Food and Drink Pairing Challenge with Sake Sommelier Slava Beliakova

When it comes to matching drinks with our dinner, sake probably wouldn't be everyone's first choice. Nor would it probably be on the menu. Even in Japan, food and sake matching wasn't really a big thing until recently. However, more and more people have been jumping on the sake bandwagon as of late, lured by its heady aroma and diverse flavours, which span across the floral, the fruity and that of yeast and mushrooms.

Slava Beliakova, one of Australia's first sake sommeliers and writer of Sake Guide, has been dedicated in breaking the traditional Japanese drink into Sydney's dining scene through leading workshops and teaching other sommeliers about its values. For Vino Paradiso, Beliakova is presenting a masterclass on 'Demystifying Sake', where participants can learn the real story of the alcohol and get the opportunity to taste three premium Japanese sakes.

To tide you over until then, we put Beliakova to the sake pairing challenge. She's picked the perfect sakes to match some of the foods we've thrown at her — all favourites of ours, all oft-consumed. The sakes suggested below are available in Australia from leading restaurants and bottle shops.

Sashimi Platter

"Such a light, delicate dish is begging to be paired with a similarly light and fresh-tasting sake. Sake from the north-eastern prefectures of Japan has been traditionally brewed to match seafood-heavy local cuisine. Niigata, in particular, produces light, dry and smooth sake perfect for sashimi. Try Hakkaisan Junmai Ginjo or Yoshinogawa Gensen Karakuchi. Have the sake well-chilled, too."

Okonomiyaki

"A classic okonomiyaki derives much of its taste from the toppings — rich sauce similar to Worcestershire sauce, seaweed and katsuobushi (fermented bonito flakes). Those toppings are heavy in umami, that elusive 'fifth taste' that has become quite a buzzword. Umami taste comes from the amino acid glutamate, and imparts a pleasant savouriness to the dish.

"Sake with a strong umami character is a match made in heaven for umami-rich dishes, intensifying the savouriness of both. Try Suishin Junmai Kome no Kiwami. This is a sake from Hiroshima, which, incidentally, is famous for its okonimiyaki dishes. Another way to enjoy okonomiyaki heartiness is with a gently warmed up, full-flavoured sake, such as Houraisen Kasumizuki Junmai."

Pulled-pork tacos

"Juicy, spicy, rich pork is just begging for a touch of acidity and sweetness. You could go two ways about it. You could match the high-octane natural flavour of pork with a full-flavoured sake that has acidity in spades. I am thinking Tengumai Yamahai Jikomi Junmai. Or you could inject freshness and fruity sweetness into the dish with an aromatic daiginjo, such as Masumi Sanka Junmai Daiginjo. Candied pineapple and green apple notes will marry well with pork that is not drowning in chilli."

Southern Fried Chicken

"Okay, how spicy are we talking? Heavy, fried dishes generally beg for something dry, with a prominent acidity. Try Oita Oni Koroshi Ginjo. But, as the chilli-meter rises, so should the level of sugar in the accompanying sake. If your palate is on fire, don’t stab it with acidity! One style of sake that is great with very spicy food is nigori, or cloudy sake. In nigori, some of the fermented rice solids are returned back into sake after pressing, creating a mild, sweet and creamy palate. Try Hakutsuru Sayuri Nigori Junmai."

Chocolate Fondant

"Sake indeed has a category that can be classified as a digestive, or dessert sake. It is koshu, aged sake. 99 percent of sake is not aged, and most of it doesn’t hold its own after 12-18 months post bottling. Sake that does age well, however, turns into something wonderful. The colour deepens, becoming golden and then amber, and sweetness, acidity and complex honey and herb aromas intensify.

"One of the Australian sake importers brings a very special brew, Akishika Shuzo 'Yeast # 7' Junmai Yamahai Muroka Genshu, which is aged for five years. It is complex, sweet, acidic, with a long dry finish. A decadent sake like that could be paired with a decadent dessert — for a gourmand eager to double his or her enjoyment.

Want more? Check out our Bluffer's Guide to Sake.

Thanks to Vino Paradiso, we have ten double passes to give away to Vino Paradiso's masterclasses. To be in the running, subscribe to the Concrete Playground newsletter (if you haven't already), then email [email protected] with your name, address and masterclass preference out of 'Demystifying Sake' on November 1 at 11am or 'I Love the Smell of Nebbiolo in the Morning' on November 2 at 12.30pm.