Sake (pronounced sah-keh) is a brewed alcoholic beverage of rice, koji (Aspergillus oryzae), sake yeast, and water. It has an alcoholic content of 15-20%, and it can be clear, straw yellow, or cloudy. The flavor can range from hearty umami-rich to light and acidic.
What Is Sake
In Japanese, “sake” refers to all alcoholic drinks. The Japanese word is Nihonshu (日本酒), “Japanese alcohol” or more technically Seishu (清酒) “clean alcohol.” Although sake is sometimes called “rice wine,” sake is made through a brewing process similar to beer and not like wine. For sake, rice starch is converted to sugar, then that sugar is converted to alcohol by yeast. Premium sake lies on the quality of rice and water and there are regions across Japan famous for their high-quality sake. Like wine, the rice for sake making is different from the rice for eating. Japanese use sake for cooking as well, just like how you use wine for cooking. Sake is often used in marinades for meat and fish to tenderize and to remove their smell. Alcohol evaporates with the odor, so it’s safe to serve to children and the elderly. It also adds umami and natural sweet flavor, so we add sake to soup stock, nimono (simmered dishes like Nikujaga) and yakimono (grilled dishes like Teriyaki Chicken).
What Does It Taste
The flavor can range from hearty umami-rich to light and acidic. Depending on the type, the taste can be fruity, like melon or apples. It can be robust and heavy or dry and light like white wine.
Differences Between Sake & Mirin
Sake and mirin are frequently used hand in hand in a recipe for Japanese cooking. Sake contains higher alcohol and lower sugar contents, while mirin has a higher sugar content and lower alcohol content. Mirin can be used untreated in a dish, whereas sake is often added earlier in the cooking process to allow some of the alcohol to evaporate. For further reading, Japanese Pantry Essentials: Sake vs Mirin
Sake For Cooking
Similar to white wine, there are many styles of sake available, where they can be characterized from dry to sweet, and from delicate to robust. At Japanese or Asian grocery stores, you can find inexpensive bottles like Gekkeikan, Sho Chiku Bai, or Ozeki shown above. You can also use cooking sake (ryorishu 料理酒). Cooking sake is a type of sake made especially for cooking. Manufacturers are required by law to add salt (2-3%) to cooking wine to make it unfit for drinking, so that shops without alcohol license can carry the products. As it contains salt and other ingredients, I use regular drinking sake (one of 3 brands above), but I think small amount of cooking sake should be okay. For more details about sake, you can read here.
Where To Buy
How to Store
For cooking purpose, sake can keep for two to three months, or even half a year if you store it in a cool, dark place.
Substitutions
Sake is one of the important ingredients in Japanese cooking. However, if you can’t find it, you can substitute with dry sherry or Chinese rice wine. If you cannot consume alcohol in your cooking, you can simply omit sake, or replace it with water or dashi broth.
Recipes with Sake
Just like wine, sake can be used as a key flavoring to a dish. With its strong characteristic that can intensify and accent the flavor of food, sake, when paired with simple seasonings, is wonderful for seafood, chicken, pasta, or pork dishes.
Learn About Sake
Curious to learn more about sake? Here’s a four-part series delving into the world of sake.
Sake Guide for BeginnersHow to Enjoy Sake (Food Pairings Included)A Detailed History of Japanese SakeThe Japanese Sake Culture – An In-Depth Guide
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