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Sake (ingredient)

Drinks & liquids · Wines & spirits

Sake

Japanese rice wine, clear and dry-to-sweet; drunk and used to tenderise, deglaze and remove fishy odours in cooking.

Also called: japanese rice wine, nihonshu, cooking sake, ryorishu

Around the world: 酒, 日本酒 (ja)

21 recipes with it

Photo: Intforce, via Wikimedia Commons (CC-BY-SA-4.0)

What it is

Sake is brewed from polished rice, water, koji mould and yeast, giving a clear drink of around 15% alcohol. Cooking sake (ryorishu) often contains salt and is not for drinking. It is drier and less sweet than mirin and lighter than Chinese Shaoxing wine.

How it’s used

  • Teriyaki and simmering sauces (with mirin and soy)
  • Steaming clams (sakamushi)
  • Marinating fish and meat
  • Deglazing pans
  • Miso-glazed fish marinade

Characteristics

Taste
Clean, slightly sweet and savoury.
Aroma
Delicate, fruity or rice-like.
Appearance
Water-clear.
When cooked
Alcohol evaporates with brief simmering, leaving umami and softness.
Sold as
liquid
Cooking uses
Commonly cooked, Mainly a seasoning
Common in
Japanese, Nikkei

Storage

Refrigerated. Refrigerate drinking sake after opening and use soon; cooking sake keeps in a cool cupboard.

Diet, allergens and safety

No major allergens in typical versions.

  • Vegetarian
  • Vegan
  • Dairy-free
  • Egg-free
  • Gluten-free
  • Nut-free
  • Soy-free
  • Caffeine-free
  • Contains alcohol; cooking sake may be high in salt.

Nutrition per 100 g

Energy
134 kcal
Protein
0.5 g
Carbohydrate
5 g
Fat
0 g
Fibre
0 g
Sugars
0 g

USDA FoodData Central: Alcoholic beverage, rice (sake).

Substitutes

Optional — what works if you don’t have it, and how it changes the dish.

  • Dry sherry — Same amount in cooking; slightly nuttier.
  • Dry white wine — Dry white wine in sauces and steaming.

Related ingredients

Recipes with sake

See all 21

9 more

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