NIGORI: 濁り酒; A SAKE "LOST IN TRANSLATION..."

Nigori, a sake with a whitish, cloudy, if not milky colour and an exceptional aroma, is often recommended with spicy dishes because its creamy texture and residual sugars help to soothe the spicy heat of some dishes. But it is also a victim of confusion and misunderstanding by consumers.

If nigori sake is a little misunderstood, it is first because too often people try to compare the world of sake to that of wine. But this confusion is also linked to the fact that it is almost impossible to translate the Japanese language or to understand a culture as complex as that of the Land of the Rising Sun by taking Western-style shortcuts, willingly or not. It is impossible to translate from Japanese into other languages, as is done from French into English because when converting from Japanese, it is also essential to convey Japanese culture and philosophy beyond the etymology of words. Translation from Japanese is especially tricky because the complex symbols of the Japanese alphabet add to the meaning.

Therefore, by limiting oneself to a literal translation, errors quickly appear and give rise to many misunderstandings, such as those we saw in the hit movie Lost in Translation.