Root vegetables in dashi with junmai sake

A terrific pairing which was part of a fascinating tasting I went to last week of sakes from the Tohoku region of Japan, the area most affected by last year's earthquake and tsumani. It was organised jointly by the British Sake Association and events company Tengu Sake (@tengusake on Twitter) and took place at Tombo, a Japanese cafe in South Kensington which laid on some particularly delicious food.

The usual pairings of sashimi and sushi with different sakes were excellent but the one that intrigued me most was an umami-rich dish of root vegetables including turnip and mooli cooked in dashi with a side dish of green beans and broccoli with a sesame dressing. It went brilliantly well with a Tokubetsu junmai sake which had a lovely sweetness combined with an earthy character that reflected the same flavours in the vegetables. Truly delicious.

It would be worth checking out Tombo for a full meal I'd have said.

I attended the tasting as a guest of the British Sake Associaton.