Heat causes the alcohol to vaporize. Aroma-producing ingredients with low boiling points also vaporize, making these flavors stand out more. This has very little effect on bitter acidic tastes, but sweet tastes get pronounced more effectively. As such, sake with a high level of acidity is often heated since the process can balance the acidic flavor with the sweet undertones more evenly. Warm sake also tends to have a “dry” taste when compared to chilled sake. The effect of the alcohol is increased as the vapors begin coming off.
The average temperature of kan sake, or “warm sake,” is between 107. 6 and 113 degrees Fahrenheit (42 and 45 degrees Celsius). The full range of possible warmth varies slightly beyond this, though, and each range of warmth has its own traditional term associated with it. [2] X Research source At 86 degrees Fahrenheit (30 degrees Celsius), sake is referred to hinata-kan, or “warmed in the sunshine. " At 95 degrees Fahrenheit (35 degrees Celsius), sake is referred to as hitohada-kan, or “heated to body temperature. " At 104 degrees Fahrenheit (40 degrees Celsius), sake is referred to as nuru-kan, or “heated to tepid temperature. " At 113 degrees Fahrenheit (45 degrees Celsius), sake is referred to as jo-kan, or “heated fairly warm. " At 122 degrees Fahrenheit (50 degrees Celsius), sake is referred to as atsu-kan, or “heated hot. " As a general rule, warm sake is ideal as an accompaniment for cold or plain dishes, like sushi, as well as dishes that have soy sauce in them. Hot sake, on the other hand, is ideal to serve alongside warmer dishes, like hot pot, or foods made with a large amount of oil or fat. [3] X Research source Two types of sake that are often heated include junmai and honjozo. Junmai sake is often served fairly warm to hot. [4] X Research source Honjozo sake is typically served warm at room to body temperature.
You should not fill the container to the brim. Sake expands as it heats, and if you fill the container too high, it could burst out of the top.
If you want to be more traditional, there is a special utensil known as a “kan-tokkuri” you should use. If you decide to use it, heat the water in the stove with a saucepan or kettle and pour the water into the kan-tokkuri after it starts to boil. [5] X Research source
Place the sake as close to the center of the saucepan as possible. Do not allow it to tip or tilt as it sits in the water. For a more precise way of heating sake, you can measure the temperature of the drink using a thermometer to determine if it has reached your desired temperature. If you want to check the temperature of sake without the use of a thermometer, you can gauge it by looking. If small bubbles begin to rise, the sake is considered to be warm. If bubbles quickly and immediately rise to the surface, then the sake is hot.
If the container feels too hot to touch with your bare hands, wear oven mitts as you remove it from the hot water. You might also want to consider wiping the bottom dry with a towel before serving sake from the container.
While a tokkuri might be safe to use in the microwave depending on which materials it is made from, the traditional shape of the jar can cause the sake inside to heat unevenly. As a result, some parts can become far too hot while others would remain cold. For this reason, it is recommended that you heat the sake in a separate mug first.
While the sake should heat more evenly inside a standard mug or tumbler, it is still a good idea to pause the microwave at the 30 second mark and give the drink a quick stir with a spoon or plastic stirring rod. Doing this can allow you to gauge the current temperature and can also help the sake heat more evenly. If you want to check the temperature of sake without the use of a thermometer, you can gauge it by looking. If small bubbles begin to rise, the sake is considered to be warm. If bubbles quickly and immediately rise to the surface, then the sake is hot.
You might need to handle the mug or tumbler with an oven mitt, but you should probably be able to touch the sides of the tokkuri without a mitt after you make the transfer.
Make sure that no water gets into the sake from the open top of the bottle.
Gauge the temperature of the sake by looking at it. If small bubbles begin to rise, the sake is considered to be warm. If bubbles quickly and immediately rise to the surface, then the sake is hot. [9] X Research source
Continue to wear the oven mitt as you pour and serve the sake, as well. If you wait for the bottle to cool down enough to touch with your bare hands, the sake will end up cooling down too much.
Note that you should prepare about 3 oz (90 ml) per intended serving.
Position the pitcher carefully so that none of the water gets inside the mouth and into the sake.
The steam wand should sit at a 45 degree angle to the surface of the sake. Do not allow it to dip into the sake; it must rest above the liquid in order to provide steam. The tip of the wand should also be just a bit off-center. If you want to check the temperature of sake without the use of a thermometer, you can gauge it by looking. If small bubbles begin to rise, the sake is considered to be warm. If bubbles quickly and immediately rise to the surface, then the sake is hot.
You should be able to handle the pitcher without the use of an oven mitt. If you want to serve the sake in a more traditional way, pour it out of the pitcher and into a tokkuri before serving it to guests.
