I think my first time trying Sake was when I was in the second grade, around 8 or 9 years old. I know, super young—way too young to be drinking, but in Japan, we could have a chance to drink Sake from a young age 🫣.
This is because, in Japan, there’s a tradition called ‘Otoso’ during the New Year to celebrate and wish for health and wealth with Sake.🍶 We use small red cups, take turns sipping, and pass the cup around. There’s a set order for this tradition, from youngest to oldest, with the oldest standing in the left corner and the youngest in the right, all facing east. In some places, they even mix herbs and Mirin with Sake.😲
Luckily, my family was not so strict, so we just drank whenever and whoever was free. However, it didn’t matter if someone liked to drink or not—we still needed to follow the tradition. So, from a young age, I sipped and smelled Sake at least once a year.✨
My first impression of Sake was that it was very difficult and yuck! 😵When I took a sip, the strong alcohol smell hit me hard, and the fierce alcohol taste filled my mouth. I don’t think it made me drunk or affected me much, but I always wondered how adults could enjoy this and why it was so popular. I couldn’t understand why my family forced me to drink it. I remember probably refusing to drink it many times, but somehow they were very insistent, so I always sipped.
On top of that, Sake itself is very formal and traditional, with images of pine trees and gold folding screens. My impression of Sake until my teenage years was that it was more of a traditional and cultural drink than something to be enjoyed for its taste or paired with food.
People don’t always know when things change, but here I am now. Perhaps the practice of drinking Sake from a young age influenced my journey and brought me to where I am today. Maybe? Haha
Kanpai!!
コメント