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A consists of the flask and cups used to serve '' sake''. ''Sake'' sets are commonly ceramic, but may be wood, lacquered wood, glass or plastic. The flask and cups may be sold individually or as a set.

Server

The server of a ''sake'' set is a flask called a ''tokkuri'' (). A ''tokkuri'' is generally bulbous with a narrow neck, but may have a variety of other shapes, including that of a spouted serving bowl (''katakuchi''). Traditionally, heated ''sake'' is often warmed by placing the ''sake''-filled ''tokkuri'' in a pan of hot water, and thus the narrowed neck would prevent the heat from escaping. In more authentic places such as '' oden'' bars and ''ryōtei'' in Japan, sake is sometimes warmed and served in metal containers known as ''chirori'' () or ''tanpo'' (). Recently, glass ''chirori'' are also used to chill sake.

Drinking cups

Formerly, sake was sold by volume in a wooden box measuring cup, known as a '' masu''

, Yahoo! Japan Dictionary/, accessdate=2010-12-22. which has a volume of one '' gō'' () and was also used to drink. In the past, the wooden box was said to complement the traditionally brewed sake, as it is brewed in a wooden cask (), but in modern times, the masu is shunned by sake purists because the wood affects the flavor of the sake. Furthermore, tradition requires the masu be filled to the rim as a sign of prosperity. Masu are now commonly made of lacquerware or even of ABS plastic. As the traditional sake-serving cup and a symbol of prosperity due to sharing the same pronunciation as the Japanese word for increase/proliferate (), the masu is still used in modern times for the purpose of ceremony or to show generosity. In some Japanese restaurants, the server may put a glass inside the ''masu'' (or put the ''masu'' inside a saucer) and pour until the sake overflows and spills into the secondary container to symbolize this wealth.

Nowadays, the sake is typically served in ceramic cups. The cups used for drinking sake are generally small cylindrical vessels called ''o-choko'' or ''choko'' (, o- is an honorific prefix in Japanese used such as ''o-sake'' and ''o-makase''), but may also include flatter shapes such as wide-mouthed bowls. ''Sakazuki'' are ceremonial cups used most commonly at weddings and other special occasions such as tea ceremonies, but larger versions of ''sakazuki'' also exist.

While not a traditional serving utensil, a shot glass is also used. In the United States, it is used as a substitute for ochoko, while in Japan it is used in conjunction with masu. Sake stemware is also used, which is essentially a glass sake cup elevated above a wide base. Sake stemware, as well as glass tokkuri, are now commonly used to serve chilled sake.

References

External links

Sake Flask Shapes Guide
*Yoshio Tsuchiya, Masaru Yamamoto (food styling), Eiji Kori (photography), Juliet Winters Carpenter (translation
"Saké servers"
''The fine art of Japanese food arrangement'', Kodansha International (Tokyo), 2002, p. 70.

{{DEFAULTSORT:Sake Set
Drinkware
Containers
Japanese cuisine
Sake