Tamagozake

Tamagozake (卵酒 or 玉子酒) is a drink consisting of heated sake, sugar and a raw egg. It translates as "egg sake", being made of the kanji 卵 tamago (egg) and 酒 saké. Outside of Japan, tamagozake is sometimes referred to as sake-nog, due to its resemblance to eggnog. However, this term would not likely be recognized by a Japanese person. Tamagozake is a traditional home remedy for the common cold in Japan. Some believe it to be an effective cure, but whether this is a result of tradition or habit inducing the placebo effect, or if it has actual medicinal properties, is unknown. The sake is supposed to give you a good night's sleep and the lysozyme in the egg white is said to strengthen the immune system and thus help cure the cold. Even though it is an alcoholic drink, it is sometimes given as a cold cure to children as well as adults, much as chicken soup or hot toddies are used in Western countries. Like most home remedies, there are several variant recipes for tamagozake, but the basic...