🥃 Satsuma
Japan's protected name for sweet potato shōchū from Kagoshima Prefecture: sweet potatoes harvested in the prefecture, rice or sweet potato koji, local water, single distillation. Since 2005.
Satsuma is Japan's protected geographical indication for single-distilled shōchū from Kagoshima Prefecture in southern Kyushu. The base is sweet potato, harvested in the prefecture; the koji is rice or sweet potato, also local; the water comes from Kagoshima. The name has been protected since 2005, which makes it the youngest of Kyushu's three shōchū protected names.
Requirements. According to the specification of the National Tax Agency, the sweet potato must be harvested in Kagoshima, except in Amami city and Oshima district, where a different tradition makes shōchū from black cane sugar. The mash of koji, sweet potato and water ferments and is then distilled in a pot still. Storage during production and bottling also take place in Kagoshima. The name is licensed by the Satsuma shōchū management committee of the prefectural brewers' association.
Taste. Sweet potato gives the spirit a soft sweetness and an earthy, fruity aroma. Specific brands differ by potato variety and koji, but the protected name guarantees only the territory and the mandatory ingredients.
History. Sweet potato reached Kyushu in 1705, and shōchū in southern Kyushu has about five centuries of history; this is where sweet potato became the usual base for the spirit. The general, unprotected term for such shōchū is imo shōchū, while the Satsuma name is narrower.
Why it matters to you. The name Satsuma on the label guarantees sweet potato and local water from Kagoshima, but not the taste of a particular brand. The strength may reach 45 % vol. The WHO reminds us that there is no safe level of alcohol consumption.
Facts
| Legal basis | Japanese PGI «Satsuma», National Tax Agency, since 2005; Liquor Tax Act No. 6 of 1953, Art. 3 item 10 |
|---|---|
| Raw material | sweet potato harvested in Kagoshima (excluding Amami and Oshima); koji from rice or sweet potato from Kagoshima; water from Kagoshima |
| Distillation method | single pot-still distillation in Kagoshima |
| Alcohol (% vol.) | up to 45 % vol. |
| Year founded | PGI since 2005 |
How it connects to Spirits
🥃 Satsuma → affects → 🍷 Alcohol and health ← affects ← 🥃 Spirits
Links
- What it affects
- 🍷 Alcohol and health, 🍷 Drunk driving
- Traditions
- 🧑🤝🧑 Japanese
- Part of
- 🥃 Shochu, 🥃 Imo shōchū
- Related to
- 🌍 East Asia
- Similar and different
- 🥃 Kokutō shōchū, 🥃 Kome shōchū, 🥃 Mugi shōchū, 🥃 Iki, 🥃 Iki, 🥃 Kuma, 🥃 Kuma, 🥃 Soba shōchū, 🥃 Soba shōchū
Frequently asked questions
Is Satsuma a variety of mandarin orange?
No. The mandarin Satsuma is indeed named after the former province, but here it is a protected name for shōchū from Kagoshima Prefecture, which covers the same land.
What is Satsuma shōchū made from?
From sweet potato harvested in Kagoshima, and koji from rice or sweet potato, also from Kagoshima; the water comes from the prefecture.
Can Satsuma shōchū be made from cane sugar?
No. The protected name requires sweet potato; Amami city and Oshima district are outside the sweet potato zone and make a different shōchū.
Where is Satsuma made?
In Kagoshima Prefecture in southern Kyushu; fermentation, distillation, storage and bottling take place within its territory.
What is the strength of Satsuma?
Not above 45 % vol. for single-distilled shōchū; the exact figure is on the label.
What to read next
- 🍷 Alcohol and health — Alcohol in any drink is harmful in large amounts, and the risks grow with the quantity.
- 🌍 East Asia — A region in the east of Asia — China, Japan and Korea: milk became an everyday food only in the 20th century, but there are old traditions such as rushan and so; China ranks third in the world for vineyard area.
- 🧑🤝🧑 Japanese — People of Japan, an island country in East Asia; their old dairy tradition is so and daigo, made at the imperial court in the 7th–10th centuries.
- 🥃 Kome shōchū — Japanese single-distilled shochu from rice and rice koji, up to 45% ABV; the best known is the protected name Kuma from Kumamoto Prefecture (since 1995).
- 🥃 Iki — Japan's protected geographical indication for barley shōchū from Iki Island (Nagasaki): only barley and rice koji in roughly 2:1 ratio, island water, single distillation.
Similar
🥃 Kuma · 🥃 Iki · 🥃 Awamori · 🥃 Bayerischer Bärwurz · 🥃 Genièvre aux fruits / Vruchtenjenever · 🥃 Ostpreußischer Bärenfang
⚠️ Spirit drinks contain alcohol and are for adults only. Alcohol harms health. Do not drink during pregnancy or before driving; check the label for ingredients and possible allergens.
Sources
- National Tax Agency of Japan: product specification of the GI Satsuma (薩摩): Kagoshima Prefecture; sweet potatoes harvested in Kagoshima (Amami City and Oshima District excluded); koji from rice or sweet potato harvested in Kagoshima; water from Kagoshima; fermentation, distillation, storage and bottling in Kagoshima; pot distillation; control body Satsuma Shochu Management Committee
- Japan Travel: Kagoshima shōchū — sweet-potato shōchū of southern Kyushu, protected as Satsuma
- Government of Japan, Highlighting Japan (06.2020): Satsuma, Kuma and Iki shōchū as protected geographical indications
- Liquor Tax Act of Japan (Act No. 6 of 1953), Art. 3 items 9–10: continuous-distilled and pot-distilled shochu
- WHO/Europe: No level of alcohol consumption is safe for our health (04.01.2023)