Sunday, June 12, 2011

Sake Food Pairings & Kosher Sake

1) "People think that with sake, you have to eat Japanese, you have to be authentic," says John Gauntner, who has written five books on sake and is a certified master of sake tasting, "but they need to get over that and think about just pairing sake with food in general.

The above quote is from a new article in the Chicago Tribune, Sake pairings: A world of pairings, beyond sushi, written by James P. DeWan. It repeats something that I have been saying for some time, that sake goes well with a wide variety of cuisines, and not just Japanese. John Gauntner is quoted several times in the article, and his words have much wisdom, especially when he says, "...the key to pairing sake is an open mind and a willingness to experiment."  That is why I like exposing people to sake with what might be considered offbeat pairings, from mushroom risotto to pizza. I want them to see the myriad of possibilities of sake with food.

The article also quotes Takashi Yagihashi, chef-owner of Takashi in Chicago and author of "Takashi's Noodles." He states "Smoky things go very well with sake, anything that's cooked over an open fire." Besides pairing sake with food, both Gautner and Yagihashi also mention how meats marinaded in sake can also be quite delicious.  With summer BBQs coming, why not give some consideration to sake.

2) Chabad reports that the Deli Kasbah restaurant, located in the Upper West Side of New York City, now carries Premium Kosher Sake. The sake is under the Kosher supervision of Tokyo Shliach Rabbi Binyomin Edrey. The sake brand is Dassai, and I very much enjoy their sakes, though have not tasted their Kosher sake yet.  I have not been able to find much more info about this Kosher sake, but will report back when I do.

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