How to drink How to drink it

How to best enjoy the sake

Here is an explanation on how you can create the best meat-sake marriage experience.

One important point is the temperature at which the sake is served. Although it can be enjoyed at room temperature, the ideal temperature to serve sake to enjoy with meat is at around 45°C (113°F).

You start by eating a piece of meat, and as the flavour of the meat spreads in your mouth, take a sip of the warm sake before swallowing.

Within your mouth, the flavours of the sake and the meat combine. This is called in Japanese ‘konai chori’, which literally translates to 'mouth cooking'. Both the meat and the sake have their distinctive complementary umami that combine and create something akin to a deep-tasting exquisite awase dashi.