When it comes to sake pairings, it's natural to think of Japanese food, and local sake with local dishes is certainly the most suitable choice. But to be honest, Japanese food is not so popular at the Chinese table, sake is so soft and beautiful to drink, many people want to take two sips every three to five, then this sake appetizer in addition to The Japanese food is nothing else? Also, with so many Japanese dishes, which Japanese foods are suitable for pairing with which sake? This article will explain it in detail for you.
The basic principle of sake pairing
As with wine, there are 2 basic principles for pairing sake with food – in harmony or in opposition.
Alignment
The principle of coordination emphasizes that food and wine have common characteristics, such as: both have a light taste, both have a purposeful taste (that is, umami), are relatively soft, and so on.
Opposing each other
The principle of mutual opposition is to contrast the characteristics of food and wine, and to achieve balance from the impact of this opposition. For example, greasy food with refreshing wine, spicy dishes with sweet and soft wine, etc., will also bring a good drinking experience.
Smoked, refreshing, mellow, cooked 4 types of sake how to accompany the meal
As we mentioned earlier, sake can be divided into 4 categories according to flavor and taste: smoked, refreshing, mellow, and cooked (details, point 34). Therefore, when pairing meals, we can also choose the food suitable for matching according to these 4 categories.
PS: It is inappropriate to choose food pairs with special names (sake, sake, etc., details), because they do not represent the specific flavor characteristics of sake style. In comparison, it is more reliable to smoke, cool, mellow and cooked.
01
Smoked wine
Typical features: rich floral and fruit aromas, unrestrained aromas and refreshing wine.
Collocation principle: You can refer to the principle of white wine with rich floral and fruity aromas. Smoked wine harmonizes well with the aromas of fruit, vegetable and vanilla dishes. Smoked wine can be drunk as an aperitif, so it is also suitable for serving appetizers.
Represents food
Vegetables: vegetable salad/tempura, fruit salad, vanilla salad;
Seafood: seafood salad, steamed white fish, steamed scallops, crab scrambled eggs;
Meat: vanilla grilled chicken, beef fillets;
Others: Italian, Vietnamese, Thai dishes, etc. cooked with fresh fruits and vegetables, such as tomato pasta.
02
Refreshing wine
Typical features: light aroma and light body.
Collocation principle: Can refer to the neutral white wine catering principle, it can be said to be a versatile wine, especially suitable for refreshing dishes.
Vegetables: edamame, boiled vegetables;
Seafood: white fish sashimi, oysters, cold shrimp, shrimp dumplings, boiled crabs, fried shrimp;
Meat: chicken grilled / roasted bird + lemon, olive oil fried chicken;
Others: Tofu, steamed egg, cold buckwheat noodles, wontons.
03
Wine
Typical characteristics: dry seafood and other purpose of the low taste, mellow body.
Collocation principle: Red wine can be used to accompany meals. Very harmonious with the aroma of spices. It is suitable for pairing with dishes with strong flavor and intention, and is suitable for accompanying main dishes, especially greasy Chinese, German and American dishes.
Vegetables: mixed stir-fry, fries, cheese roasted eggplant;
Seafood: squid sashimi, seafood baked, grilled oysters, French seafood braised;
Meat: chicken skewers/roasted birds, steaks, grilled meats;
Others: Molama macaroni, Spanish omelet, Chinese fried noodles.
04
Cooked wine
Typical features: strong flavor and mellow body.
Collocation principle: Very well matched with foods with strong flavor and layers. It is especially suitable for fermented condiments such as miso and fish sauce. Cooked wine is often used as an after-dinner drink, and it is also very compatible with desserts.
Seafood: grilled eel with sauce, fried fish fillet with chili sauce;
Meats: Sukiyaki, stir-fried foie gras, lamb kebabs, yakitori, lamb chops and Peking duck;
Others: Cooked cheese, sautéed mushrooms, mapo tofu.
The fishy taste of fish and seafood is difficult to match for most of the wines on the market, but because sake is rich in amino acids, the umami taste it brings can be well matched with this fishy taste, so it is recommended to try sake when eating seafood next time, it is really good