Taste with KJ - Akiagari with Tofurky & Trimmings!

This Thanksgiving season, I am summoning my inner zoomer. I want to give a shout out to all of my ethical animal lovers out there and do a vegetarian menu paired with one of the most fantastic sake to ever grace the store… the illustrious Nishinoseki Akiagari! This sake is so good, Beau-san requested an entire case FOR HIMSELF. Leaving us mere pilgrims with a measly 3 cases. To be honest, we only receive two cases of our seasonal sake at best, so we are actually in good shape this time. But it is SO GOOD! I wish there were more to go around...

This is an exciting endeavor and besides practicing for the real deal on the 4th Thursday in November, we are bringing back Beau’s system from his famous Sake Challenges where he would bring a choice brew to a fancy restaurant; usually not Japanese! (Check out his Sake Challenge with British Fare at The Cavalier…) 

• Works World Class (WWC)

• Works Well (WW)

• Works (W)

• Does Not Work (DNW)

Each food item will be paired with the Nishinoseki and will receive a rating based on this system. Let’s gobble our way through this cruelty-free practice dinner!

Let’s start with Nishinoseki Akiagari Tokubetsu Junmai. Akiagari is a term sometimes used in tandem with hiyaoroshi, but not all akiagari are namazume. They are released in the fall and have a good propensity for aging. They are also created to evoke the season of autumn in their aromas and flavors. This one expresses itself beautifully in a decanter or open over a few days in the bottle. At first sip, this sake has delicate notes of strawberry nougat, coconut cream, and creamsicle. Additionally, on the palate were flavors of flan, gourmet mushrooms and cashew butter with bright amino acids. We served this sake at a cool room temp of 65F. 

Last year, I was wise enough to buy a few bottles and hold them for an entire year at 55F. When we opened one as a team at the store, the 1-year aged Nishinoseki became more rich and smooth, while having developed a more intense expression of aromas and flavors. The sweet-like aspects of the sake increased with notes of Werther’s candies, lattes and Cow Tales caramel/cream candies. The umami character compounded with a tapioca pudding essence, toffee notes and coffee bean.

Tofurky - The first and last time I've ever heard a pop-culture Tofurky reference was on Gilmore Girls at Lane Kim’s house circa 2002. I’ll admit, after watching, “A Deep-Fried Korean Thanksgiving," (one of their best episodes thanks to superstar comic Melissa McCarthy), I have always been curious. Who knew that twenty years later, it would finally be the perfect time to dive into all of that herbed tofurky goodness. 

Tofurky is made from the following ingredients: vital wheat gluten, tofu, expeller-pressed canola oil, water, natural flavors, sea salt, onion, carrot, celery, garlic, leeks, oat fiber and cornstarch with rosemary extract and lemon juice concentrate. Tofurky is a very interesting texture, almost bouncy. This is probably the main reason why the Gilmore Girls wanted to throw it right into the trash. Despite the odd texture, it has a ricey, broth-like flavor. Paired with Nishinoseki, a hearty toasted rice note emerges. The sake showcases pulled taffy and a tight astringency which cut right through the Tofurky texture. Believe it or not, this pairing works well! (WW)

Maple Sweet Potato Mash + Vegan Marshmallows - 

We used some mini maple marshmallows called Dandies that were so powerfully sweet, no extra maple syrup was needed! When real butter was added, it tasted like french toast. Paired with our akiagari of choice, it became WAY too dry… Nishinoseki doesn’t match the sweetness level of the sweet potato or the marshmallows and loses all of its flavor. (DNW)

Red-Skinned Mashed Potatoes with Vegan Butter - 

With this classic side dish, the sake got thinner and created a leaner taste. The mashed potatoes were lighter than usual due to the vegan butter spread and oat milk used. That being said, mashed potatoes with actual butter and full fat milk would probably create a better textural match with this sake. Overall, this pairing wasn’t a complete failure and it was a pleasing matchup. (W)

Green Beans and Mushroom Soup with Crispy Jalapeños -

Instead of using more traditional fried onions on top, crispy jalapeños were substituted to give this dish a modern kick. Nishinoseki worked with the pepper element. The bright spice brought out a slight sweetness in the sake. The green beans and mushroom soup were subtle and not too flavorful which helped balance the pairing. This one was a success. (W)

Herbed Mushrooms -

The sake worked wonders here! What a fantastic mushroom pairing! The mushrooms were baked with olive oil and mixed herbs. When paired with the sake, the Nishinoseki acted as a platform and allowed the herbed mushrooms to sing! (WWC)

Vegetarian Stuffing from Trader Joe’s - 

At first glance, a stuffing recipe with a mellow, umami-driven sake seems like a no-brainer pairing. But the celery and herb notes were the most dominant. The stuffing came out wonderful with the vegan butter; it was virtually indistinguishable from regular butter in this mix. The pairing started to go south with a slight sulphuric aroma coming from the combination of the sake and the sautéed celery. Also, since this was a vegetarian pairing without chicken broth, it made the pairing much more challenging. I have a good feeling this sake would pair much better with regular stuffing where celery is not the dominant flavor. For now, this DNW!

Cranberry Sauce  -

This sake pairing was out of whack from the start. The cranberry sauce’s incredibly high acidity and sugar content does not work with the sake’s heightened amino acids. The sake dries up and loses its flavor. A triumphant cranberry sauce pairing would require much higher amounts of acidity and sweetness from the sake. A sweet umeshu would probably work. This is a big DNW.

Pumpkin Pie (vegan + gluten-free) -

This pumpkin pie was store-bought and had a strong amount of baking spices, but much less sugar than the average pumpkin pie. When paired, the spices from the pie were still present after the sake’s finish dissipated. The sake kind of worked here as the pumpkin pie was much less sweet than the cranberry sauce. (W)

Other Festive + Flavorful Options - 

Gokyo Hiyaoroshi Junmai Namazume 

With a lot of autumn release sake, the aromas and flavors reveal themselves with a bit of oxidation. As for Gokyo, it is at its most vibrant and flavorful as soon as you open it. Make sure to enjoy Gokyo right away with autumn cuisine and good friends or family.  This might be the best option for Thanksgiving fare since it teeters between umami and sweet, with lots of brown sugar and squash notes. This is a fall quaffer at its finest! 

Kikuhime Tokubetsu Junmai Namazume Hiyaoroshi

This sake is an absolute dream made with AAA Yamadanishiki from Hyogo. Its 18% abv is not noticeable and holds up its powerful aromas like a sturdy column. An extensive amount of flavors are present: maple, tree sap, latte, mangosteen, mocha, burnt toast, banana skin, fennel frond, banana candy, Karamel Sutra ice cream, almond paste and brown butter. This sake should be a winner with any Thanksgiving dish that is not too sweet. Highly recommended with mashed potatoes, baked sweet potatoes and dark turkey meat. It is perfectly enjoyable now, but be sure to buy a few bottles and hold them for some years to see its aging capabilities.

The biggest takeaway here is remembering that Thanksgiving foods LEAN SWEET… so you need a sake that can handle not only the umami level of the dishes, but the elevated sugar content in many of the sides and desserts. 

All of the sake mentioned in this article are limited time only! Buy them during the autumn season while you still can! Btw, if all else fails, try Kenbishi Kuromatsu Honjozo for your Thanksgiving fare. It’s 100% WWC!