Mar 5, 2010

How to Enjoy Warmed Sake


My deceased grandfather liked drinking sake, especially warmed sake. He had his own electric tabletop stove with a heating element and used it to warm sake. He would set up his stove and place a small kettle or pan containing some water on it. Then, he warmed the water. After the water became hot, he would put a tokkuri (earthenware sake bottle) containing sake in the water. He seemed to enjoy all these steps by himself while watching TV or eating some snacks at the kotatsu (low table covered with a quilt inside which heating is provided).

Now, we have the microwave oven with which we can nuke sake quickly and easily. But, one thing that makes warmed sake fascinating is that we can enjoy waiting for sake to be warmed sometimes patiently or sometimes impatiently. We can take a few sips of the sake to check its temperature and taste halfway while it is being warmed. It is also fun to learn how the taste changes along the change in its temperature, to just chat with friends while eating something, or to do something whatever we like while warming up the sake. So, in such ways, I can have a pleasant time while preparing warmed sake.

By the way, I don't have a tabletop stove and I have been thinking what the best equipment for warming sake on a table is. In my opinion, the requirements are as follows:

1. Sake must be warmed in hot water not with direct fire.
2. The equipment must be placed and used on a table (you need not go to the kitchen to use the microwave oven or gas stove when warming up the second or subsequent servings).
3. A tokkuri containing sake must be able to be warmed in whole (any other container for warming sake should not be needed).

So, I need to get something that satisfies the requirements above in the future. But, now, I am using a small electric pot as seen in the following video:

2 comments:

the soul of japan said...

Great vid Ichibay. I always enjoy watching your vids.

いちべー said...

Tony san,
Thank you for watching my video. I continue to make interesting sake video.