2021 "SEAFOOD LOVES SAKE." has successfully ended.
The phase 2 restaurant campaign has started! Click here for more details
Famous artist Roxanne Tong and chef Wong Ah Po share their positive comments on the exciting "seafood x sake" pairing concept.
Updated the restaurant list joining the campaign
"SEAFOOD LOVES SAKE." 2021 is launched.
Thanks for everyone's support, "2021 SEAFOOD LOVES SAKE." has successfully ended. "Seafood and sake are a perfect match!" - surprised customers left their comments. Serving about 300 dishes of unique "Sake x Seafood" pairing, on September and November of "2021 SEAFOOD LOVES SAKE." joined hands with 100 Cantonese and Japanese restaurants in Hong Kong.
Over the promotion, to win the "Seafood x Sake" themed package of one-night staycation and dining
experience from Eaton HK, numerous reviewings were received for the "SEAFOOD LOVES SAKE. OpenRice Review
Campaign".
Below are the winners with outstanding reviews:
Phase 1
https://s.openrice.com/QrbT0UgqzW0
https://s.openrice.com/QrbT0fQCzW0
Phase 2
https://s.openrice.com/QrbT0uzOW00
https://s.openrice.com/QrbT0XFT000
Again, thank you for your active participation, and please look forward to upcoming "SEAFOOD LOVES SAKE." events in the future.
Surrounded by seas blessed with a rich diversity of marine life, seafood has always been at the heart of Japan’s food culture and like the culinary techniques used to prepare it, the flavors of sake have evolved to match.
It may be common practice to pair seafood with white wine and or light red wines, but in fact, it is sake that provides the best match. Recent studies have revealed that the iron and sulphuric acid (an antioxidant) present in many wines can cause and even amplify fishy aromas. Sake contains no such antioxidants, and iron levels are close to zero, but sake’s real trump card is that it is high in amino acids, which can enhance the umami in seafood.
The ability of sake to suppress fishy odors and enhance umami scientifically substantiates its strong affinity with seafood.
The iron and sulphuric acid (an antioxidant) present in white wine react with the fatty acids in seafood causing fishy odors.
Sake blocks the receptors in the nose that detect fishy odors.
Sake is not made from the same kind of rice as used in Japan’s staple diet. Instead, special sakamai (brewer’s rice) is used, and this is what forms the basis of the umami (taste) of the Sake. With larger grains than those served at the dinner table, this rice is characterised by having low levels of protein and fats, which can ruin the flavour or aroma of Sake. There are over a hundred varieties of sakamai, a few notable ones of which are Yamada Nishiki and Gohyaku Mangoku.
Blessed with bountiful nature, Japan is a country full of fresh, bubbling springs of gentle, tasty water. This is another reason for its delicious Sake. In actual fact, Sake is 80% water, and much is used not only during fermentation and to adjust the alcohol content but also when washing and soaking the raw ingredients. As the saying goes, “A place with fine water produces fine Sake”, testament to the importance of tasty water is in Sake brewing.
Sugar is needed to create alcohol. Grapes, for example, the raw ingredient of wine, contain natural sugars and so can be fermented into alcohol using a single fermentation process involving adding yeast. However, rice contains no sugar so cannot be fermented on its own. To make Sake, a process called ‘multiple parallel fermentation’ is used, which is unique to the world. At first, yeast is added to convert the starch in the rice into sugar in a ‘sugarizing’ process. This results in a koji (malt). In parallel to this, yeast is added to the sugar to turn it into alcohol by fermentation. This is what creates the rich umami.
Umami is the most important element of Sake flavour. Amino acids are the basis of this umami, and Sake contains many times more amino acids than beer or wine. The sakamai does not originally contain these acids, but rather produces them in great quantities in the complex and unique fermentation process used to brew Sake. The volume of amino acids influences the strength of the Sake’s flavour. This in turn enhances the flavours of food with which it is shared, helping to make meals even more delicious.
Sake basically comes in four types - one a deeply fragrant and slightly citrus-tasting ‘aromatic’, another being ‘smooth and refreshing’ with a clean aroma, then there’s a ‘rich’ type with a strong, full umami, and lastly an ‘aged’ type characterised by its dry, grassy, nutty fragrance and lingering umami. But the ‘sparkling’, a dazzlingly refreshing carbonated addition to the above types shouldn’t be overlooked either. In more recent years a naturally sparkling type has also been developed and which is growing in popularity. Utilising secondary fermentation that takes place within the bottle itself, the Sake’s umami can be more directly savoured. Selecting the Sake that best suits your meal will further heighten the delicious synergy between food and drink.
Recommended
by Ms. Roxanne Tong
Famous actress and also fans of Japanese sake, Ms. Roxanne Tong and Chef Paul Wong has participated in SEAFOOD LOVES SAKE. kick-off event on 25 Aug and fully supports the sake promotion.
Ms. Roxanne Tong has tried Japanese sake x Cantonese seafood onstage. She discovered that Japanese sake matches Cantonese seafood well. She also stated that this new food pairing style makes Cantonese dishes become trendier. She had also shared her interest on sake. She said Japanese sake are not too sweet and are served in tiny cups, so it's easy to drink. That’s why she loves sake the most!
Reserve the restaurants of SEAFOOD LOVES SAKE. now. Let’s become a foodie with Roxanne Tong and Paul Wong, and discover Japanese sake together!
Recommended
by Chef Paul Wong
Top Chef Paul Wong and famous actress Ms. Roxanne Tong has participated in SEAFOOD LOVES SAKE. kick-off event on 25 Aug and fully supports the sake promotion.
Professional Chef Paul Wong said he always use Japanese sake while he was cooking. Japanese sake is different from other alcohols. It helps to increase the freshness of seafood and the dishes will not become too sour. It can also increase the taste of rice. That’s why he thinks Japanese sake makes Cantonese seafood becomes tastier. These two are perfect match!
Reserve the restaurants of SEAFOOD LOVES SAKE. now. Let’s become a foodie with Roxanne Tong and Paul Wong, and discover Japanese sake together!