A lot of thought is given when it comes to which styles of saké should and shouldn't be served warm. While the first recorded writings referencing heated saké date back to the eighth century with Japanese poet Yamanoue no Okura, it was during the early 1990s that Japanese culture began to proliferate across the U.S.––with New York as a major hub––and Americans were first exposed to warmed rice wine.
One of the most important distinctions to understand when it comes to heating saké is that saké temperature isn’t simply hot or cold, as many believe. Kanzake is the Japanese word for warmed saké, but within this term, heated saké is broken down into a number of classifications, which range from jouon (room temperature saké served at 68°F) to tobikirikan (extremely hot sake served at 133°F)
But the most common heated saké temperatures—and what you’ll typically encounter in a restaurant—are nurukan (warm) and atsukan (hot).
While it’s now fairly easy to find premium saké in the U.S., New York continues to be a leader in both traditional Japanese cuisine and Japanese beverages. So it’s not entirely surprising that America’s warm saké trend is heating up in America.
And while it’s indeed common to find warm saké more frequently consumed in Japan during colder months, many drink the beverage all year round, comparing the preference to sipping hot coffee or tea during the summer.
Today, with a wider range of saké imported into the U.S., Japanese beverage experts are equipped with better tools for convincing drinkers that certain rice wines improve with heat. As a generalization, top-tier saké in which the rice grain has been milled down to 35 percent or less should be served chilled.
But it comes down to the rice wine’s flavor. It is recommended that a saké without fruity or flowery notes be served warm. Warming saké with umami and richness, as the heat adds a velvety texture to the wine, plus a beautiful long finish. Because warmed saké brings out the nuttiness and the umami of saké, it can be paired well with richer foods.
Unctuous ingredients like fatty wagyu beef, cheese, and mushrooms pair well with warm sakés. Rich and earthy sakés can be served with yakitori, grilled fish, and even with unexpected dishes like pepperoni pizza.
