With four or more Japanese restaurants on our shores, the choices to enjoy these eastern delights have definitely improved. As with any culture as diverse as Japan’s, there are a range of different cooking styles and regional delicacies for us to enjoy. Some of the more popular traditional Japanese styles are:

Sushi- Usually comes in the form of a small piece of raw seafood placed on top of a ball of rice. Maki-zushi (rolled-sushi) is the wrapped version where raw seafood and vinegared rice are wrapped in a sheet of nori seaweed.

Sashimi – Sliced raw fish eaten with soy sauce and wasabi.

Tempura – Prawn, fish and vegetables that are battered in a mixture of egg, wheat flour and water and then deep-fried in vegetable oil. Dipped in a sauce before eating.

A taste of Nobu

For almost all of last week the team from Nobu was in Jamaica bringing us just a small sample of their fantastic fare. Nobu currently has 25 restuarants in 21 different cities around the world. Nobu draws upon his classical training at sushi bars in Tokyo and his life abroad in Peru, Argentina, and around the world to create a whole new trend in Japanese cuisine. The resulting dishes, including Tiradito Nobu Style, Yellowtail with Jalapeno, Squid Pasta, and Black Cod with Miso, make Nobu the innovator of new style Japanese food.

Japanese Wine

Nihonshu, (Japanese wine) known around the world as sake (pronounced sa-ké) is a clear-coloured Japanese alcoholic drink. Japan is home to many commendable sake breweries, particularly in Niigata prefecture which is also known for good quality rice. All sake is not made equal, and to fully understand all the nuances will take some time, so here are the very basics: There are two basic types of sake: futs_-shu and tokutei meish_-shu. Futs_-shu, “ordinary sake,” is the equivalent of table wine and accounts for the majority of sake produced. Tokutei meish_-shu, “special designation sake,” refers to premium sakes distinguished by the degree to which the rice is polished and the added percentage of brewer’s alcohol or the absence of such additives. In the future we will dedicate an entire column to understanding this very interesting drink; needless to say that the Nobu Sake Junmai Daiginjo served with two of the courses at the dinners was indeed a fine sake.

How to Drink sake

Now, the traditional way to drink sake (or so you’ve probably been told) is to heat it up. This way of drinking is called atsukan and, in Japan, it is reserved for two things (a) Warming you up in the winter or (b) Making bad sake tolerable. If you order atsukan in the summer, you will get funny looks. If you order good sake as atsukan any time of the year, you will get very funny looks. All sake tastes the same when it is heated, and that taste might not be particularly good. Do as the Japanese do and drink your sake hiyashi, chilled. This is especially good for drier kinds of sake.

Regular Wine

Japanese food is subtle and uncomplicated, so you don’t want to choose wines that will overpower this delicate food. Wines with similar subtlety and nuance tend to fall into the category of light, fresh un-oaked white and crisply acidic, with bright fruit notes. Light aromatic reds can also work just fine. Try, Un-oaked Chardonnay, Riesling or Grüner Veltliner, Gewürztraminer; for red wines try Pinot Noir, Shiraz-Viognier, Red Burgundy, As always Champagne is always a great choice.

Cheers!! Try some Japanese food and sake today.

Chris Reckord is an independent wine consultant who operates DeVine Wine Services with his wife Kerri-Anne. Chris & Kerri are also part owners of Jamaica’s first and only wine-only bar -Bin 26 Wine Bar. Please send your questions and comments to creckord@gmail.com . Follow us on twitter.com/DeVineWines

What I am drinking this week: Justin Vineyards Cabernet Sauvignon, Paso Robles, 2006.

My first vintage of this wine was the 1999. It was described to me at the time as one of the best Cabernet Sauvignon wines on the market in its price category, to this date it still is and I still buy it by the case as I did then. The 2006 Justin Cabernet Sauvignon is dark red with a crimson hue. Aromas of raspberry, bing cherry, mushroom, and an assortment of spice, vanilla and leather make up the nose. A soft, fruit-forward entry is accented by a touch of vanilla. The mid palate balances acidity and structure to produce a velvety mouth feel found commonly in Justin wines. The finish contains soft yet prevalent tannins with hints of caramel, cedar and toasted oak.