Maryam Masure, portrait of a sake ambassador Close panel Open panel

L'atelier du Saké is a small shop, located at 4 impasse des Carrières in the 16th arrondissement of Paris. It is in a sober, almost zen decor, where the warmth of the wood echoes the many sake bottle labels, that sommelier Maryam Masure, who provides advice and training, evangelizes chefs or distributors of Japanese alcohol, welcomes the Figaro Wine. How has the place of sake evolved over the past 5 years in France? What exactly is his job? The expert, sommelier graduated from the prestigious Sake Sommelier Association (SSA) and fell in love with Japanese nectar in 2015, answered all our questions. She tells us about her very special job as a nihonshu ambassador in France. It was the founder of Foodex, the European leader in the import of Japanese gastronomy, who put her first glass of sake in her hand in 2014. Curious, this Franco -Iranian woman accustomed to a diet rich in rice finds a particular echo between her dual culture and the art of brewing this traditional Japanese beverage made from this same cereal. This love shared with the Japanese for “white gold” is a vector of motivation. The future sake sommelier - who drinks no other alcohol - is conquered: “I felt an emotion that I had never had. This first sake took me on an adventure, each glass told me a new story! “, she confides. This is the beginning of an idyll that has lasted for seven years already. For the expert, what makes her a good ambassador is her ability to put herself in the place of her interlocutor: “I was a novice not so long ago. I always try to find the link through which the nihonshu can establish a connection with my visitors. And the fact that I'm not Japanese breaks down a barrier; This immediately creates a closeness that facilitates exchange”.

Ambassador - a multi-faceted job

Before evangelizing this very special alcohol, you have to source and choose the beverages most in line with the French palate. On the one hand, the Atelier du Saké teams produce their own bottles (the parent company Takara Shuzo is a very large Japanese producer) with cuvées with specific packaging for the American and French markets, and also criss-cross the country in search of nectar that will conquer the palate of a chef, a mixologist, a wine merchant or an amateur. According to my interlocutors, I start with a training-tasting. Of course, I would not have the same approach towards a chef, a sommelier, a journalist – specialized or not – or an influencer; I like having to adapt, each tasting is unique. We cannot arrive thinking that all the chefs have heard of or know sake. My interlocutor must appropriate the product in order to appreciate its quintessence,” explains the ambassador, who always seeks to establish a link of gustatory trust. Informing, educating, sharing, adapting are the keys that punctuate Maryam's daily life hovel. In France, the emissary initially focused on supporting great chefs, who are an undeniable vector of culinary fashion. Today, the Atelier du saké offers a panel of 50 bottles, and in discussion with the chefs, the sommelier specializing in Japanese beverages chooses products that match the menus, moods and of course the price ranges. “The hardest part is when the only knowledge of sake is Chinese alcohol. This low-quality gut twister damages the image of sake and forces us to start from scratch. However, imposing the nihonshu terminology seems even more complicated to me. We explain that we are on a fermented product, not distilled so we create a link with the wine”. The parallel with wine is an important key. Like the latter, a neophyte will not know what to do with a bottle given without context, without explanation: "As an ambassador, I hope that people who discover and want to taste sake are not completely disoriented compared to their habits. Their daily life is wine at room temperature. I assume they should be served nihonshu in a wine glass under the same conditions. If you serve it in a choko (traditional cup), you risk the association with Chinese alcohol. Then I take them with a fresh sake, for me it's the best way to taste and appreciate the aromas, the notes of fruit, spices”. She avoids warming Japanese wine, this version which she considers quite far from the French mentality, and prefers a rather open glass to appreciate the nose to the maximum without letting the flavor get lost too much: "Most of the people I start with a discussion and a tasting seek the taste of wine. I therefore advise them not to probe the consonances with the wine, that it is a new experience of fermentation. It is at the second sip that they discover the bitterness and open up to the pleasures of this beverage”.

A booming market

“What is contradictory with the spirit of the times is that since the first confinement, we have been doing very, very well. As if people were compensating for their escapist needs through gastronomic journeys. We remained open and were able to respond to this growing demand,” she says again. There remains the question of price! To penetrate the mass market, it is essential to be able to offer affordable discovery offers: “We offer trays at 8,10 or 15 euros with mini-bottles. This allows people to embark on the adventure of Japanese wine at a lower cost. Classic bottles are also popular, with a weighty argument: conservation. “A bottle of wine, if not drunk after 3 days, ends up in the trash – this is the reality for the vast majority of wine lovers. Our alcohol having no preservative or tannin, the bottle is closed with a screw cap and it can be kept for more than ten days in the refrigerator once opened. Customers are reassured, and more inclined to try this new experience”. For the expert, the classification of sakes set up in the 1990s allows for better readability and facilitates the orientation of choices.

I have not ever used this term myself even though I have certainly heard it in various books and movies. It is go… https://t.co/CmAiPjuaI6

— David Crowley Sun Jul 11 ​​14:43:50 +0000 2021

Stéphane Gaborieau (MoF 2004): the chef of Pergolèse (Paris 16th) is the first to open his doors to Maryam Masure. “It was a challenge! The chef agreed to receive me because he loves Japan but immediately warned me that he does not want to add sake to his menu. I replied that you had to know how to create demand, and I suggested a cocktail wine, and even to create a cocktail that can be eaten. It tickled him and he agreed to embark on the adventure. The success was there and he kept this dish on his menu for a very long time”.

A long-lasting success

The example of Japanese whisky, which has established itself as a benchmark in the whiskey market, bodes well for its cousin, sake. Much more than a simple fad, Japanese rice wine brings a breath of fresh air to French tables and bars. “The curious were precursors, but today we go beyond the simple trend. One day there will be sake in almost every restaurant, whether it's an à la carte reference or a pop-up. Cocktails are an excellent tool for discovering nihonshu with young people. The future of the subsidiary seems very bright to me”, enthuses the sommelier.

» READ ALSO: The art of brewing sake

Three recommendations selected by Maryam Masure 1. L'Atelier du saké (Daiginjo)This is the result of the marriage of Japanese (production) and French (packaging, price and quantity) cultures, it represents an ideal gateway to democratize the Japanese wine in Europe. Like all Daiginjo (polishing rate less than 50%) it is incredibly clear, its rich nose offers herbaceous notes, a little fennel and coriander but also a fruity return with aromas of apples, pears and flowers white. A sweet entry in the mouth, which gradually lets the bitterness accompanied by spices arrive delicately on the tongue. It is a sake that can be drunk with meat, grilled fish, caviar where we find the iodized side that goes very well with Daiginjo.

2. Fukucho Sea Food (Junmai Genshu Shirokôji) Produced by Imada Shuzo Honten, founded in 1868 and renowned for its very soft water. Notable particularity, the house is run by a tôji woman who promotes ancient and traditional techniques. A real Natsuko girl. This house is the only one that uses an ancient strain of rice: The Hattanso. Developed to accompany seafood, its light and fresh nectar with lemony notes goes wonderfully with oysters.2. Saké Mio This sparkling alcohol was created by Takara Shuzo with the aim of appealing to young people in Japan. Its midnight blue bottle has become a reference in Japan and this sake can be enjoyed on its own or in a cocktail in many establishments. Very easy to approach, the bubbles of this sake make it an excellent product for initiation and appeal, which attracts neophytes to convert them to classic sake afterwards. Enriched with gas, its sweet and fruity taste is to be preferred as an aperitif or with a dessert.

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