O-toso is served in special set of utensils for sake called tosoki, which consists of a decanter into which tososan (the herb mixture), sake and mirin are put, the cups into which toso is poured, a stand on which the cups are stacked, and a tray on which the above items are laid out.
Three sizes of cup are used, starting with the smallest and passed around with each family member or guest taking a sip, usually proceeding from the youngest to the eldest. Popular belief has it that “a family will be free from illness if a person drinks it, and people residing within four kilometres will be free from illness if all people in a family drink it”.
The composition of tososan has varied overtime. The 16th century Chinese Compendium of Materia Medica prescribes Atractylodes lancia, shaved cinnamon bark, Ledebouriella seseloides, Smilax china, Rhubarb, Chinese aconite and small red bean. Nowadays, however, it is quite common to see teabag-like sachets containing various assortments of herbs, which include Japanese pepper, wild ginger root, cinnamon and dried ginger.
Try it on New Year’s Eve.
Author: The Slowear Journal