India gets its first sake master brewer
BENGALARU -- "My tryst with Japanese cuisine started in the early 2000s on a visit to New York," says Maia Laifungbam, India's first toji (master brewer of sake). "I tasted sushi for the first time and just loved it. There has been no looking back since then."
A professional chef who worked in several restaurants before becoming head chef at Roboto, a Japanese restaurant in the southwestern state of Goa, Laifungbam says she saw the potential of sake in India when she decided to put it on the menu.
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Japanese wine's international reputation is growing far faster, and deeper, than awareness at home. Just as many overseas visitors are shining a light on and invigorating sightseeing spots that Japanese people barely knew about, we Japanese are being reminded of the value of our nation's wine by information from outside. Such are the times we live in. (Originally published in Japanese. Banner photo: Local restaurateurs intently tasting Japanese wine. © Ukita Yasuyuki.)
