Although sake is usually served cold, some types of sake benefit from being heated. The traditional way to heat sake is to immerse a container of sake in hot water, but there are also other methods you can try.
Steps
Part 1 of 5: Basic Concepts for Heating Sake
Step 1. You need to know when to heat sake
Today, the best sake is served cold rather than hot. If you have a less premium type of sake or just want to get a new shade of flavor you can try reheating it before serving. This can be an excellent choice especially during cold winter days.
- The heat evaporates the alcohol. The additional ingredients to flavor sake with a low boiling point will evaporate and bring out the aromas. This process does not have much effect on acidic and bitter ingredients but the sweet flavors become more pronounced. As such, a sake with a high level of acidity is heated until it is possible to balance the acid with the sweet.
- Hot sake tends to have a drier taste than cold sake. The effect of alcohol is greater as the steam begins to release.
Step 2. Determine the appropriate temperature
There is a wide range of temperatures to which you can heat sake, from warm to hot. The right temperature depends on personal taste, but there are some standard approaches you might want to consider.
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The standard temperature of "kan sake" or "hot sake" is between 42 and 45 ° C. The range of possible temperatures varies slightly around these and each heat range has a traditional name associated with it.
- At 30 ° C it is called hinata-kan or heated in sunlight.
- At 35 ° C it is called hitohada-kan or heated to body temperature.
- At 40 ° C it is called nuru-kan or heated to a lukewarm temperature.
- At 45 ° C it is called jo-kan or a little heated.
- At 50 ° C it is called atsu-kan or hot.
- As a general rule, hot sake is ideal for accompanying cold or simple dishes, such as sushi, as well as soy sauce dishes. On the other hand, cold sake accompanies warmer dishes, such as hot pots or foods prepared with a lot of oil and fat.
- Two types of sake that are usually heated are junmai and honjozo. Junmai sake is usually served fresh to warm, honjozo sake is usually served at room or body temperature.
Part 2 of 5: Heat the Sake on the Stove
Step 1. Pour the sake into a tokkuri or decanter
Pour the sake into a bottle with a narrow, high neck and wide mouth.
You shouldn't fill the container to the brim as sake expands when heated, so if you overfill the liquid it could leak
Step 2. Water boils in a saucepan
Fill a saucepan with water up to about three quarters of the height of the decanter you are using for the sake. Put the saucepan on the stove and heat over medium-high heat until the water begins to boil.
If you want to be more traditional, there is a specific tool called in Japanese "kan-tokkuri". If you decide to use it, heat the water on the stove with a saucepan or kettle and then pour it into the kan-tokkuri when it starts to boil
Step 3. Gently dip the container with sake into the water
Turn off the stove and slowly dip the sake into hot water. Proceed slowly so that no water enters the container. Leave it inside, without a lid, for one to three minutes.
- Place the container in the center of the saucepan. Make sure it does not tilt or overturn while it is immersed in water.
- To heat sake more precisely, you can measure its temperature with a thermometer to check that it has reached the desired temperature.
- If you want to check the temperature of the sake without using a thermometer you can make an estimate by eye. If small bubbles start to rise, the sake is hot. If the bubbles rise quickly and after a short time the sake is very hot.
Step 4. Remove the sake from the water
Gently lift the sake from the water and serve immediately.
If the container is too hot to be grasped with your hands, put on oven gloves. You could also blot the bottom of the container with a tea towel to dry it before serving the drink
Part 3 of 5: Reheat the Sake in the Microwave Oven
Step 1. Pour the sake into a microwave-safe cup
Pour enough sake into a microwave-safe mug or glass. Usually 90 ml of sake is served per serving.
While you could use a tukkuri in the microwave safely depending on the material it is made of, the traditional shape of this container would cause the sake to heat up unevenly, with some areas being too hot and some too cold. For this reason it is recommended that sake be reheated in a separate cup first
Step 2. Heat in the microwave for 30-60 seconds
Put the cup in the microwave and heat on high power between 30 and 60 seconds, varying the temperature depending on the level of heat you want to achieve.
- While sake should heat up more evenly in a regular cup or glass, it's still a good idea to pause the microwave after 30 seconds and give it a quick stir with a spoon or plastic stick. This way you can calibrate the right temperature and allow the sake to heat up even more evenly.
- If you want to check the temperature of the sake without using a thermometer you can make an estimate by eye. If small bubbles start to rise, the sake is hot. If the bubbles rise quickly and after a short time the sake is very hot.
Step 3. Move the sake into the tokkuri
Once hot, pour the sake into a traditional tokkuri and serve the sake as usual. Serve immediately to avoid losing heat and aroma.
You may need to grab the cup or glass while wearing oven mitts, but you probably won't need to grab the sides of the tokkuri after you pour the sake
Part 4 of 5: Reheat the Sake with a Slow Cooker
Step 1. Fill the slow cooker with water
Pour enough water into the bowl of the slow cooker to reach three quarters of the height of the sake bottle you want to heat.
Step 2. Heat the water for 30-60 minutes
Close the slow cooker and set the low temperature, then let it heat until the temperature reaches about 40.5 ° C.
Step 3. Place the sake bottle in the water
Open the lid of the bottle and gently dip it into the slow cooker full of water.
Make sure that no water enters through the opening of the bottle
Step 4. Leave the sake for 30 minutes
Turn off the slow cooker and leave the bottle in the water for 30 minutes.
If you want to check the temperature of the sake without using a thermometer you can make an estimate by eye. If small bubbles start to rise, the sake is hot. If the bubbles rise quickly and after a short time the sake is very hot
Step 5. Remove the sake from the water
The sake will already be hot at the right point, so use oven pot holders to grab the bottle and remove it from the water. Serve immediately.
Continue to wear oven mitts as you pour and serve the sake. If you wait for the bottle to cool down to be able to grasp it with your hands, the sake will get too cold
Part 5 of 5: Reheat the Sake with an Espresso Machine
Step 1. Pour the sake into the pot of the machine
Fill the ceramic or metal jug of the espresso machine with a sufficient amount of sake.
Remember that you need to prepare about 90ml for each serving
Step 2. Set the machine to low temperature and let it warm up
Fill the upper tank with water and set the machine to low temperature. Let the water heat for 30-60 minutes or until the temperature reaches 40.5 ° C.
Step 3. Dip the sake in the water
Open the upper container of the machine and dip the jug containing the sake into the water. Turn off the switch and leave the jug in the water for 30 minutes.
Place the jug carefully, to prevent water from coming into contact with the sake
Step 4. Heat the sake with the steam
Remove the jug of sake and place the steam tap in the jug and turn the steam knob. Let the sake heat up until it reaches 40.5 ° C.
- The steam tap should be at 45 degrees with the sake. Do not let it dip in the sake, it should stand above the liquid to provide vapor. The end of the tap should also be a little off-center.
- If you want to check the temperature of the sake without using a thermometer you can make an estimate by eye. If small bubbles start to rise, the sake is hot. If the bubbles rise quickly and after a short time the sake is very hot.
Step 5. Remove and serve
Remove the steam tap from the sake and serve immediately.
- You should be able to grab the pitcher without using oven mitts.
- If you want to serve sake in a more traditional way you can pour the sake from the pitcher into a tukkuri before offering it to guests.
