Japanese Finger Foods: From Nigiri To Nori, A Guide For Mixologists
Japanese cuisine is an elaborate culinary experience. Not only is it complete with different savoury and umami flavours, it also involves great technique which lends an aesthetic and meticulous touch to a lot of Japanese staples. One such significant element in Japanese cuisine is otsumami.
Japanese finger foods or otsumami are rather gracefully crafted rolls, fried chicken and meats and even crisps that go well with fragrant and potently flavoured dips. These finger foods can be curated as bar bites with cocktails and highballs comprising similar umami tasting notes. For a mixology enthusiast, knowing more about otsumami provides a glimpse into a flavour mix that can complement cocktails made using sake, sojus or other Asian liquors.
More About Otsumami
In Japanese, otsumami essentially refers to snacks that are made to be served with spirits and drinks. Evidently, these are munchies or finger foods that are bite sized and can be shared when they are placed on a platter in the middle of a table.
As for their flavour profile, otsumami are complete with slightly saline and umami rich notes which is a characteristic of this cuisine. Finger foods containing such earthy, complete flavours form excellent accompaniments for drinks that are infused with Japanese ingredients like miso or soy. These bite sized foods are also easy to pick up and eat with chopsticks, or simply with one’s fingers, Japanese dining etiquette permitting!
Moreover, they are also quite straightforward to prepare and can be made at home while hosting a Japanese themed gathering. A mixology enthusiast preparing cocktails to suit this motif can very well prepare some chicken karage and edamame to serve guests alongside a miso martini cocktail or a nori garnished gin and tonic.
Essential Otsumami And Cocktail Pairings
Comprising lots of vegetables and meats, Japanese finger foods can be a real treat for a gastronome who likes such deep, salty and umami flavours. Here are some well-known Japanese finger foods that can be prepared for pairing them with Japanese-inspired cocktails:
Edamame With Sea Salt And Yuzu: Little peas with grassy and light flavours, edamame can be steamed and flavoured with sea salt for a mix of veggie-like and salty tastes. A sprinkling of the citrusy yuzu would introduce a light acidity into this small bite.
Recommended Pairing: Edamame would go well with gin highballs made using 30 ml Tanqueray No. 10 Gin or any other premium gin of choice which complements its savoury notes.
Chicken Karage: Japanese fried chicken or karage involves deep frying chicken that is marinated in an umami, garlicky and soy infused marinade. The starter is crispy yet light and complete with an audible crunch.
Recommended Pairing: The garlic infused tastes of chicken karage go well with cocktails like a whisky and soda infused with light soy, prepared using 30 ml Johnnie Walker Black Label or any other premium whisky of choice.
Gyoza: Pan-fried dumplings or gyoza is yet another Japanese otsumami that stands out for its savoury, juicy notes and the taste of the meat stuffing used to prepare the crescent shaped bite.
Recommended Pairing: Gyoza is complete with umami, garlicky, earthy flavours and its light crisp goes well with shiso-infused vodka spritzers crafted using 30 ml Ciroc Ultra Premium Vodka or any other premium vodka of choice.
Nori Chips: One of the most favoured Japanese small bites, nori chips are nothing but small pieces of nori that are fried and salted so they act like crisps to be served with cocktails and spritzers. Nori chips can be sprinkled with sea salt for more pronounced oceanic notes.
Recommended Pairing: Crispy nori chips tend to go well with briny cocktails like a dry martini cocktail or even a tequila-infused paloma made using 30 ml Don Julio Blanco Tequila or any other premium tequila of choice.
Nigiri: Japanese small bites would be incomplete without the nigiri, which is a small fish cut placed atop sticky rice served with a side of soy and sesame. Nigiri’s umami flavours are excellent with contrasting cocktails containing bright notes.
Recommended Pairing: Nigiri tends to go well with a drink like a saketini cocktail which is a mix of 30 ml Tanqueray No. 10 Gin or any other premium gin of choice with the umami notes of 30 ml sake.
Drink Responsibly. This communication is for audiences above the age of 25.
