[Directly told by the sake brewery chief brewer! ] 9 exquisite snacks that go well with sake! ~Saga Prefecture Yano Sake Brewery Edition~ From the concept of mariage and pairing to combinations

[Directly told by the brewery president and chief brewer] Sake snack series

When you buy some delicious alcohol at a liquor store and decide to drink it at home,
“What kind of snacks should I pair with this alcohol?”
Do you ever get confused?

Actually, I, the author, have always had similar problems.

So this timeA menu of snacks that go perfectly with sake, directly from sake brewery presidents and sake brewers who are alcohol professionals.I was taught!

The point that is different from other articles is that it is extremely specific (lol)

After reading this article, you should be able to come up with some snacks to go with today's drink!

Toast directly with the sake brewery president and brewer♪ Hands-on local SAKE

We, who are writing this article, are running an in-home experience-based alcohol mail order service that combines "local alcohol mail order x online toasts with the makers."

It's a so-called online sake brewery tour, and it's a really nice service that allows you to toast with the presidents and brewers of local sake breweries from the comfort of your own home.♪
(→Don't say it yourself! lol)

We want you to experience not only the taste of the alcohol, but also the personality and way of thinking of the sake brewer.
We operate our services with this in mind.

The sake snack menu we will be introducing this time is a real recommendation that we heard directly from the online sake brewery tour. 

Hands-on Local SAKE official website

  

4 types of sake

First of all, there are many different types of sake, each with different characteristics.

First of all, there is a rough classification of Japanese sake, so I will introduce it to you.

Daiginjoshu, Ginjoshu - Kunshu

It has a fruity aroma and is characterized by a light and refreshing taste. It is said that it goes well with light seasonings that make use of the ingredients.

Regular sake, Honjozo sake, Namazake - Soshu

The aroma is modest, and it is characterized by a light, dry, and refreshing taste. It goes well with a wide range of dishes, and can be paired with both light and rich dishes.

Long-term aged sake, aged sake - Jukushu

It is characterized by a complex, profound aroma and rich taste. It goes well with aged dishes, sweet foods with a moist texture, and foods with a unique flavor.

Junmaishu - Junshu

It is characterized by a deep, sweet aroma reminiscent of rice itself and a strong umami flavor. It goes well with well-seasoned dishes and Western-style dishes that use butter, white cream, etc.

 

What is Sake Mariage Pairing?

Lately, when we're talking about snacks that go well with sake, don't you often hear the words mariage and pairing?

First of all, I would like to understand the basics of what the word means.

 

What is mariage?

"Mariage" means "marriage" in French, and is a word often used in the wine industry.

This refers to the fact that when different flavors of wine and food overlap, a new deliciousness is created as a third taste.

 

What is pairing?

“Pairing” refers to the combination of ingredients and dishes that go well with alcohol.

You often hear that ``marriage'' refers to marriage, and ``pairing'' refers to a group date.

The general idea and how to combine them is as follows.
*The standards for sake mariage/pairing may differ slightly depending on the person, so please use this as an example. 

 

Rough standards for sake marriage/pairing

[Concentration] Match the concentration of the taste of alcohol and food

A way of combining flavors such as strong alcohol for strong flavors, and light alcohol for simple dishes that allow you to enjoy the flavors of the ingredients.

 

[Flavor] Match the aroma nuances of alcohol and food

Combine items with similar aromas and tastes. For dishes that have a lot of fruity ingredients, use sake with the aroma of ginjo sake, and combine the same aromatic elements, such as sake with a sweet and sour taste.

 

[Warmth sensation] Match the temperature range of alcohol and food

Adjust the temperature of the alcohol to match the temperature of the food. A way to pair hot food with hot alcohol and cold food with chilled alcohol.

 

[Texture] Match the texture of alcohol and food

Use combinations that match the textures, such as using a thick alcohol like aged sake for a moist dish like cheese, or a dry alcohol for a light dish.

 

The above is a rough standard when pairing sake with food, so please refer to it when choosing sake and food.♪

 

 

9 Sake Snacks Recommended by the Sake Brewery President and Chief Brewer ~Yano Sake Brewery, Saga Prefecture~

Now that we have briefly introduced the basics, let's get to the main topic!

This time, we learned the Japanese sake snack recipe directly from Yano, president and brewer of Yano Sake Brewery in Kashima City, Saga Prefecture, so we will introduce some recommended snacks and pairings using Yano Sake Brewery's sake.

The pairings we will introduce this time are as follows.

• Pairing menu with aromatic sake such as Junmai Daiginjo
• Pairing menu that goes well with dry types of alcohol
• Pairing menu that goes well with aged sake

 

About Yano Sake Brewery, Kashima City, Saga Prefecture

Founded 224 years ago, Yano Sake Brewery brews sake in Kashima City, Saga Prefecture.
Representative brands are ``Takenoen'' and ``Hizen Kuroshin.''

Chief brewer Yano says, ``Sake brewing is a form of self-expression'' and ``I want to make sake that embodies Kashima, Saga Prefecture.'' He is an avid researcher and is constantly researching snacks that go well with sake.

• Yano Sake Brewery Co., Ltd.
• 3903-1 Takatsuhara, Kashima City, Saga Prefecture
• 0954-63-2008
• The homepage ishere

 

Alcohol introduced this time

This time, we will introduce snacks that go well with Yano Sake Brewery.

The three alcoholic beverages we will be introducing this time are:

 

● 3 types of drinking comparison

1. Takenoen Junmai Daiginjo Aizan
2. Hizen Zoshin Special Junmai Super Dry
3. Hizen Kuroshin Kimoto Junmai 75 (2016) (old sake)

 

Pairing menu that goes well with Junmai Daiginjo 

• Alcohol: Takenoen Junmai Daiginjo Aizan
• Rice used: Aizan
• Rice polishing ratio: 47%
• Sake level: +3
• Recommended way to drink: Chilled

It is characterized by its juicy fruity flavor and crisp aftertaste.

 

Tempura chikuwa mayo with potato salad

Source: https://www.hotpepper.jp/mesitsu/entry/kinniku/18-00077

To be honest, out of all the combinations I came up with this time, I felt the most marriage-like combination!

Although it is an extremely affordable item that can be purchased at a supermarket, it is incredibly impressive when paired with Junmai Daiginjo, and the cost performance is unbelievable.

The oil from the potato salad and mayonnaise is combined with Junmai Daiginjo sake and ``jutsu'', and the taste of sake is added to the green seaweed of the tempura chikuwa and the texture of the chikuwa, creating a third taste that appears for the first time.

 

Pickled jellyfish and cucumber

Source: https://cookpad.com/recipe/424668

The crunchiness of the jellyfish and the crunch of the cucumber combine with the Junmai Daiginjo to bring out the flavor of the ingredients.

The refreshing taste of vinegar matches the gorgeousness of Junmai Daiginjo, making it a very good combination.

I think chilled sake goes well with this!

 

salmon sashimi

Source: https://www.sato-suisan.co.jp/shop/product/detail/385

According to Mr. Yano, fatty fatty fatty tuna is also available, but this time we will be introducing salmon.

Adding wasabi to salmon and soy sauce, and pairing it with alcohol brings out the natural flavor of the salmon.

It is also recommended to drink this cold.♪

 

Pairing menu that goes well with dry alcohol 

• Alcohol: Hizen Kuroshin Special Junmai Super Dry
• Rice used: Kita Shizuku
• Rice polishing ratio: 60%
• Sake level: +12
• Recommended way to drink: Chilled

60% polished rice from Kitashizuku, a rice suitable for sake brewing from Hokkaido. This is a special dry rice sake brewed with Saga yeast (F401). It's refreshing and sharp, making it a perfect drink to accompany your meal.

 

Celery with tuna mayonnaise

Source: https://daidokolog.pal-system.co.jp/recipe/6944 

This combination is the best!

The celery and tuna with mayonnaise alone is perfect as a snack with alcohol, but its refreshing taste quickly neutralizes this super-dry alcohol in your mouth.

This combination is sure to be repeated.

 

sesame sauce tofu

引用元：https://www.kyounoryouri.jp/recipe/30599_.html

Tofu topped with shiso leaves and bonito flakes in sesame sauce is a classic Japanese snack.

It's very easy to make, but it has an elegant taste that is the complete opposite of its simplicity.The refreshing, dry sake perfectly complements the soothing taste of the sesame sauce tofu.

 

 

Super easy sea urchin

Source: https://rocketnews24.com/2014/09/15/485407/

This was recommended not by the chief brewer Yano, but by a participant in an online sake brewery tour, who said it would go well with the supermarket's easy sea urchin, which is full of alum!

Because of the moist texture of the sea urchin, you'll get addicted to the way it feels when you rinse off the alcohol and cut it.

 

Pairing menu that goes well with aged sake 

• Alcohol: Hizen Kuroshin Kimoto Junmai 75 (2016) (old sake)
• Rice used: Aizan
• Rice polishing ratio: 60%
• Sake level: +6
• Recommended way to drink: Chilled or warmed

Kimoto is an alcoholic beverage carefully brewed using the traditional, time-consuming method. Hizen Kuroshin Kimoto Junmai is aged sake that has been aged for over a year. It has a deep flavor with a hint of lactic acid, and is delicious both cold and hot.

 

Processed cheese or herb garlic cheese

Source: https://www.kurashiru.com/recipes/e1ba5a46-d1ed-4a7f-8c32-163b94740ed6 

Cheese is the classic companion to Japanese sake!

When this persistent cheese is combined with the mellow aged sake, it goes perfectly in your mouth and disappears in an instant.

Personally, this is my favorite combination.

 

Blue cheese x honey

Source: https://theomochi.com/128/

A truly unique combination of masking the blue moldiness of blue cheese by covering it with honey and then adding aged sake to it.

You may be divided on whether you like it or not because of the strong taste of blue cheese, but for those who love the grassy flavor of blue cheese, this is an irresistible combination.

 

Full of caramelcreme brûlée

Source: https://macaro-ni.jp/14598

The highlight of this creme brûlée is that it's full of caramel!

When the caramel baked on a gas burner is combined with the aged sake, it creates a marriage that feels like a marriage!
The gentle texture of the creme brûlée envelops it, making it incredibly soothing.

It's a devilish combination that makes you imagine that if this combination were served at the end of a bar, the people who ate with it would instantly fall in love.

 

 

I tried the pairing recommended by the sake brewery president to see if it really goes well.

During this online sake brewery tour, we tried out the sake snacks recommended by Yano Sake Brewery to see if they were really delicious, so please take a look.♪

The impressions are just our personal opinions (lol)

 

The series of recommended Japanese sake snacks by the sake brewery president and chief brewer will continue, so please check it out.♪

 

[Limited to 7 sets] Yano Sake Brewery Hands-on BOX

If you find this Japanese sake snack and mariage interesting, please try it at home.♪

You can also purchase the ``Hands-on BOX,'' a set of three types of Yano Sake Brewery sake that we introduced this time, from the link below, so please be sure to purchase it.

Click here for Yano Sake Brewery's drinking comparison set "Hands-on BOX"

If you want to interact with the brewery president and brewer at home, try Hands-on Local SAKE

Once or twice a month, we conduct online sake brewery tours where you can interact directly with the makers.♪

Online sake brewery tour

Each time we hold an event with a different sake brewery and a different theme related to sake, so if you are interested in the theme of this online sake brewery tour, please check it out below!

Check out this month's online sake brewery tour