Chapter 15

Ryōrizake no Bu (料理酒之部)
Savory Sake

This chapter is all about savory sake–essentially sake cordials. Today, some of these recipes can still be found, such as nerizake (often just called tamagozake, today), which is essentially a type of sake egg nog. It is unclear if these were meant as everyday drinks or if they were meant as medicinals, which is how tamagozake is used today. It does not describe the actual brewing process, though it does come close with amazake, which is essentially a drink of malted rice that have not been fermented. It is still popular today, usually in the fall and winter months, as a warm drink to combat cold weather.

A quick note on measurements. This chapter uses shō (about 1.8L) and gō, (1/10th of a shō) which we leave untranslated. These quantities are typically more about relative quantities, so you should be able to adjust as needed. There is also a term used, “oribe,” which refers to a type of pottery, and here appears to refer to a small measurement, like saying 1 cup, but it is unclear just how large this measure would be. It may be a small sake cup, maybe 60mL (1/4 cup) or so.

1. Tamago zake 玉子酒 (Egg Sake)

Break open an egg. Put in cold sake a bit at a time. Dissolve well and add a little salt. Warm and serve. It is good to put in 3 oribe of sake to 1 egg.

2. Imo zake いもざけ (Japanese Yam Sake)

Grate the bottom of yamaimo into a fine, white substance, and dissolve this well in sake, too. Add a little salt and stir for a good period.

3. Hato zake 鳩ざけ (Pigeon Sake)

Tenderize a pigeon well. Dissolve in sake. Put a little miso in a pot. Heat until it is yellow-brown and add the pigeon and sake. It is good to put in a little sanshō or black pepper powder and wasabi, etc. You may heat soy sauce instead [of miso].

4. Habushi zake はふし酒 (Feather Knuckle Sake)

Finely tenderize a pheasant feather from the middle node to the end. Put in a little salt and a little sake and heat. Put in any of the previous spices. Warm it to an appropriate temperature and serve. When eating meat, it is good to add a little soy sauce.

5. Tsukami zake つかみ酒 (Gripped Sake)

Add a little dark miso to pheasant guts. Tenderize it well to blend. Skewer a leg on a bamboo skewer. Put the tenderized mixture in the middle of the claws, and when it is scorched, close the claws tight. When you can see the middle is also scorched and suddenly changed, cut from the edge of the claws and tenderize well again. Again, roast it a little and put in sake. Serve warmed.

6. Neri zake ねりざけ (Kneaded Sake)

Put white sugar in one egg. Knead well into cold sake. Warm and serve.

7. Shōga zake 生姜酒 (Ginger Sake)

Grind grated ginger into miso, heat, put in sake, and warm. You could also add just ginger. Just with miso is called misozake.

8. A quick recipe for amazake 甘酒はやづくり (Sweet Sake)

Wash 1 shō of Dōmyōji in hot water and set it aside. Put 1 shō and 5 gō of water into 1 shō of kōji. Grind well in a mortar. Pass through a filter. Put the previous three items in a pot. If you knead it drowsily, it will be ready quickly. It is good to put in white sugar.

9. Dzurin zake つりん酒

Roast 1 shō of kuromame and let cool. Put in 1 shō and 5 gō of good sake and put it aside. Drink when the beans have swollen and become soft.