Food Japan 2024, the largest trade fair specializing in Japanese food in the ASEAN market, was held at Suntec Singapore Convention & Exhibition Centre Hall 10 from October 24th to 26th, 403.
194 companies participated, including agricultural, forestry and fishery products, processed foods and beverages, tableware and traditional crafts, cooking utensils, food machinery, store equipment, food ingredients, agri-innovation, and other services. 3 people visited the event over the three days.
This time, Assemblage Club, a blended sake brand from Kyoto, will be participating for the first time and will report on the latest trends in the sake industry in Singapore.

Current status of Japanese food exports to Singapore

The value of agricultural, forestry, and fishery product and food exports from Japan to Singapore will be 2023 billion yen in 548. Although this is slightly down from the previous fiscal year, Singapore remains Japan's seventh largest export destination in the world and the second largest within ASEAN. As for sake, both the export value and volume were down from the previous year, but the export value per liter of sake is expected to continue to rise in 7 and reach a record high in 2. In particular, the value in China, Hong Kong, and Singapore is expected to exceed 1 yen/liter.
Additionally, the number of Japanese restaurants in Singapore continues to increase, and demand for restaurants that specialize in Japanese cuisine is also on the rise.

On the other hand, there were also voices saying, "The economy is bad due to the weak yen." In fact, one participating sake brewery said, "Until now, we have been promoting our products to the upper class, but we are reviewing our product lineup and switching to the middle class."

State of event

The event was held at the Suntec Singapore Convention & Exhibition Centre, where 194 food-related companies from Japan and Singapore participated. There were also many sake booths, which gave a sense of the high demand for Japanese sake in the area.

In particular, the Ehime Prefecture Sake Brewers Association booth featured eight sake breweries from Ehime Prefecture.
We were able to sample and compare the "Ehime Sakurahime Series" of sake made using "Ehime Sakurahime Yeast," a flower yeast for sake breweries isolated from the "Sakurahime" flower, an original variety of Ehime Prefecture flower.
This is a new generation sake brewed "all Ehime," with the utmost care taken to use rice, water, and other ingredients produced within the prefecture.

Mr. Ochi, President and CEO of Ishizuchi Sake Brewery Co., Ltd. and Chairman of the Ehime Prefecture Sake Brewers Association, appealed, "The flower language of Sakurahime is 'smile at you' and 'hope! Please be sure to try this sake that is filled with hope."

Proposing a new style of sake

I hear that the Japanese retail and restaurant markets are saturated in Singapore.
On the other hand, we also hear that as local consumer needs increase, there is growing demand and opportunities for non-Japanese restaurants and catering, as well as the re-export market from Singapore to Malaysia and other countries.
Taking the current situation into consideration, we would like to propose a new type of sake to Singapore.

This time, we will be introducing a blended sake from Kyoto [Assemblage Club" is a new type of sake created by three long-established sake breweries in Kyoto (Masuda Tokubei Shoten, Kitagawa Honke, and Matsui Sake Brewery) that have gone beyond the boundaries of their own breweries. Carefully selected from many assemblages (mixtures and combinations), they are challenging themselves to create new flavors with the theme of "Sake x Global Gourmet."

"Assemblage" means "combining" or "blending," and is a traditional technique that has long been used in winemaking in Bordeaux, Champagne, and other regions. It is also becoming popular in the sake industry, where mixing multiple raw liquors can produce a flavor that cannot be achieved by a single ingredient.

▲Assemblage Club 01 CODE NAME: Taro′ 720ml and newly proposed 180ml

This time, we are proposing a new size of 180ml, which was chosen based on feedback from people in the food and beverage industry who wanted to try it first, and from tasters who said it would also make a perfect souvenir.

We recommend chilling it in the refrigerator before drinking. It is characterized by its light sweetness and acidity, making it easy to drink. The aged aged sake added as a secret ingredient sharpens the flavor profile, resulting in a surprisingly refreshing drink. The moment it reaches body temperature in your mouth, it loses its character, and the flavor blends with the juices of the Wagyu beef.

The balance of sweetness, spiciness, bitterness, sourness and umami is controlled and blended, allowing for the design of complex flavors that defy conventional wisdom about sake. This is the joy of assemblage, which allows flavors to be combined in a three-dimensional way.

The keywords of Kyoto sake and the novelty of the blend attracted many people who tried it.
"First of all, the label looks beautiful. The taste is fruity but has a crisp aftertaste, giving it the unique flavor of a blend.
"The taste changes depending on the temperature, so it's good to start off chilled and then eat it at room temperature to pair it with food," we heard someone say.

Future developments in Singapore

In Singapore, we received comments such as, "I know about Assemblage Club," "I've tried it," and "I received it as a gift from a friend."
In Singapore, the sake will be available for tasting and purchase at Sake Matsuri Singapore, which we will be participating in in May 2024, and will also be available for retail sale at Isetan Singapore (Scotts store), as well as at At Twenty, a hidden restaurant and bar in Boat Quay.
They are also considering supplying to other restaurants and exhibiting at events in the future. Further developments are expected in the sake industry, including blended sake.

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・For general orders, please click here ( https://assemblageclub.myshopify.com/ )from.
・For ordering by credit card for restaurants, please click here (https://assemblageclub.stores.jp )from.
・For ordering with invoices for restaurants, click here ( https://sakeworld.jp/abc/contact/ ) or call us at (075-632-9453).