1. What are the most common types of sake?
The most common sake is futsushu (table sake). Your everyday drinking sake is inexpensive and can be consumed early and often. Sake is becoming more popular, and I believe many different styles of sake will become popular.
2. Is there a proper drinking glass for sake, and why?
For more delicate sakes, you can use a burgundy wine glass to help it open up and announce its arrival, but for most sakes, any all-purpose wine glass would be perfect.
3. What are your current sake favorites at Katami?
Watari Bune 55 is a dryer-style sake with rice that was brought back from extinction about 20 years ago. Mountain Warrior Doburoku is 100% unfiltered in the way sake was made thousands of years ago. Equilibrium by Daishinsyu is their flagship bottle. It is expensive but well worth the price.
4. Which sake should be served warm and which should be served cold?
I believe that junmai ginjo and junmai daiginjo sake should be served chilled to lightly cold to preserve their delicate floral and fruity aromas while highlighting the texture and body of these more premium sakes. Futsushu (table sake), honjozo, and tokubetsu can be served warm to enhance their unique texture and flavors.
5. Are there rules for pairing sake with food?
When pairing food with sake, there are two concepts to remember. Firstly sake can intensify and even bring out hidden flavors of the ingredients in the food, enhancing their taste. Secondly, sake can refresh the palate and prepare it for the next bite. A simple way to pair sake with food is to match the aromas and intensity of flavors, contrast flavors to bring out deeper notes, and finally match the age of the dish (aged steaks go well with aged sake). katamihouston.com
At Katami, we have specialized sake stemware that allows our guests to explore all the characters and notes of the sake they are drinking.