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402 - N. Butterfly |
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For Sake's Sake |
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In talking about some of the beverages you can enjoy with your Japanese-style party, sake is at the forefront. A drink originally enjoyed by the Gods, now we mortals can enjoy it.
There are two types of sake to enjoy: 1) amakuchi - a sweet sake, lovely on the tongue; 2) karakuchi - a dry sake, often used in recipes when cooking. Sake has a very distinctive flavour in that it is rice wine and it also has a high alcohol content of 15%. My recommendation is to drink it slowly the first time you experience it!
A bit of a chameleon, sake can be served both hot and cold. If you'd like to enjoy it cold, place it into your refrigerator. If you'd like to experience it hot, pour it into a flask, known as a tokurri, then place the whole flask into a pot of boiling water, withdraw and serve. When ready to serve, pour into a sakazuki, which is a tiny cup meant for sake.
An important etiquette tip: never pour your own sake! It is customary in the land of the rising sun that someone else fills your cup.
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