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Junmai sake is brewed using pure rice and rice bran, with no added alcohol. It has the most umami, with a rich rice grain flavor.

Daiginjo sake is the most premium sake because it uses highly polished rice, with a polishing rate of less than 50%. The more polished the rice, the clearer the taste of sake. Daiginjo sake flavor profiles depend on the type of rice and brewing techniques used.

Sake brewed using Omachi rice produces a rich, complex and intense taste. The sake has a thick and well-rounded texture, resulting in this full body flavor.

Daiginjo sake is the most premium sake because it uses highly polished rice, with a polishing rate of less than 50%. The more polished the rice, the clearer the taste of sake. Daiginjo sake flavor profiles depend on the type of rice and brewing techniques used.

Genshu is raw sake, or sake in its undiluted form and it has a robust taste. During the brewing process, to adjust the alcohol content, water is added. This stage of the sake process is kasui.

Junmai sake is brewed using pure rice and rice bran, with no added alcohol. It has the most umami, with a rich rice grain flavor.

Daiginjo sake is the most premium sake because it uses highly polished rice, with a polishing rate of less than 50%. The more polished the rice, the clearer the taste of sake. Daiginjo sake flavor profiles depend on the type of rice and brewing techniques used.

Yamada Nishiki is the king of sake brewing rice. Its distinctive grains are large and white with a glossy center. Sake made from Yamada Nishiki is known to have fruity flavors with fine, mellow notes.

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Escape the Ordinary

A journey of
seafood and sake

To truly discover your sake journey, please use your headphones and click for audio.

Sake:
More than just a flight of fancy
Joshua Kalinan
For Joshua Kalinan,
named Sake Sommelier of the Year in 2018, sake is more than just a drink: it's a tradition, a science and a culinary adventure. But most of all, it's a love story.
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Joshua Kalinan's love affair with sake began, ironically, when he traveled to Japan to sit for a wine exam. As he emerged from the exam, exhausted, his wife suggested trying some local food and sake.

They ended up having hirezake for the first time, a unique drink even for the Japanese, where a puffer fish fin is grilled till charred and smoky, and steeped in a hot and equally smoky sake.

The deep, delicious flavor roused him from his exhaustion and propelled him onto the path of studying sake, an experience that has proven even more layered and nuanced than his wine studies.

Sake has taken on an almost mystical quality for Joshua.

The deep, delicious flavor roused him from his exhaustion and propelled him onto the path of studying sake, an experience that has proven even more layered and nuanced than his wine studies.

Sake has taken on an almost mystical quality for Joshua.

It's the combination of history and culture, the different types of rice used, the ancient stories of how it was brewed in temples.

There is just so much to it.

The Kojiki, Japan's first written history, records the first mention of sake - or nihonshu - in the country circa 712 AD, during the Nara period. In the Muromachi period (1336-1573), Kyoto boasted over 300 breweries. These soon began applying a three-step fermentation process to the alchemy of temperate climate, crystal-clear water and deeply committed craftsmanship - which came together in the creation of sake.

Today, there are over 1,400 sake breweries in Japan.

When sake meets the sea

The only thing probably stronger than Japan's connection to sake is its connection to the fruits of the ocean. It's no wonder then, that when it comes to culinary pairings, sake's most natural fit is seafood - an undersea match made in heaven.

While it may be a new idea for somebody unfamiliar with sake, it's the umami element - found in both sake and seafood - that makes this pairing just perfect.

Sake has five times more amino acid than traditional white wine, therefore it is a better dining companion for seafood. Also, unlike wine, sake's aftertaste is gossamer-like, disappearing more quickly off the palate than wine's longer finish.

Here are some ideas on how to pair sakes with seafood for a new flavor experience.

Umami is the magic that happens when glutamate-rich foods, such as seafood, release glutamic acids, which join forces with the tongue's taste receptors to cause flavor to be heightened, deepened, multiplied.

Junmai Daiginjo
Omachi

Rice polishing rate - 50%
Sake with soft, rich and deep taste
pairs well with the rounded flavors of
steamed fish
Sake with soft, rich and deep taste pairs well with the rounded flavors of
steamed fish
Sake prepares the palate and brings out the umami against seafood's own umami characters (thanks to its inosinic acid content) and awakens an answering call in the drink. The pairing transcends mere complementarity to create a truly enhanced tasting experience.

Daiginjo
Genshu

Rice polishing rate - 40%
Sake with rich and powerful flavor and aroma
pairs well with the fresh flavors in
poached lobster
Sake with rich and powerful flavor and aroma pairs well with the fresh flavors in
poached lobster
Joshua speaks about how sake dials down the metallic flavors in shellfish, highlighting their delicacy and sweetness more than white wine does.

Junmai Daiginjo
Yamada Nishiki

Rice polishing rate - 38%
Sake with light, fruity flavor and aroma
pairs well with the fresh and buttery flavors in
seared scallops
Sake with light, fruity flavor and aroma pairs well with the fresh and buttery flavors in
seared scallops
The sake cuts through the fattiness of the scallop and complements its freshness.

Joshua follows the simple guideline of lighter food with lighter sakes, and richer dishes with a heavier style.

Seafood
Tempura Grilled
Eel Fresh
Oysters Oyster
Omelette Monkfish
Liver

Junmai
Daiginjo Omachi

Daiginjo
Genshu

Junmai Daiginjo
Yamada Nishiki

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A passion too bright to remain earthbound
Joshua isn't just passionate about sake. The Singapore Airlines inflight manager and air sommelier literally takes it to new heights, curating a list of fine sakes for high-altitude travelers. He is the first Singaporean to be named Sake Sommelier of the Year, in a global competition run by the UK-based Sake Sommelier Association.
I tend to choose sakes with more prominent, fruity noses to be enjoyed in-flight. Your palate gets a bit numb at high altitudes, so you need a sake with a more prominent nose to counter that.

Combining his love of sake's flavors and storied traditions and weaving them into his own tales led to him winning the Sake Sommelier of the Year title in 2018. In competition, Joshua was buoyed by his sense of adventure; one of the six competition tasks saw him pairing sake with everything from deep-fried prawns to - most challengingly - chocolate.

Underlying Joshua's enthusiasm for pairing food and sake is his love of cooking. Even as he was being named Sake Sommelier of the Year for 2018, Joshua also made the Top 10 of MasterChef Singapore.
I really like unconventional sake and food pairings, and I think the sake world is a lot more accepting of creative pairings nowadays. Sake has opened up - and continues to expand - my culinary horizons. I think everyone's favorite dish has a sake match! The sake spectrum is so much wider than many people realize.
You've got the dry, fruity sakes, but also kijoshus - the aged sakes that have nutty, dried fruit notes and can go wonderfully with something rich and fatty. I measure the dryness and the sweetness of each when I try it; what I'm always looking for is something that makes the overall experience even greater.

Serving sake:

The intersection of tradition and the contemporary
Joshua finds himself usually serving sakes - particularly rich ones - at room temperature, or warm, at no more than 45 degrees Celsius. This allows a sake's aromas and palate to open more fully.
This is part of what I love about sake - these little rituals set the tone and create an atmosphere in which you can really enjoy the sake.
Embarking on the path of sake
Joshua says the first step for those looking to start their own sake journeys should be an accessible sake, well balanced between dry and sweet.
  • Choose something with a fruity nose, nothing too earthy.
  • Chill it well to about 12 degrees & serve in a wine glass.
  • Buy small bottles and start tasting. Keep a journal for all your tasting notes.
  • Know your history, the kinds of rice, their rate of polishing, and understand the labels.
  • Bring sake to life with regular tastings & accumulate a wealth of stories.
  • Pair your sakes with a variety of seafood dishes to open up new flavor horizons.
It's all about love, love is
what makes you learn.