Best Sake for Fried Chicken
4 Japanese sake matched to fried chicken （唐揚げ）, each with a tasting reason and a source. 4 are stocked by international retailers — those are flagged so you can actually buy them.
Ozeki's full, mellow body (mellow 0.60, heavy 0.42) stands up to the oil and salt of karaage, the low dryness rounding out the fried crust.
The full, mellow body of Sawanotsuru (mellow 0.60, heavy 0.43) cuts through the oil of karaage while its gentle sweetness flatters the seasoned crust.
Nihonsakari's moderately heavy Nada body (heavy 0.43, mellow 0.52) has the weight to cut karaage's oil, served warm to match the fried richness.
Suigei's light, dry Kochi body (light 0.58, dry 0.48) cuts the oil of karaage cleanly, refreshing the palate between bites of the fried crust.
Want the full shortlist of sake you can buy without a trip to Japan? Browse every brand stocked abroad.
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