A Sake Evening at Sakagura

Since the first Gekkeikan Sake Cooking Competition, I've been trying to keep my knowledge of sake fresh, and still often experiment with it in the kitchen. Yesterday evening London sake bar Sakagura held a talk presented by the Museum of Sake's Natsuki Kikuya, with five different types of sake to taste and some small eats to pair with them.

From left to right: Gekkeikan sparkling sake (fustushu), Zaku Ise no Hana (junmai ginjo), Gekkeikan Taruzake (junmai), Kaze no Mori (junmai daiginjo) and Shichida 75 (junmai).

Kikuya-san took is through a brief history of sake, from its its origins to how it's made and different brewing stages. It brought me right back to my time in Kyoto, washing the rice and stirring it in the huge tank.

Sakagura's Head Chef Jin Yackshin was in his element, arranging the food with speedy precision (and stealing the show momentarily!).

One of the things I like about sake is it's really easy to pair with different dishes. Of course some kinds work better with others, but it's rare to get a really bad pairing. The trick is finding the perfect combination for you, which is very much a personal thing, too. Trying the sakes with the karaage, sashimi, edamame and sushi was great fun.

Sakagura holds these seminars every once in a while, so be sure to keep an eye out on their Events page.