Sake (Japanese rice wine)

[Columbine]

Originally Posted by Hrodgar

Sake I usually describe to my friends whom I haven't tricked into drinking it yet as tasting as the water you boiled rice in.

And if it's warm, tasting like nothing with a hint o alcohol in.

I LOVE Sake, as us Gaijins think of Sake. I've been told that the word/term Sake for a Japanese more mean like "just-any-alcohol, no matter beer or vodka"?

Aww that's mean

mmm, that's true. The word 'Sake' can sometimes be used to refer to any alcohol. A menu might have 'sake' as a heading, then list all the alcohol available, and then list actual sake as 'nihonshuu'　日本酒.

[DarkSinergy]

I've noticed that too. I wish they would just post all of the sake as 'sake', and then the rest of the booze under a different heading, since they're different things. In addition, why is it so hard to correct people on the pronunciation? My father never listens to me, and he keeps saying 'saki'. -sigh-

That could be a suggestions too. I have seen some menus include a proper pronunciation of their items. Has anyone else seen this?

[TalnSG]

Originally Posted by DarkSinergy

That could be a suggestions too. I have seen some menus include a proper pronunciation of their items. Has anyone else seen this?

I have seen it done, but unfortunately I have even seen the pronunciation given wrong too.

I think Coumbine's suggestion of listing it as nihonshuu would be a definite improvement.

But then my aggravation is having to translate umeshu to "plum wine" for waitstaff who don't speak even basic Japanese in Japanese restaurants.

[yuujirou]

so far that i know....
the traditional term for sake was used to refer to alcoholic beverages in general...
with modernisation, sake become the term for rice wine as beer is "biiru" and wine is "wain".

as to the hot and cold thing~
sake was first served warm around the time of one of those wars people have which consumed vast resources, causing the general quality of sake to go down. to counter this, restaurants started to serve warm sake as a way to guise the inferior quality.

I believe that is why that in most restaurants, only the house sake is served warm, while all the other more expensive ones are served chilled.

and huh... this may just be me...
but i pronounce sake (rice wine) as "sa-ke"
and sake (salmon) as "shya-ke"

of course, do please feel free to correct me on any of this as i am honestly not entirely certain of myself here x.x''