Sake, or Japanese rice wine (properly pronounced to sound like “ray” instead of sounding like “key”) is surrounded by several traditions you should know about if you find yourself needing to show courtesy when drinking sake at a Japanese restaurant.
First, you probably want to be able to distinguish the the flasks and cups of a sake set. Rice wine is served out of a glass termed a tokkuri, which is tall with a narrow neck, or it can be served out of a katakuchi, which resembles a tea kettle. The katakuchi sake set is what you would see used in the San San Ku Do Shinto sake ceremony at traditional weddings. There are two vessels you will see in a sake set for drinking from: the ochoko (a little cup) or a masu (a square cup made of wood).
Sake should be warmed to room temperature by filling the tokkuri with sake and then putting the glass in warm, not hot, water. In some cases, you can have the sake cold.
When serving sake in Japan, it is rude to pour your own glass. Pour for your guests, and it is your guests’ responsibility to pour for you. In Japanese custom, it is polite to pour only using one hand if the person you are pouring for is of higher station than you; otherwise, you may use two hands.
If you are in a restaurant setting, you can toast by saying “Kanpai”.
First, you probably want to be able to distinguish the the flasks and cups of a sake set. Rice wine is served out of a glass termed a tokkuri, which is tall with a narrow neck, or it can be served out of a katakuchi, which resembles a tea kettle. The katakuchi sake set is what you would see used in the San San Ku Do Shinto sake ceremony at traditional weddings. There are two vessels you will see in a sake set for drinking from: the ochoko (a little cup) or a masu (a square cup made of wood).
Sake should be warmed to room temperature by filling the tokkuri with sake and then putting the glass in warm, not hot, water. In some cases, you can have the sake cold.
When serving sake in Japan, it is rude to pour your own glass. Pour for your guests, and it is your guests’ responsibility to pour for you. In Japanese custom, it is polite to pour only using one hand if the person you are pouring for is of higher station than you; otherwise, you may use two hands.
If you are in a restaurant setting, you can toast by saying “Kanpai”.
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