US) The next time I'm in Japan, I'm definitely stopping by! 

Saving the best for last: this amazing experience would not have been possible without my great friend and mentor, Rieko Sakuramoto, who organized, coordinated, and hosted the entire event--as well as giving me a gentle push in the back to go out there in the arena!

My deepest gratitude!!