|
|
 |
|
|
|
Sake: The
Taste Is in the Cup
Hiroshi Kawabata 12/2002
 Although
they say that when it comes to sake, “The taste is in the
cup,” you probably think that the cup couldn’t possibly have
anything to with the how you experience the flavor. You can
imagine that the circumstances in which you drink may have an
effect, but there are many people who believe that the type of cup
that you choose to drink with can add splendidly to the overall
atmosphere.
As mentioned in the June issue of Sushi & Tofu, we
introduced how the taste of sake changes with the shape of the
cup. Let’s continue with this topic.
For example, the
type of pottery called tohki--whether it be in the form of
a bottle or ochoko (the sake equivalent of a 'shot
glass')--manages to convey the warm feeling that comes from having
been crafted by human hands. Its rough surface and subtle coloring
gives off an indescribable air that is very different than what
you would get from the smooth, white ochoko that you find in an
everyday neighborhood tavern.
Personally, I love ochoko and collect these cups of various
colors, shapes and sizes. Ochoko are little "inverted
triangles," wider at the top than the bottom, and are made of
porcelain. But let me now introduce you to the stumpy trunk-shaped
cup called guimono. They say that is important to find just
the right guimono to suit your taste.
 Even
with the same sake, the flavor will change depending on the type
of guimono you drink it out of. For example, I have an elliptical
guimono. I filled it with sake, tried a sip from a narrower end of
the cup, and then tried a sip from a wider end of the cup. I swear
to you that the taste is different. The former is crisp and
simple, and the latter has a fuller flavor.
The reason for
this is that the tongue has different taste regions. For example,
the tip of the tongue tastes sweetness. When you drink from the
narrower rim, the lips and tongue also become narrow,
concentrating the sake on the tip of the tongue. If you drink from
the wider rim of the cup, the sake quickly spreads over the entire
tongue, letting you experience all the characteristics of the
sake, such as sweetness, dryness, acidity and bitterness. If a
guinomi's angle changes by as little as 2-3 degrees, it can have
an effect on how you taste it.
When did guinomi come about? Until the Azuchi-Momoyama Period
about 450 years ago, the cup of choice was the sakazuki, a
big wooden cup made to be passed around to several people, and
used to serve a "cloudy" (unfiltered) sake called nigorisake.
During the Edo Period, however, about 2-300 years ago, the clear
and crisp nihonshu (modern-day sake) was born.
 At
that same time, the type of pottery called aritayaki and minoyaki
were just entering people's everyday lives. Eventually, wooden
cups were replaced a type of cup originally used for putting
snacks in called mukohzuke. Also, because of the increase
in the number of places that would serve sake, the sobachoko,
a saucer that soba sauce was served in, started to be used to
drink sake. At that time, there were many single men coming into
town from the surrounding districts, and a "Way of Sake
Drinking" was brought about. The size of mukohzuke and
sobachoko was just right for these men. Therefore everyday objects
moved on to become something entirely new.
Mr. Steve Kotoda, who was so charmed by guinomi he ended up
opening his own shop, says, "The taste of sake changes with
the shape, feel and texture of the cup. Actually, when you're
shopping for a sake cup, it would be ideal to bring sake that you
like and try it out right there.
"The important thing," he adds, "is the
impression you get when you first take the cup in your hand and
drink. It is foolish to buy one just because it is expensive or
famous."
The right cup
might be loved by someone just like you even hundreds of years
from now. When you think of it that way, your guinomi becomes just
a little more special, doesn't it?
|
| |
|
