Sake Hot/Cold

[_ABB_]

Hello,

All of my life I have been a Sushi eater and have always enjoyed a flute of sake on the side. That said, I always order hot sake and really don't know what makes one sake better than another.

Do you take your sake warm? Cold? How can I differentiate good sake from bad?

Cheers!

 

[nahneun]

complexity of taste, tasting notes, etc. some styles are better hot, others cold. it's similar to tasting wine.

also, only people who don't know sushi drink sake with sushi.

nub.

 

[mm84321]

I've only had sake when warm. It counters nicely with a cold martini.

 

[_ABB_]

What do you typically drink with Sushi?

 

[nahneun]

beer and green/barley tea

 

[mm84321]

Originally Posted by _ABB_

What do you typically drink with Sushi?
Green tea or water. I believe the Japanese practice that you shouldn't eat rice with sake. Which I don't quite understand, as sake is made from fermented rice.

 

[_ABB_]

Very interesting -- maybe too much rice for 1 sitting

.

Thanks for the advice!

 

[ama]

Originally Posted by nahneun

beer and green/barley tea

barley tea.

 

[willy cheesesteak]

I only drink Sake on a Suzuki while I'm in Osaka Bay.

 

[nahneun]

Originally Posted by mm84321

Green tea or water. I believe the Japanese practice that you shouldn't eat rice with sake. Which I don't quite understand, as sake is made from fermented rice.
it is because they are too similar in taste. contrary to popular belief, good nigirizushi is decided more by the rice than it is by the fish. good fish is sourced from the same location and it's far easier to slice a good piece of fish than it is to prepare the rice and form it properly at the right temperature

 

[arced]

Originally Posted by _ABB_

Do you take your sake warm? Cold? How can I differentiate good sake from bad?

Cold or cool. Heating, in my opinion, kills the flavor. I'd rather think of it as more similar to a beer (limited shelf life and vastly better when cold). If you really want to taste the flavors, drink it room temperature. It's really a shame that almost all Americans think that sake (sah-kay) is a hot beverage -- it's probably because your average sushi place serves a mediocre sake that doesn't lose much when heated.

 

[nahneun]

Originally Posted by arced

Cold or cool. Heating, in my opinion, kills the flavor. I'd rather think of it as more similar to a beer (limited shelf life and vastly better when cold). If you really want to taste the flavors, drink it room temperature. It's really a shame that almost all Americans think that sake (sah-kay) is a hot beverage -- it's probably because your average sushi place serves a mediocre sake that doesn't lose much when heated.
wrong. some sake are better served warm because the flavor notes only open up after having been warmed enough. it's not sah-kay either. it's sah-keh

 

[arced]

Originally Posted by nahneun

wrong. some sake are better served warm because the flavor notes only open up after having been warmed enough.

it's not sah-kay either. it's sah-keh

Sure, some are better, but the vast majority are better served cold. As for the pronunciation, I just trying to get people away from the American pronunciation (sah-kee/key), which, unfortunately, is now in the dictionary.

 

[nahneun]

Originally Posted by arced

Sure, some are better, but the vast majority are better served cold. As for the pronunciation, I just trying to get people away from the American pronunciation (sah-kee/key), which, unfortunately, is now in the dictionary.

sorry, also not true. warm sake has a depth that cold sake often lacks. it is completely dependent on the style and flavor profile. to say that the vast majority are better cold just shows that you really don't know sake.

 

[krawlx]