Sake Appreciation Tips

The summer is fast approaching, and you might be wondering how to beat the heat with sake. Japanese sake is made from rice and natural mineral water, and has become a symbol of Japan's regional characteristics with its simple ingredients and delicate flavor. Despite this, many people have little knowledge of sake, and it is even full of misconceptions. If you don't know much about sake, read these tips to learn how to appreciate sake and become a sake expert.

A good sake called Ginjyosu

Many people consider ginjyosu (particularly dai ginjyosu) to be an aristocrat of rice wines because it costs much more than plain rice wine. According to the Japanese, ginjyosu is used to remove fat and protein from rice, leaving the starch-rich core. There is only one difference between pure rice wine and ginjyosu: a light and strong taste.

When drinking sake, brew junmai first, then strong.sake tasting hong kongis very good.

As an accompaniment to meals, sake is a great choice

Unlike whisky and red wine, sake has a single flavor compared to others, and the food pairing highlights its unique flavor. It is easy to pair sake with Chinese steamed fish, steamed chicken, roast duck, and western steak. Wrapping the food in foil enhances the sake's flavor.

Red wine glasses are suitable for serving sake

There are many modern sake makers who have improved their sake to emphasize fruit and floral flavors, so you can taste the sweetness of sake in a red wine glass instead of a traditional sake cup. Traditional sake cups are also ceremonial and have a sense of history.

Warming up with sake isn't the only reason to drink it

I'm not sure if it's the sake in movie and television scenes that misleads many people, and many people have the misconception that sake can only be served warm. There are two ways to drink sake, iced and warm, and the right way to drink it depends on the reason. While mint sake is better suited to ice or room temperature, junmai sake has its own distinct flavor whether served cold or warm.

There is no vintage to speak of

The year is a very important factor when choosing whisky and wine. However, sake's quality is not determined by the year. It is mainly determined by the brewer's brewing techniques, and sake is generally kept for one to two years. You can recognize good sake by using the "Sake Oscars" to determine the quality of the sake. Only sakes that can be considered for the "Ginjo Award" can be labeled.

Sake terms that are commonly used

Sake made without water: Sake brewed without water.

Local wines made with water and rice from local breweries.

The color of old sake is yellow or amber because it has been aged for a long time (3 years or more).

Freshly made, unpasteurized wine (general sake needs to be passed through at least twice)

Cloudy wines contain yeast and small particles

Wine that has not been stirred during brewing.