Since its earliest days, sake has always had a powerful connection to food, with it being enjoyed by the Japanese during meals to elevate the dining experience. It’s traditionally been enjoyed with washoku (Japanese cuisine) and paired with dishes such as sushi and tempura, yet there’s so much more to explore when it comes to sake and food.

As sake has grown in popularity outside of Japan it has developed a reputation for being enjoyed with just about any type of food, transcending cultures and being a powerhouse of flavour with Western cuisine - from Michelin star restaurants to humble bar snacks..

While sake and food pairings are subjective, we’re here to provide some suggestions and techniques for how you can find a unique sake and food connection. Remember, Much of the fun of drinking sake is pairing it with your favourite food and experimenting with temperature, texture and taste to see what works best.

Before going further we suggest you first check out our guide on how to choose the best sake for you., which looks at factors beyond food pairing.

Sake and food vs wine and food

You may know a little about how and why wines match wit certain foods

Like wine, sake is a great beverage to pair with food and while wine and food are usually said to complement each other, there are some differences to consider when deciding on a food pairing.

Japan’s national drink is generally less acidic than wine and has as much as five times more amino acids, resulting in a r flavour of umami and this impacts how it’s compared with food. So, the key difference is that sake is meant to elevate food and has a clean finish, so you can continue to eat and enjoy what’s on your plate!

As the Japanese saying goes, sake wa ryori wo erabanai (sake doesn’t fight with food).

Sake grades and flavours

When it comes to premium sake grades, it’s helpful to know the flavour profiles so you can start to think about the types of dishes you might pair with them.

• Junmai: Complex, full-bodied, mellow. Pairs well with heavy meat dishes.

• Junmai ginjo: Light, clean, dry. Pairs well with fish.

• Junmai daiginjo: Elegant, floral, sweet. Goes well with lighter dishes.

• Ginjo: Clean, effervescent, floral. Plays well with vegetarian dishes.

• Daiginjo: Fruity, gentle, fragrant. Pairs wonderfully with dessert.

• Honjozo: Rich, deep, umami. A perfect match with meat.

These descriptions are subjective and only offer a snapshot of possible sake and food pairings. We’d encourage you to find what works for you and here are some helpful techniques:

intensity pairing

One sake and food pairing technique to try is to match by intensity i.e. focusing on the intensity of ingredients, seasoning, the type of cooking method and the weight.

For example, you might decide you want to pair a light daiginjo with a light dish like sushi. Or you could pair a heavy yamahai sake with an umami-rich ramen broth.

Congruent pairing

Another approach is to look for a congruent food and sake pairing, where both have matching similarities in their aroma, texture, taste and finish.

As an example, you could pair a rich, full-bodied cheese quiche with a bold honjozo because both of them have the same characteristics. Another pairing is a mellow junmai with a soft dessert like lemon meringue pie.

Complementary pairing

The opposite approach of a congruent pairing, you could choose sake that’s on the other side of the flavour spectrum e.g. pairing salty with sweet or dryness with spiciness.

Think about pairing sweet daiginjo sake with an aged cheese board. Consider mixing a dry and clean sparkling sake with a spicy Indian curry or pizza. The possibilities are endless and are only limited by the imagination!

LONDON SAKE RECOMMENDATIONS

JuNMAI

Hyogo Prefecture

Fast Facts:

• The largest region of sake production in Japan

• Home to the legendary miyamizu hard water

• The birthplace of Yamada Nishiki rice

• Has the sake GI of Nada-gogo and Harima

Overview

As the region with the most active amount of sake production, Hyogo Prefecture is famous for the Nada-gogo (five villages of Nada) area that features some of Japan’s biggest breweries, including Ozeki, Shirakabegura, Kenbishi and Hakutsuru.

Climate: Wet and snowy in the north and dry in the south

Water: Miyamizu hard water

Sake styles: robust, masculine otozake

Local food pairing with sake: Akashiyaki, a type of egg-rich batter octopus ball with a plenty of umami.

Kyoto Prefecture

Fast Facts:

• The old capital of Japan (between 794 – 1869)

• The second biggest region of sake production

• Famous for soft gokosui water in Fushimi

Overview

Kyoto Prefecture is well-known for having an abundance of soft water that many of the breweries use to create phenomenal sake. There’s a wonderful culture of creativity among the breweries of Kyoto, with brands like Gekkeikan and Tamanohikari leading the charge.

Climate: Warm summers and cold winters

Water: Soft gokosui water

Sake styles: Delicate, aromatic, feminine onnazake

Local food pairing with sake: Pressed mackerel sushi topped with kombu.

 Niigata Prefecture

Fast Facts:

·         Third largest sake producer in Japan

·         Has the highest number of sake breweries

·         The birthplace of Gohyakumangoku rice

·         A pioneer of the ginjo sake boom between 1986 – 1991

Overview

Niigata Prefecture holds a special place in the annals of sake history for a number of reasons.

With the highest amount of sake breweries in Japan, innovation has always been a big part of the local culture, particularly with the move towards premium ginjo sake in the late 1980s and the distinctive style of tanrei karakuchi.

Climate: Rainy throughout the year and cold winters

Water: Soft, clean water

Sake styles: Tanrei karakuchi – dry, light sake with a clean finish

Local food pairing with sake: Sushi with kanzuri chili paste. The paste is made from red peppers, laid on snow to remove any bitter flavours and then minced with yuzu for a mixture of sweet and spicy flavours.

Akita Prefecture

Fast Facts:

• Achieved most number of gold medals at the National New Sake Contest

• Famous for the Akita-style kimoto sake production method

• Originator of No. 6 yeast strain

Overview

A snowy kingdom of sake innovation, Akita is a place of experimentation and exceptional production. The sake styles of the region are varied, with each brewery having their own unique thing to say and an interesting fact is that the No.6 yeast strain was developed in the area to create a more robust fermentation.

Climate: Hot summers and cold winters

Water: Soft water

Sake styles: A lot of variation with mellow umami notes and soft textures

Local food pairing with sake: Iburigakko (pickled daikon radish)

 Hiroshima Prefecture

Fast Facts:

• Originator of the soft water fermentation method

• Set the foundation for modern ginjo sake

• Home to Saijo Sake Festival – The biggest sake festival in Japan

Overview

A land of temperature extremes, Hiroshima is known for being the originator of the soft water fermentation method through the work of a brewer called Senzaburou Miura who was active during the 1870s.

This method became the blueprint for what ginjo sake would become and breweries such as Miyake Honten, Fuji Shuzo and Kamotsuru continue to keep the traditions of Hiroshima alive today.

Climate: Warm and dry throughout the year. Cold in mountainous areas and prone to typhoons

Water: Super-soft water

Sake styles: Various styles with soft, briny characteristics

Local food pairing with sake: Bishu nabe (Japanese hotpot made with sake, meat and vegetables)

 Ishikawa Prefecture

Fast Facts:

• Has the sake GI of Hakusan

• Known for producing a high volume of yamahai sake

• Famous for Wajima lacquerware

Overview

Ishikawa Prefecture is a land of snow, thunder and brilliant sake, with a distinctive GI relating to Hakusan City. The sake made in the region tends to have rich, umami notes due to the influence of the local Noto toji guild.

Another bit of fun trivia about Ishikawa sake is that the 16th-century lord Toyotomi Hideyoshi, who united Japan was fond of sake brewed in the southern part of the region.

Climate: Temperate with snow and storms in northern areas

Water: Soft to semi-hard

Sake styles: Deep umami and cereal notes with high acidity and a sweet finish

Local food pairing with sake: Kabura sushi. This is a type of sushi that’s wrapped in salted kabu (turnips) which have been pickled with koji.

Saga Prefecture

Fast Facts:

• One of the few rice farming lands in Kyushu region

• Known for producing high-quality shochu

• A leader in Japanese pottery styles Arita & Karatsu

   

Overview

Located on the far western side of Japan, Saga Prefecture has a warm and mild climate and the region is made up of flat plains and mountains such as Tenzan and Taradake. The sake of the region has been influenced by this warmer climate, being juicy, sweet and balanced.

Climate: Warm and mild

Water: Soft to semi-hard

Sake styles: Juicy and vicious with balanced acidity

Local food pairing with sake: Yobuko squid that has crunchy characteristics and pairs well with a sweeter type of sake.