Sake & Holiday Food: Celebrate December With Tsuki Sake

After Thanksgiving, the holiday season rolls into December with Christmas, Hanukkah, Kwanzaa, and New Year’s gatherings. Rich roasts, glazed meats, creamy sides, and festive treats fill the table — and increasingly, sake is joining the celebration.

Sake’s versatility makes it ideal for diverse holiday spreads. In this guide, you’ll learn how to pair Tsuki Sake’s Super Moon Junmai Daiginjo with classic December dishes, how to adapt sake pairings for Thanksgiving favorites, and how to prepare two celebration-worthy recipes: a simple miso-sake glazed pork tenderloin and the iconic Nobu-style miso black cod.

Why Sake Works With Holiday Meals

Sake’s smooth texture, gentle acidity, and natural umami make it incredibly forgiving across a wide range of foods — perfect for holiday tables with everything from cured ham to roast turkey to creamy sides.

• No harsh tannins: Unlike red wine, sake will not clash with sweet glazes or acidic sides.
  
• Low Acidity: sake contains one third of the acidity than wine, making it versatile for pairings and highlights the dish instead of taking center stage itself.
• Umami-rich: Thanks to koji fermentation, sake bridges flavors in roasted meats, mushrooms, gravies, and cheese boards.
• Crowd pleasers: Sake is gluten free, sulfite free, vegan, and kosher.
  
• Versatile categories:
  • Junmai / Honjozo: Great with roast meats, stews, and umami-rich dishes.
  • Ginjo: Perfect for fruit-forward pairings and mildly sweet glazes.
  • Daiginjo: Delicate, aromatic, and ideal for premium cuts, seafood, and cheeses. Tsuki Super Moon Junmai Daiginjo
  • Sparkling: elegant effervescence and delicate sweetness pair beautifully with everything from roasted turkey and glazed ham to rich appetizers and celebratory desserts. Tsuki Pocket Sake Sakura Rose Spritz or  Tsuki Pocket Sake Premium Spritz
  • Flavored nigori: brings a creamy, slightly sweet texture and playful fruit or floral notes that pair beautifully with brunch dishes, creamy desserts, and cinnamon-spiced yams. Tsuki Harvest Moon White Peach Nigori

Super Moon Junmai Daiginjo: A Festive Choice

Super Moon Junmai Daiginjo is made from sustainable American rice polished to the ultra-premium category of 50% and is naturally gluten-free, sulfite-free, vegan, and low in sugar.

Tasting profile:

• Dark fruit, apricot, tropical fruit, and berry aromatics
• Creamy, rounded palate
• Slightly dry finish with floral lift

Its elegance makes it ideal for:

• Cheese boards
• Seafood and roasted vegetables
• Turkey, goose, roast chicken
• Holiday appetizers and lighter desserts

December Holiday Pairing Guide

• Roast Beef / Prime Rib: Junmai or honjozo stand up to rich, beefy cuts. Yamahai adds earthy depth.
• Glazed Ham & Sweet-Salty Dishes: Ginjo’s fruitiness balances salty, honeyed glazes.
• Latkes, Potato Gratin & Creamy Sides: Nigori or umami-forward sakes complement cream, oil, and crisp textures.
• Roast Turkey, Goose, Chicken: Ginjo and honjozo bring brightness to herbs, stuffing, and gravy.
• Cheese & Charcuterie: Daiginjo like Super Moon cuts through richness and enhances mild cheeses.
• Seafood & Vegetables: Serve daiginjo chilled for clean, fruity counterpoints to lightly roasted veg and fish.
• What to avoid: Overly spicy dishes and heavy desserts can overpower delicate sakes.

Recipe: Miso-Sake Glazed Pork Tenderloin

Quick, elegant, and perfect for December dinners. Easily adapted for leftover turkey.

Ingredients

• 1 pork tenderloin (or sliced cooked turkey)
• 2 tbsp white miso
• 2 tbsp mirin
• 2 tbsp sake (Super Moon recommended)
• 1 tbsp soy sauce
• 1 tbsp honey or brown sugar
• 1 tsp grated ginger
• 1 tsp sesame oil
• 1 tbsp vegetable oil

Instructions

1. Make glaze: Whisk miso, mirin, sake, honey, and ginger.
2. Sear: Brown the pork on all sides (skip for turkey).
3. Glaze & cook: Coat pork and cook covered for 10–12 minutes.
4. Slice & serve: Rest, slice, and spoon more glaze over top.

Nobu-Style Miso Black Cod: A Holiday Showstopper

Few dishes impress quite like Chef Nobu Matsuhisa’s iconic miso-marinated black cod , made famous across the Nobu restaurant group. Paired with Super Moon Junmai Daiginjo, this dish becomes an unforgettable holiday centerpiece.

Ingredients

• 2 to 2½ pounds black cod (sablefish) — for a sustainable, high-quality source we recommend Sitka Seafood Market’s wild-caught sablefish .
• 3 tbsp sake
• 3 tbsp mirin
• ½ cup white miso
• ⅓ cup sugar or honey

Instructions

1. Make glaze: Warm sake + mirin, then whisk in miso and sugar until glossy.
2. Marinate: Coat fish and refrigerate 2–4 days.
3. Broil: Broil until browned, caramelized, and flaking.
4. Serve with Super Moon: Creamy daiginjo balances the sweet-savory glaze.

Serving & Enjoyment Tips

• Serve Junmai Daiginjo chilled for peak aromatics.
• Use small wine glasses to enhance aroma.
• Start with sparkling like Pocket Sake or flavored nigori like Harvest Moon; move to junmai or yamahai for mains.
• Keep spices moderate to avoid overpowering delicate sakes.

Conclusion

December is the perfect time to bring sake to your holiday table. With its gentle acidity, rounded umami, and refined aromatics, sake enhances everything from roast beef to latkes to turkey — and even your Thanksgiving leftovers.

For an elegant, crowd-pleasing bottle, explore Super Moon Junmai Daiginjo in the Tsuki Sake online shop. Kanpai to the season!