Understanding Sake 101

Have you ever opened up a menu at a restaurant, looked at the sake listing, and had no idea where to start or what it all means? If so, this post is for you. Here are a few simple things I’ve picked up while working for the Art of Sake to ensure you look like a pro.

There’s also a chart below that mirrors many of the charts you see at sake bars in Tokyo. This helps you understand a bit about making sake, as well as how to categorize it. Something we’d recommend trying is a linear tasting, where you pour yourself several different types of sake and taste them one after another. When doing this, try to make them as different as possible (use the chart below to help guide you) so you can know where your preferences lie.

Note: The more you learn about sake, the more you realize there is to learn. This is a high level post intended for people who are new to sake, not sake aficionados. If you want to take your learning next level, here is a good complementary post.

Basics

• Type of Rice: Just like other wines, the type of rice used (a main input) can make the sake taste differently.
• Rice Polishing: Before rice is made into sake, it is polished (rubbed to remove some of the grain and starch), the percentage of rice left is always shown on the bottle. The lower the percentage on the bottle, the more it’s been polished. This means it’s taken more rice and labor to make that sake. Generally more polished sake has less rice flavor and is lighter.
• Room Temp, Hot, or Cold: There are 3 temperatures you can serve sake, and it depends on how the sake was made and your own personal preferences. In addition to temperature, you can also have flat or sparkling sake (a good substitute for champagne).

High Level Categorization

• Junmai (~5% of sake sold globally) has no added alcohol, characterized by a more pronounced rice flavor, rare and harder to find
• Honjozo (~95% of sake sold globally) has added alcohol, more commercial sake

So what do you go for?

Here’s a simple chart to help categorize your sake. Most of the sake you have likely tried falls into quadrants 2 and 4. So definitely worth it to ask if they have junmai sake to try something new.

How you pair with your food with sake has similar guidelines as with wine —lighter sake goes well with seafood, vegetable based dishes, and saltier foods. More full bodied sake can be paired with stronger flavors such as indian curry or pickled vegetables. In general, it should be avoided with spicy or overly flavourful foods such as BBQ, as that would overpower the delicate sake taste.

1. Junmai, the less polished the more full bodied and rice flavor
2. Honjozo, the less polished the more full bodied, will have a more pronounced alcohol taste
3. Junmai, more polished for a lighter flavor
4. Honjozo, more polished for a lighter flavor, will have a more pronounced alcohol taste