This is a type of wine that has been soaked in traditional Chinese medicine and mixed with a variety of herbs, giving it a therapeutic effect.
On the first day of the Japanese New Year, the dishes have auspicious meanings. Through food and drink, people believe that they will have luck, wealth, health, and long life.
Toso wine is one drink that has become a part of this nearly 1000-year-old heritage.
What exactly is Toso?
Toso is a type of liquor prepared from a variety of herbs that have become an integral part of Japanese New Year celebrations. Toso’s kanji (Chinese characters) have two meanings: “evil spirits” and “slaughter.” As a result, consuming toso will symbolize the annihilation of evil, giving peace and health to the people.
Furthermore, the herbal ingredients in this wine have the benefit of avoiding infectious diseases like colds and fever in the body, as well as boosting resistance.
According to folklore, if one person drinks toso, the entire family will be protected from disease; if the entire family drinks together, the entire town would be protected.
Toso will be poured into three stacked cups, from large to small, on New Year’s Day, from a specially painted teapot. From youngest to oldest, each family member will take a sip while facing east. This is done in order to pass on youth, agility, and stamina to the elderly.
However, the tradition began in China, when the youngest people drank wine to ensure that it wasn’t poisoned, in order to save venerable old people from dying abruptly.
History of Toso
Toso is believed to have appeared during the Heian era (9th century), and was initially recognized by Emperor Saga (52nd Emperor of Japan).
Toso was the drink of the nobility for hundreds of years, and it was an integral part of royal celebrations. Following that, toso was gradually introduced to the general public throughout the Edo period (1603-1868).
Toso has become an integral part of the Japanese New Year thanks to pharmacies. It’s unclear when, but pharmacists began giving toso in the form of o-seibo (a year-end gift) to wish their customers good health in the new year. This tradition was still common in many areas until around 30 years ago.
How to make toso wine?
Toso is a mixture of 5-10 different herbs and spices. The original mixture was based on an ancient Chinese medicinal recipe with eight ingredients. Many of these are still in use, while others are too dangerous and must be replaced.
Toso is now made up of main ingredients such as cinnamon, ginger, rhubarb, Japanese pepper, and a few lesser-known roots and wild plants. Rather than buying the ingredients separately, you could just go to the pharmacy and get a neatly packed tososan tea bag. For centuries, pharmacies have offered traditional tososan tea.
To make toso on New Year’s Eve, steep a tososan tea bag for 7-8 hours in 300ml of traditional Japanese wine or mirin. You can also do it before going to bed the night before New Year’s Eve so that you have a drink ready in the morning.
Note: Mirin is a type of rice wine vinegar often used in Japanese cooking that has less alcohol, resulting in a sweeter toso.
Unfortunately, drinking toso isn’t as popular as it once was. Today’s young people are not too concerned about their health and regard this habit as outdated. If you’re looking for traditional Japanese healthy beverages, you could buy or try this wine.