5 major pairings that make sake even more delicious
5 major pairings that make sake even more delicious
There are many ways to enjoy sake.
The way to enjoy it is not just by the different types of sake, such as daiginjo'' andhonjozo," or by the temperature of the sake, such as hot sake'' andchilled sake."
What kind of food would you pair it with?
In fact, when enjoying sake, it is very important to think about the food it goes with.
However, “It’s difficult to understand the taste of Japanese sake, and I don’t know what kind of sake to pair with what kind of food." ”
For those of you, this time I, a sake professional, will introduce you to the secret of “pairing" to enjoy the best combination of sake and food!
What exactly is pairing?
In the world of alcohol, pairing refers to the compatibility of alcohol and food.
A combination that reduces the bitterness and astringency of food and the harshness of alcohol, and conversely brings out the umami and sweetness… In other words, “pairing" is the art of combining alcohol and food to create a third flavor that is not unique to each other. It represents.
Be careful with ○○ when pairing sake!
When you think of “pairing = creating a third taste," you get the feeling that it requires an extremely difficult technique that only professionals in the field can do.
Don’t worry, pairing may seem difficult, but if you pay attention to just one thing, you can find a good combination.
That is the “flavor of sake".
If you divide sake into two axes: aroma and taste, you’ll get the four combinations listed above.
There are two types of sake: whether the flavor is strong or light, and whether the aroma is gorgeous or mild.
Keeping these two things in mind, you should choose sake that has a flavor similar to that of the food.
5 major pairings for sake
When you think of sake, you tend to pair it with something refreshing like sashimi.
Of course, it’s still delicious, but that doesn’t mean you can truly enjoy sake.
If you pay attention to the flavors of sake and food, you will be able to create delicious combinations with foods that at first glance would not be associated with sake, such as Western food, cheese, and sweets.
“Tanrei Dry” x “Seafood”
We recommend the classic pairing of tanrei dry sake with seafood.
Specifically, sushi and sashimi.
The characteristics of tanrei dry sake are its “clean aftertaste and sharp taste.”
Try pairing tanrei karakuchi, a refreshing Japanese sake with a gentle aroma, with dishes such as sashimi or grilled fish that are light and lightly seasoned, or sushi that is served with vinegared rice.
“Junmai" x “Meat dishes"
The “Junmai" type of sake is a must-have for pairing with meat dishes.
Junmaishu refers to “sake made using only water and rice."
This type is characterized by a gentle aroma and rich taste.
For this reason, meat dishes with a lot of rich seasoning go well with Junmai sake, which has a rich flavor that goes well with the seasoning.
Steak and grilled meat are recommended.
“Sake" x “Stewed dishes"
There are many ways to enjoy Japanese food with sake.
For such people, we recommend the pairing of sake'' andsimmered dishes."
Even in Japanese cuisine, especially stew dishes, the meat and vegetables are soaked in dashi stock, so the umami comes out well.
For dishes with such a strong umami flavor, try pairing it with “sake", which also has a strong umami flavor.
An example of a stew dish is offal stew, which is a standard menu item at izakaya restaurants.
The umami of both offal stew and sake have a synergistic effect, and the alcoholic taste of the sake washes away the oil from the stew, making it the perfect pairing.
“Rich type" x “Western food"
Dishes that go well with sake are not limited to Japanese food.
You can also enjoy the pairing with Western dishes such as carpaccio, which is made with fish and goes well with Japanese sake.
Additionally, Western cuisine often uses a lot of oil and has rich seasonings.
Therefore, we recommend sake with a strong, rich flavor, or sake with a strong sweetness and acidity similar to wine.
Many dressings for white fish carpaccio have a strong umami flavor, so try pairing it with sake, which has a mellow and rich flavor.
Pairing Japanese sake and Western food may seem difficult, but as long as you keep the flavor in mind, you can do it!
“Sake" x “Cheese"
Although there is a strong impression that “cheese means wine!!", it actually goes well with Japanese sake.
Cheese goes perfectly with “jukusake," a Japanese sake with a strong umami flavor and a heavy aftertaste!
There is also sake that goes well with cheese, planned and developed in collaboration between a popular cheese specialty restaurant in Tokyo and Miyoshi Kiku Sake Brewery in Tokushima Prefecture.
It tastes like a sour white wine.
Please enjoy this with cheese as well.
Extra edition “Sake” x “Sweets”
If you keep the flavor in mind, you can enjoy pairing sake with sweets.
I’m sure there are many people who think that Japanese sake and sweets don’t go well together, but this is the best place to enjoy Japanese sake where you can enjoy a variety of flavors.
Super-sweet sake with a refreshing sweetness reminiscent of wine and aged sake with a mellow, gentle flavor and mellow sweetness pair well with chocolate.
Sake and chocolate is a combination that you wouldn’t normally think of, but think you’ve been fooled and give it a try!!