The first time I drank sake was, surprisingly enough, in Texas. I had managed to go an entire year of living in Japan without trying the curiously strong rice wine, instead opting to taste my way through Japanese beers and mixed drinks during marathon nomihodai (all-you-can-drink) parties. My then-boyfriend (now husband) wasn’t particularly attached to any of the various nihonshu at the supermarket, either, so a bottle never managed to make its way into my apartment. In fact, the first time I consciously remember drinking sake was down in Texas while we were visiting my parents. My father produced a large bottle of sake (or “sakii,” as he pronounced it) from the pantry in an effort to make my husband feel more “at home.” It worked beautifully.

テキサス州での「サキ」

私が初めて日本酒を飲んだのはテキサスでのことでした。私のその時の彼氏（現在の夫）も私と同じように好んで日本酒を飲むことが無かったため、自ら日本酒を買った事は一度もありませんでした。実際、私が初めて日本酒を飲んだ記憶はテキサスの両親の家に遊びに行った時のものでした。父が私の夫ともっと仲良くなりたいがために大きな日本酒の瓶を買い、皆で飲みました。（父はテキサス特有のなまりで、正しく「さけ」と言えずに「サキ」と言っていました。）