Sake pairs well with herring, smoked, and cured salmon

Sake is neither a wine nor a spirit. It is called rice wine and is not distilled but instead produced through a fermentation process similar to beer brewing. However, flavors and aromas develop during the process similar to wine. 

Most types of sake have an alcohol percentage around 15, but there are stronger and weaker variants. Sake is classified into different quality grades depending on how well the rice grains are polished before production. In the finest sake, 60 percent of the outer layer of the rice grain is polished off. Bitter elements are found in the outer layer, and the more polishing done, the fewer bitter nuances in the sake. 

Sake has elegant aromas and typically doesn't pair well with heavily flavored dishes. Swedish and Japanese cuisines share some similarities, especially when it comes to fish dishes. Sake would pair well with a traditional Swedish smorgasbord featuring herring, smoked, and cured salmon. There are sakes aged in cedar barrels that impart a peppery, herbaceous taste with mineral undertones, suitable for simple meat dishes. 

The tradition of serving warm sake dates back to a time when the drink was simpler and production methods were less refined. Warming it up helped to mask certain flavors. Modern sakes include a variety of interesting aromas that are most prominent when served chilled.