Sake Takes Stage in the World of Comedic Kyōgen
Jun. 28. 2022 writer:
Sake is central to many kyōgen plays, Japan’s traditional comic theater
Eric C. Rath Articles
Eric C. Rath is a professor of history at the University of Kansas where he teaches courses on food history and premodern Japan. A specialist in Japanese food, his books include Food and Fantasy in Early Modern Japan (2010), Japan’s Cuisines: Food, Place and Identity (2016), and Oishii: The History of Sushi (Reaktion Books, 2021). He is currently writing a history of sake.
Sake in Japan’s First Comic Books
Jun. 9. 2022 writer:
Japan’s first comic books provide a picture of early modern sake culture
Doburoku: From Illicit Homebrew to Legal Microbrew
Apr. 28. 2022 writer:
How an illegal beverage became the latest trend in microbrewing in Japan
The Idiot’s Guide to Sake Brewing
Mar. 31. 2022 writer:
An introduction to the most important text on brewing in early modern Japan (1600-1868)
Women Sake Brewers in Medieval Japan
Feb. 17. 2022 writer:
In medieval Japan (1200-1600) women played a prominent role in sake brewing
When Sake Fought Sweets
Dec. 23. 2021 writer:
A 19th century woodblock print of famous sake brands battling confections reveals the two products’ fight for consumer attention.
The Fuzzy History of Koji
Oct. 28. 2021 writer:
Koji is so important to sake-making it’s been called Japan’s “National Fungus,” but its origins are murky.
Bodaimoto: The Renaissance of the “Enlightened” Starter
Sep. 30. 2021 writer:
Some brewers are returning to the traditional bodaimoto starter method that naturally cultivates lactic acid.
Drinking in Tradition: A Short History of Izakaya
Sep. 9. 2021 writer:
The history of how sake gave rise to Japan’s famed and unique gastropubs.
