February is called Kisaragi, or the “month of reviving
plants,” in the lunar calendar. It is commonly said that the
word originally meant “wearing extra layers of clothes”
because it is still cold in this month. But according to the
Kojien Japanese dictionary, this is wrong.
　 The word Kisaragi has been used since the 8th century,
when ancient Japanese chronicles “Kojiki” and “Nihon-shoki”
were compiled. February is also called Chushun (midspring),
Reigetsu (celebratory month), Ogusaoi-zuki (the
month when the grass grows), Hatsuhana-zuki (the month
of the first flowers,) and Umemi-zuki (the month of Japanese
apricot blossom viewing.) In February in the old Japanese
calendar, ume (Japanese apricot) blossoms were in full
bloom.
　 According to the Japanese traditional calendar, February
4th is the first day of spring, and by then the cold winter is
supposed to have gone. But actually, it is still very cold. Ice
that has formed during the night is too thick to melt even in
the morning sunlight. Snowfall peaks, and some areas are
hit by heavy snow at times. But spring is steadily approaching.
The days are getting longer, and pale green butterbur
sprouts come out in the countryside. Ume trees begin to put
forth their blossoms, first at the southern tip of Kyushu
island. The Ume blossom “front line” then advances northward,
reaches Tokyo by the end of February, and goes
further up north, bringing a spring breeze to northern areas
of the country.

　 The sake brewing process that began in late autumn
is reaching its climax at this time of year. When the
alcohol level in the moromi mash rises to about 20% in
about 20 days in futsu-shu (normal sake), and 30 days in
ginjo-shu (sake brewed with highly “polished” rice), the
fermentation process ends. Then, the moromi needs to
be immediately squeezed into new sake and kasu, or
white lees. This is because, if an alcohol level becomes
too high, yeast fungi rapidly die, releasing amid acid
and other nitrogenous compounds as well as enzymes,
which worsen the taste of sake, or darken its color.
　 To squeeze a large amount of sake, brewers use
automatic presses, which look like a folding curtain. But
for the production of choice sake like ginjo-shu, the
moromi is put into small canvas bags, and set in a
traditional press called fune. The sake first gushing out of
the mouth of the press is called arabashiri, literally
meaning “run roughly.”

Orizake, Nigorizake, Sake with Sediment, Opaque Sake
Freshly squeezed sake is still opaque with sediment
called ori, which contains starch, fibers, yeast and
enzymes. The opaque sake is allowed to sit so that more
solid substances settle out and a clear top layer forms.
The clear liquid is transferred to a separate tank to allow
more ori to settle. The top clear layer is again separated,
leaving opaque sake at the bottom, which is
Orizake.
　 Since orizake still contains carbon dioxide, some
brewers use bottles with the top having a hole to let out
the gas. Some other makers remove the solid substances
with microfilters to produce namazake. Or,
there are brewers who prepare the moromi mash for
the purpose of making nigorizake from the start.
　 Since orizake is a “young” sake, wait for a while after
you pour it in a cup, and allow it to settle. Then savor it
quietly, perhaps with your eyes closed. Probably, you
can receive some messages from orizake, as new sake
has its own voice. In fact, this is where you can start
“conversation” with sake.

Hirezake, Warmed Sake with Toasted Fugu Fin in It
　 When the fugu season comes, you may want to at
least drink hirezake at home, even if you can’t eat
expensive fugu dishes.
　 When fugu is cut up while it is still alive, its fins (hire)
are dried on a wooden board. The dried fin is toasted,
and put into a glass. Warmed sake is poured on it. Then,
the lid is put on the glass to let the sake sit for about five
minutes. Hirezake with the unique aroma of the dried fin
is made this way. When you drink the sake, remove the
fin.
　 When you finish the first serving, put the fin back and
pour sake on it again. You can enjoy another glass of
hirezake.
　 Some bars or small eating establishments offer
burned fins, which are not recommendable as they
add a burnt smell to sake. Fugu fins should be slowly
toasted to golden brown.
　 Since too hot sake is not good for your health, leave
hirezake for about five minutes to cool it down a bit,
and savor it.

　 In this chapter, I’ll talk about zen, or a meal tray,
following previous topics on etiquettes in offering sake
or using chopsticks.
　 Zen was originally called kashiwa, or an oak leave,
because food was offered on oak leaves in ancient
times. At a Shinto shrine in Ise, western Japan, sacred
sake and food are offered on oak leaves placed on
earthenware. At Court, emperors’ cooks were called
kashiwade, and the office in charge of emperors’
meals was called Daizenshiki.
　 The term zen originally meant meals, but later it
began to be used to also refer to a meal tray, as well
as food on the tray. Today, zen is also used to count
helpings of rice like in ichizen-meshi (one helping of
rice), or pairs of chopsticks.
　 There are various types of zen including footed ones
invented during the Edo period (1603-1867), but today
zen generally means the shakunimono-size (approx. 36
x 36 cm) oshiki, which is often used for the kaiseki
cuisine (Japanese traditional course meal). Oshiki is a
footed meal tray with a raised hem which is made with
a narrow thin wooden board bent at the four corners.
What is interesting is that the width of shakunimono is
mostly the same as that of average women’s hips. In
fact, the shakunimono tray was invented for the sake
of convenience for waitresses carrying the trays. Since
the Meiji period (1868-1912), zen trays have became
popular also among ordinary households as furniture
for guests. At drinking parties where zen is used, be
careful not to slide dishes on the tray, because the
bottom of the tableware can damage the surface of
the tray. 　Lift dishes and bowls when you eat, and
return it gently on the tray. Zen is a yard you are
assigned in the party. Keep it tidy.

Fugu, Blow Fish
Under the eaves of every bar,
A Fugu lantern is hung;
Snow drips 　(Hakobune) 　

　When I hear from my favorite bars or eating establishments
that they have begun to offer fugu dishes, I
recognize again that winter has come.
　 An old saying goes that my purse is too light to eat
fugu. Indeed, fugu is expensive, but since less expensive
farmed fugu is easily available nowadays, it would
be nice to indulge ourselves and savor the seasonal
delicacy at times.
　 If you want to fully enjoy fugu, start with usuzukuri
(raw fugu sliced very thin so that the patterns of the
tray can be seen through). Pick a few slices together
with chopsticks, and lightly dip them in soy sauce
mixed with citrus juice, perhaps along with chopped
scallion and momiji-oroshi, or grated daikon radish with
red pepper. Then, move to nikogori, or jellied fugu,
while warming yourself with hirezake. Following usuzukuri,
a hot-pot meal of fugu and vegetables would be
nice. When you finish the sake, wrap up the meal with
zosui, or a porridge made with rice added to the broth
in the pot.
　 When eaten raw, usuzukuri, also known as tessa, is
usually sliced very thin. In fact, however, fugu is better
in its texture when sliced twice as thick as normal usuzukuri
and lightly dipped in boiling water.
　 Deep-fried and lightly salted fugu meat with bones is
also a good accompaniment to sake.

Nori, Dried Laver
　 It’s the season for new nori, or dried laver
Komachiai
First offers warmed sake and
Dried nori.　　(Bijomaru)

This is a touching senryu poem…the hostess of komachiai
(a small teahouse where guests have a drinking
party with geisha) offers sake with dried nori?a food
item most households commonly stock-- to fill up the
time until catered food is delivered. How caring she is.
　 When I drink sake with fish dishes, I occasionally tear
up a sheet of nori, and savor it. The fragrance of the
sea spreads in my month, making the sake tastier.
　 Nori is an ideal food to accompany sake also in
terms of nutrition, as the seaweed contains abundant
protein, as well as Vitamin A, calcium, potassium and
iron.