FOODS THAT PAIR WITH ALCOHOL: “Otsumami” Care Package

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Otsumami are a selection of Japanese foods that are meant to accompany alcoholic beverages. With an infinite array to choose from, the bite-sized snacks vary in their flavors, how they're prepared and the alcohol they pair with.

We encourage you to try the suggested pairings provided by our sake, wine and beer experts included in our English brochure or discover your own favorite combinations.

Kanpai! ("Cheers" in Japanese)

IBURIGAKKO/SMOKED TAKUAN (PICKLED DAIKON RADISH) 
Producer:Yumekikaku
Prefecture:Akita
Ingredients:Dried daikon radish, sugar, rice bran, salt
Size: 80g
Suggested uses:Enjoy as is or as commonly eaten topped with a dollop of cream cheese on top. Can also be used instead of pickles in sandwiches or hamburgers, or chopped up and mixed into mashed potatoes.

Iburigakko are a special tsukemono (pickles) made from Japanese daikon radish with a noticeable smokey flavor. These iburigakko are made the traditional way by smoking daikon over wooden fires and then soaking them with rice bran for over 100 days. 

SANSHO TERIYAKI SARDINE JERKY
Producer:Hiramatsu Foods
Prefecture:Aichi
Ingredients:Sardine (domestic), sugar, soy sauce (includes soy and wheat), starch syrup, glucose, hon (true) mirin, starch, Sichuan pepper, sansho pepper, ginger
Size:40g
Suggested uses:Enjoy as is, as a topping on salads, oras a topping for ochazuke (rice bowl steeped in tea). Can also be chopped into small pieces, mixed with cream cheese and used as a spread on bread or crackers.

These sweet and spicy Sansho Teriyaki Sardine Jerky are made using skills inherited from over a century ago using domestically caught sardines combined with a traditional teriyaki sauce and sansho (a Japanese peppercorn with a noticeable citrus flavor and strong spice). 

SMOKED MENTAIKO (COD ROE)
Producer:Minato Suisan
Prefecture:Miyagi
Ingredients:Cod roe, salt, sugar,  fish sauce, mirin, shredded bonito shaving, kelp, chili peppers 
Size:20g
Suggested uses and pairings: Enjoy as is, with rice, as a filling for onigiri (rice ball), as a topping for ochazuke (rice bowl steeped in tea), or on bread or crackers.

To create this artisanal product, whole cod roe sacs are cured and marinated by hand with salt and various seasonings and spices before being lightly smoked using sakura (cherry blossom) chips. They're not overly fishy in flavor yet are rich in umami. 

SMOKED ISLAND TOFU 

Producer:Shokuno Kakehashi Company
Prefecture:Okinawa
Ingredients:Tofu (made in Okinawa), miso, rice koji, rice, sugar, kelp extract, nigari (bittern/salt) (includes soy)
Size: 100g
Suggested uses:Use as a substitute for cheese. Enjoy as is, sliced on bread/crackers, drizzled with olive oil and pepper, or in salads (such as a caprese salad).

This smoked island tofu is a local specialty from Okinawa, Japan’s southernmost tropical islands. It's made by slowly fermenting tofu with koji then smoking it with cherry wood chips. The result looks and tastes like smoked cheese - the outside is smoky and fragrant, while the inside is moist and firm. A rare find even in Japan!

CRUNCHY BAKED KONBU (KELP)
Producer:Hokkaido Hinode Shokuhin
Prefecture:Hokkaido
Ingredients:Konbu (kelp from Hokkaido), sugar, konbu soy sauce (includes wheat and soy), vinegar, konbu dashi, katsuo (bonito) dashi, shiitake dashi, yeast extract, salt
Size:25g
Suggested uses and pairings: Enjoy as is.

Konbu (kelp) is most often used for making umami-rich dashi (broth). Here locally harvested konbu is seasoned with an original broth of soy sauce and dashi, before being grilled into a crunchy, paper-thin snack. 

FRIED BROWN RICE MOCHI OKAKI (SWEET SOY SAUCE)
Producer:Seijibe
Prefecture:Chiba
Ingredients:Glutinous brown rice, rice oil, tamari soy sauce, mirin, kibi sugar, konbu (kelp) powder
Size: 70g
Suggested uses: Enjoy as is.

Okaki, a type of Japanese rice cracker, is made from mochi (a traditional Japanese sticky rice cake). These okaki are flavored with tamari soy sauce, mirin, kibizato (a type of Japanese brown sugar) and konbu to create a sweet and savory crunchy snack full of umami.

DASHIP (SALT FLAVORED SOY CHIPS)
Producer:Mica Corporation
Prefecture:Shizuoka
Ingredients:Wheat, raw sugar, vegetable oil, soy pulp powder, dried mackerel shavings, dried bonito shavings, salt, baking soda
Size: 50g
Suggested uses: Enjoy as is.

These crunchy daships are a type of Japanese chip made from okara, the leftover pulp from making soy milk and tofu. They combine the nutritional elements of okara with an umami rich dashi (broth) and a hint of sweetness.

Take a deeper dive into the world of saké with the book: Exploring the World of Japanese Craft Saké: Rice, Water, Earth by Nancy Matsumoto & Michael Tremblay; forward by John Gauntner. This essential saké guide is a rice-paddy-to-glass journey through one year of saké-brewing.

 

DISCLAIMER: We provide ingredients and common allergens based on the packaging as a reference only. Please consume with caution based on your own individual health concerns as we cannot guarantee the presence or lack of certain ingredients, allergens and/or animal products.

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