In the past two issues, I have introduced you to matching sake with your meal, but I have had many people ask me, "Can you tell me something more practical?" So this time I will recommend sake for specific types of food.

Sushi & Sashimi: Soy sauce flavor, dry sake; light-tasting toppings, light sake. We would expect the appropriate type of sake to vary with the type of topping, but soy sauce has the major influence here. The salty quality of soy sauce goes well with a dry or karakuchi sake. However, be aware that sake gets drier when heated, so choose a slightly sweeter sake at first.

For subtle-flavored dishes such as hirame (flounder) or tai (sea bream), a lighter sake is better. For chutoro or daitoro (fatty tuna), or other toppings high in fat, as stated in the Theory 4 of the last issue, a rich sake matches best.

Yakitori: For balance, rich sake; for wash, a light sake.

We introduced this topic in the August issue, and in the case of.yakitori, it is the ingredients of the dish that determine the fundamental flavor that must be considered for matching to sake. If a balanced flavor is important to you, an acidic, rich sake is best, but if a clean "wash'^ is your focus, you want to pick a lighter sake.

If you are dipping yakitori in sauce (tare), a moderate to sweet sake matches very well. Salted yakitori (no sauce) goes well with a dry sake.