Everything You Need to Know About Japanese SAKE in Under 15 Minutes!

In this video, The Sushi Man teaches you everything you need to know about Japanese sake.
🍶 ULTIMATE SAKE GUIDE DIGITAL DOWNLOAD
thesushiman.ck.page/sake
🍣 WHAT'S IN THIS VIDEO:
00:00 Intro
00:48 Digital Download
01:30 What is Sake?
02:45 Types of Sake
05:18 Flavor Profiles and Pairings
08:01 How to Read a Sake Label
10:09 How to Serve Sake
14:13 Conclusion
Japanese sake or Nihonshu is one of my favorite things to pair with sashimi and sushi. But I get it, it can be intimidating and confusing if you don't know what you're looking for. However, a little bit of knowledge goes a very long way and once you understand the basics, it'll open up a whole new world. That's my goal for this video, to teach you the fundamentals so that next time you're ordering or buying a bottle of sake, you can be confident in your purchase. Which hopefully will make your experience that much better. Kanpai!
(This video description contains affiliate links, which means I may receive a small commission at no extra cost to you.)
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🍶 SAKE NOTES
Dassai 45 Junmai Daiginjo
The entire Dassai line is great, and I haven’t had a bad experience with any of them. The number represents the polishing ratio and the 45 is their entry-level sake which shows you how great the brewery is. It’s light, clean, very easy to drink, with hints of melon and grapes. Always a crowd-pleaser and you really can’t go wrong with it when eating sushi and sashimi. Drink it cold. Highly recommend!
Dassai 39 Junmai Daiginjo
Another Junmai daiginjo from Dassai but with a polishing ratio of 39, which sits right in the middle of their three bottles (45, 39, and 23). It’s an amazing bottle similar to the 45, if not better! It has a similar flavor profile with a little more fruit aroma. The finish is almost velvety and makes you want to drink more and more. Pair it with light sushi and sashimi. Drink cold.
Kikusui Junmai Ginjo
This one’s another crowd pleaser and is very smooth and easy to drink. It’s also highly distributed so it’s easier to find at restaurants and liquor stores. Light, fresh, with medium body and you can pair it with a lot of different dishes. I recommend drinking it cold or room temp. Great for sake beginners!
Hakkaisan Tokubetsu Junmai
This is a regular Junmai sake but Tokubetsu, which means “special”. The rice is polished down to 60% so it kind of sits in between Junmai ginjo and regular Junmai. It’s clean, mellow, and has a bit of a richer body to it. The best thing about it is probably its versatility. It can pair with a lot of different types of food which makes it great for parties. It’s also a nice one to heat up if you enjoy hot sake. Decently priced as well.
Kurosawa Junmai Kimoto
This one’s another great entry-level bottle and I’ve been drinking this for years! Kimoto is a special method in the brewing process which makes it more full-bodied and earthy. But it still tastes light and clean and can go with pretty much any type of food. It’s a great one to drink cold, heat up, or anywhere in between. High quality, easy drinking, and smooth bottle that comes at an affordable price. Definitely recommend!
🍣 WHAT I TALK ABOUT IN THIS CHANNEL: Sushi, how to make sushi at home, how to make sushi rice, Japanese food, Japanese cuisine, homemade sushi, sushi rolls, how to roll sushi, Japanese cooking, sake, hot sake, junmai, daiginjo, sushi supplies and equipment, sushi sauces, poke, how to cut fish for sushi, sushi sake pairings, and more!
🍣 CONTACT THE SUSHI MAN: [e-mail]

[@pasqualescarpiello366]

Probably the best video on sake ever made

[@TheSushiMan]

Appreciate the kinds words!

[@garymoran277]

Thanks for sharing this !! I had a great time watching it .

[@TheSushiMan]

Glad you enjoyed the video!

[@zurichwineacademy]

Extremely helpful, thank you so much!!!

[@TheSushiMan]

Glad you enjoyed the video!

[@TheAragonxy]

Great Video! Thank you. This was exactly what I was looking for!

[@TheSushiMan]

Glad you found the video helpful!

[@ryanmcalder1]

Outstanding video. Thank you.

[@TheSushiMan]

Glad you enjoyed it!

[@sushimansantosh]

you are my inspiration to make different way to explain , i am learning many things with your , thanks for your great time 🤗

[@TheSushiMan]

Thanks for the support Santosh and keep up the great work!

[@JulianC9zz]

Really Good, From bottom to top, explaining what's sake in general with out falling on saying to much or too little and easy to understand, examples with food and occasional small jokes, interesting, fun, Great job.

[@TheSushiMan]

Thanks for the kind words and glad you enjoyed the video!

[@jeremybaldic2047]

I learned a lot from your video 🙏🏻 thank you!

[@TheSushiMan]

Glad you found the video helpful!

[@bz10000]

Very good. Short and very informative

[@TheSushiMan]

Thanks glad you enjoyed the video!

[@nutnaziibkr8301]

Nice info.. Love u bro.. Simple n good for understanding.. I will support ur video

[@TheSushiMan]

Thanks and glad you enjoyed the video!

[@dychui]

Super helpful video !!!

[@TheSushiMan]

Glad you found it helpful!

[@thefather8362]

Cabin in the snow is really good.

[@pritamkumargogoi2533]

this video is really underrated

[@TheSushiMan]

Thanks and glad you enjoyed the video!

[@terrybanet3330]

That was super helpful. When you cook are you using the cooking sake you can get at an Asian grocer or a sake from the liquor store/department? I live in PA and where we can buy stuff is arcane.

[@TheSushiMan]

Glad you found the video helpful! You can usually find cooking sake at both Asian markets and liquor stores, and sometimes even regular grocery stores. They're usually the cheapest ones, maybe like $8 for a 750ml bottle. Gekkeikan, Ozeki, Sho Chiku Bai, are all good brands. But don't get this confused with mirin, which is also sometimes referred to as cooking sake, but it's a lot sweeter and has a lower alcohol content. Hope that helps!

[@terrybanet3330]

@@TheSushiMan Thanks I will note those and look in the liquor store. PA is a state that doesn't allow alcohol to be sold in markets. Recently they started allowing Beer and Wine in food markets but Sake is not there either. H Mart had Kikkoman Cooking Sake which I have. I will look in our liquor store for the ones you mention. I had read that cooking Sake has salt to make it undrinkable to be able to be sold as a grocery item.

[@bermudadrain921]

Immensely valuable information in a clear and comprehensive package. I do, however, have a question I would like to ask: how sake is stored and what is its “best before” interval?

[@TheSushiMan]

Thanks and glad you enjoyed the video! That's a very good question and it really depends on the type of sake. But in general, it's best to keep it in the fridge after it's been opened and the sooner you drink it the better. Any nama (unpasteurized) sake and sparkling sake should be consumed within a few days and any daiginjos I recommend drinking within a week. Other types can last a little longer maybe 2-3 weeks, but you will notice a change in taste. Hope that helps!

[@bermudadrain921]

@@TheSushiManthank you, mate, gonna try different time frames. cheers

[@tertia4808]

I prefer Junmai - no added brewers alcohol etc. served warm. For me it is best for my budget & amount I like to drink in one drinking session. I serve from sake bottle I purchased in 1993 with set of 2 o-choko ceramic sake cups. Steamed rice, grilled snapper, tofu dengaku & finish with sake. Sushi & sake is nice but I like to see ceramics on the table & whole fish - not thin slices on rice.

[@TheSushiMan]

Very good pairing, thanks for sharing!

[@BaffledRich]

i just got a small bottle of sake today at the asian market lol hopefully i got the right one

[@TheSushiMan]

Nice! Just keep trying different ones and see which one you like, it really comes down to preference.

[@fnord_lander]

I’m glad I like just regular hot junmai I typically don’t like sweeter alcoholic beverages so something dry works great for me. And you just can’t beat that warming feeling of hot 日本酒 with a good bowl of ramen 🤤

[@TheSushiMan]

Regular junmai is great warmed up, especially on cold winter nights👍

[@marcoantoniozipagan811]

Ive done masterclasses for waiters and bartenders and this is so much better than my class. I think the information you added and the speed of delivery is spot on. Really good for beginners

[@TheSushiMan]

Appreciate the kinds words! And glad you found the video helpful!

[@bermudadrain921]

another thing I would like to ask, is how do I keep the temperature of a heated sake? I ran into this issue recently, purchased a junmai, did everything the same way you described in sake heating video, but it got cold and, therefore, uninteresting after some time into the dinner

[@pjgladidiomas4180]

Very good video. Tks

[@TheSushiMan]

Glad you enjoyed it!

[@uptownbills619]

👍🏼👍🏼

[@Sushiyrolls]

Wine glass for aromatic sake! Yes, yes, and yes. Try both little shot glass , and in wine glass which your nose goes in the glass. Especially, daiginjo. You will feel a huge difference. Great video!

[@TheSushiMan]

Yes, it really does! Glad you enjoyed the video!

[@peterhong9676]

Thanks!

[@TheSushiMan]

Really appreciate the tip Peter! Glad you enjoyed the video!

[@youtubetv4856]

My bottle of Gekkeikan has no info on it... does this mean it is crap? I heat it to 128 degress F and it works for me 🙂

[@TheSushiMan]

Haha, Gekkeikan makes a bunch of different types of sake so doesn't necessarily mean it's crap 😆 As long as you like it then it's all good!

[@TheKingOfBeans]

I’m afraid this is too much for me to remember 😂 but I will continue to enjoy different sakes regardless 😅

[@TheSushiMan]

😆yes, that's the best way to learn!

[@ramelhagins6698]

In restaurants the have only one kind of Sake, that goes with everything right?

[@TheSushiMan]

Everything you want it to go with I suppose haha. Typically if a restaurant has only one type of sake then it's a pretty generic one that's usually heated up, but depends on the type of restaurant.

[@antoniovelasco6510]

t amo

[@vk_xx0757]

i just tried nigori sake and i love it! its a delicious smooth flavor, im excited to try different varients

[@TheSushiMan]

Glad you enjoyed it! The world of sake is so fun once you get into it, cheers!

[@benquirobiequiratman4646]

i don't mean no. disrespect not every one in this world. can read Japanese words u can always say can i buy some japanese ask the server what hey recommend if your A first time. japanese beer drinker

[@JayDubTcg]

Anyone else here from hearing sake talked about in one piece over and over again?

[@TheSushiMan]

😄

[@JayDubTcg]

@@TheSushiMan that's the reason I wanna try it tbh 😂

[@user-ev5lq1uq2k]

Iwutsake

[@cherriemay528]

I'm alcohol intolerant 😂

[@hopedespair8920]

what do you mean hot wine sounds like crap? have you ever tried drinking hot wine it is p fuckin good tbqh

[@TheSushiMan]

Hmm.. I've had red wine at room temp many times but never hot. Doesn't sound appealing to me but guess you don't know until you try!

[@hopedespair8920]

how come u have never heard of hot wine its p popular here in France don't about USA but i always drink it in Christmas markets @@TheSushiMan

[@TheSushiMan]

Not sure if it's as popular in the States but I'll definitely look into it, I'm always up to try new things. Thanks for your input!

[@jw7665]

@@TheSushiMan They probably mean Gluehwein or mulled wine. You can find it here in the US pretty easily and it tastes very good heated up. You can do it yourself with red wine, whiskey, star anise, orange peels, cardamon and some other spices.

[@TheSushiMan]

Sounds good, thanks for the suggestion!