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July 26, 2005

Warmed sake in winter is the way to go! We tried some Kanro warmed in a“kurojoka”

A number of days have passed since the winter solstice, and one can feel the days growing longer and longer, but there is still no sign of it getting any warmer. In a season like this, we want nothing more than to relax with a warm drink.

Mr. Kudo, a master of Japanese sake, said in the previous entry of Yamaken that, “The best way to drink shouchu is to drink it hot”. The most prevalent way to warm sake is to warm the vessel containing sake in hot water, but do you know another, much valued way to warm sake?

This method that I speak of is warming shouchu in what is known as a “kurojoka”

A “Kurojoka” is a traditional vessel from Kagoshima Prefecture in the shape of a teapot that is used to warm shouchu. The prevailing style is that shouchu mixed with water (the method called “warimizu”) and left a few days is put in the “kurojoka” and warmed over low heat. I believe this is the best way to drink sake in a severely cold season like this. (Of course, you don’t have to have warimizu to warm sake, but with warimizu it becomes milder. For more details, see the previous entry of Yamaken).
I usually enjoy shouchu on the rocks, but since I found a kurojoka at a near-by liquor shop, I had been very anxious to try using a kurojoka at home, and at last I bought one!

I have tried shouchu warmed in a kurojoka at a bar, but this is the first time that I will be able to enjoy it at home. I’m so excited as to how it will turn out!

This time I tried using the “Kanro 25-do (25% alcohol)”, which is available at Lawson. It is made with “Koganesangan”, a very popular type of sweet potato for shouchu with a traditional and dignified flavor.

I mixed the Kanro with water at a rate of 60:40 and left it overnight. I used soft water, as hard water affects shouchu with its mineral content.

Place the Kanro over a fire and leave it overnight. Please be careful, as some types of kurojoka can crack when placed over an open flame.
My kurojoka is unglazed at the bottom and seems like it is intended for usage on an open fire, but just in case I put a gridiron on the stove when warming the kurojoka.

Warm it slowly over a gentle heat for about ten minutes.
Turn off the heat when the lid is becoming hot, and then pour the shouchu into a sake cup.

The mild fine aroma of potato floating up with the steam tempted me even before tasting it.

When drinking it hot, you can taste the flavor of potato stronger than when drinking it on the rocks.
While the strong aroma of potato came up through my nose, I felt a comfortable warmth shoot down from my mouth to my throat, and then to my stomach, making me warm from head to toe.

For a comparison, I also tried the Kanro mixed with hot water at a rate of 60:40. I felt the tangy taste directly with my tongue, although this and the Kanro mixed with “warimizu” and warmed in the kurojoka is not a good example for comparison.
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Anyway, my impression is that warming shouchu in a kurojoka takes away the tangy edge and gives rise to a heightened mild sweetness.

Then, I further tried the Kanro at a normal temperature, one mixed with water and left overnight, and another one mixed with water just before drinking.

The former had a moderate sweetness and freshness, while I felt the latter had a comparatively sweet flavor of potatoes.

If we take no account of the difference in temperature, the pungent flavor was felt strongest with shouchu mixed with water just before warming in the kurojoka, the second strongest one was shouchu mixed with hot water, followed by shouchu mixed with water left overnight and warmed in the kurojoka. It is fascinating that one can enjoy shouchu in such a variety of ways, isn’t it?

Drinking it straight, on the rocks, mixed with hot water and warming it on a fire…
I was knocked out by the charm of shouchu again!
Why not give it a try yourselves, everyone!

Posted Admin : July 26, 2005 02:35 PM