There are many kinds of Japanese cuisine and complex dishes, which not only retain the traditional style of Japanese food, but also are deeply influenced by foreign food culture. In Japanese food culture, rituals and circumstances are sometimes more important than the food itself. The Japanese cuisine that many people like to eat focuses on presenting the pure taste and freshness of the food itself. Many dishes are even cooked with only one ingredient. Sake might seem like a no-brainer when eating Japanese food, but wine can go well with it too. Wine has a taste that traditional Japanese drinks lack, and the two can form a flavor complement when paired together. 

The staple food in Japanese cuisine is mainly rice and noodles. Since Japan is surrounded by the sea, seafood is naturally its most important non-staple food, including abundant fish, shellfish, shrimps, crabs, and algae. Direct slices or diced raw food, stewing, frying, grilling and other methods are more common. Today we will give some suggestions on the pairing of well-known Japanese food and wine for your reference.  

Raw Food Pairing

Sashimi is a must-order food for many people in Japanese restaurants. It is a very popular raw food dish. This kind of delicacy is to cut fresh arctic shellfish, red shellfish, sweet shrimp, sea urchin, squid, salmon, tuna, etc. into slices, strips, blocks and other shapes with special knives, and serve them with soy sauce, wasabi or lemon juice. It is very suitable for eating raw and serving with wines that are crisp and clean. It's an ideal pairing with a crisp Pinot Gris, a clean Semillon or a layered Chardonnay. 

Tempura

Tempura can be regarded as one of the representative foods of Japanese cuisine, and there are many kinds of wines that can be paired with this kind of fried food. The tempura just out of the pan not only exudes the fragrance of oil, but also does not absorb too much oil. It is well-paired with full-bodied, aromatic white wines such as Pinot Gris and Chardonnay. At the same time, light-bodied red wines with a little tannin are also excellent choices, such as Pinot Noir and Gamay. 

Baking

Grilled food in Japanese cuisine focuses on highlighting the characteristics of the raw material itself, without adding too much sauce and seasoning, such as grilled chicken, beef, grilled eel, etc. A soft, delicate and characteristic red wine will be this an ideal accompaniment to the dish.

When you go to Japanese restaurants in the future, you don’t have to be limited to sake anymore. Try the wines recommended to you, it will definitely bring you a different experience!

Lydia Zhao POINT PLUME