C6 - Sake and Food - completed Flashcards
What is the purpose of food and sake pairing?
Ideally both the food and sake should taste better.
What need to avoid when pairing food with sake?
avoid any negative or unpleasant interactions.
What is the difference between sake and wine when pairing food with multiple dishes?
it is common practice for one sake to pair with many different dishes.
Why sake is easier to pair with food in terms of the taste elements it has?
- sake has low levels of acidity or bitterness, these elements cause problems when consuming with food.
What is the advantage of sake in food pairing when compare with wine?
- sake is more versatile
- less likely any dish will make a good sake taste unpleasant
What else we should consider in pairing besides the interactions between food and sake?
- preferences and sensitivities of individuals
which two elements in food make beverages taste ‘harder’
sweetness and umami
What ‘harder’ means when the beverage’s taste is affected by food
- more drying
- more bitter
- more acidic
- less sweet
- less fruity
which two elements in food make beverages taste ‘softer’?
salt and acid
What ‘softer’ means when the beverage’s taste is affected by food?
- less drying
- less bitter
- less acidic
- sweeter
- more fruity
examples of food with high levels of umami without salt
- asparagus
- eggs
- mushrooms
- ripe soft cheese
examples of food with high levels of umami and salt
- cured or smoked seafood and meats
- hard cheeses (especially Parmesan)
examples of Japanese cuisine using high levels of umami
- dashi
- dried bonito flakes
- seaweed
- soy
- miso
- mushrooms
- seafood
What happens to the bitterness taste when both food and sake are bitter?
bitter tastes add to each other, thus the level of bitterness will be raised in this pairing.
bitterness can be found in many Japanese dishes, why it won’t have problem when pairing with sake?
- because of the absence of bitterness in sake won’t cause the pairing taste more bitter.
What are the other considerations other than the basic taste components in pairing?
- flavour intensity
- acid and fat
- sweet and salty
- sake and fish
what is the usual choice of intensity when pairing food and sake?
both intensity should be match so that one does not overpower the other.
examples of intensely flavoured food can be partnered with a lightly flavoured beverage
curry and a simple honjozo sake
Can lightly flavoured dessert be partnered with a intensely flavoured sweet sake?
Yes
when pairing with fatty, oily foods with high acidic beverage seems satisfying?
- the acidic drink has a ‘cutting through’ effect on the richness of the food
why the effect of pairing sake with fatty, oily food is quite subtle?
- most Japanese dishes are low in fat or oil
- sake has a low levels of acidity
example of successful pairing of salty food with sweet sake
sweet sake and blue cheese.
what is the problem when pairing fish with sake?
the elements in sake will reduce the intensity of fish flavours, especially junmai and honjozo than ginjo styles.
what are the disadvantages of wine, beer and spirits in pairing with food?
- wines are high acidity, red wines have bitter tannin
- beer has bitterness from hops
- spirits are high in alcohol
what are the components of high-risk foods?
- sugar
- acid
- chilli heat
- intense flavours
what style of sake should pair with sweet foods?
- the sake should be at lease as sweet as the food, otherwise the sake can taste too dry and thin.
what style of sake should pair with acidic food?
- the sake should be high in acidity, otherwise the sake can taste flat, flabby and unfocused.
what style of sake should pair with spicy (chilli heat) food?
- lighter in alcohol
- has some sweetness
- sweetness can help soften the burning sensation results from the alcohol level in sake.
what is the negative effect when pairing food with high intensity food with sake?
- dishes has very intense flavours can easily overwhelm the delicate flavours of most sake.
what is the component(s) of low-risk food
high in salt
what should be considered when pairing with koshu and ginjo style of sake to avoid risk?
- koshu sakes are intense in flavours, can overwhelm some dishes
- ginjo-style sakes are very delicate, can be overwhelmed by some dishes.
are most sake considered as low-risk?
Yes
