recipes & tips

The sake tradition demands includes serious drinking etiquette. In Japan, the custom of o-shaku dictates that you pour for your companions and keep pouring until the sake spills over the edges of the glass. One never pours for oneself; instead, allow dinner companions to do the honors. When receiving o-shaku, take the cup or glass with your right hand; extend your left hand, palm up, allowing fingertips to lightly support the vessel.

Sake is traditionally enjoyed in Western cultures as a hot beverage sipped from a small cup. However, there are several varieties of sake that are meant to be served cold in a small, wooden, box-shaped cup.