Sake - Oriental Beauty!

Sake is often labeled as a wine, due to the lack of effervescence and comparatively higher alcohol (15% - 20% ABV), or as a beer as its main ingredients is a grain (rice) and not derived from a fruit. While the truth being said sake is a Japanese alcoholic beverage which differs from both wine & beer in its making processes that it needs to be categorized as a process of its own. On the occasion of World of Sake Day let’s demystify Sake!

Wine is made by fermenting the readily available sugar from grapes. Beer is made by fermenting the sugar in starch which is converted by the process of saccharification. Sake on the other hand is made from rice which lacks the enzyme to break down starch to ferment able sugars which added from outside.These enzymes are provided by a mold called "Koji"

Various different types of rice varieties are used for Sake brewing. These rice grains are larger than ordinary rice which is consumed in Japan. For Sake brewing the Shinpaku or the opaque white core which contains concentrated starch is very important. The major rice varieties used are: Yamadanishiki, Miyamanishiki, Gohyakumangoku and Omachi. The degree of polishing or Seimai-buai is crucial in defining the quality of the sake which will be produced.

While making sake the koji (a mould) is cultivated on a portion of steamed rice. Once the koji is completely formed the "moto" is mixed with straight steamed rice, water & yeast. This in turns starts the process of saccharification and fermentation simultaneously which is very unique to sake differentiating it from the rest of the alcoholic beverages. This process is called "heiko fukuhakkoshiki" or "multiple parallel fermentation".

@Koji Mould on Rice Grains.

Every "kura" or "brewery" has a unique style to make their sake which is mastered by the "toji" or "master brewer" over years of practice.

The Sake Making process can be simplified in the following flow chart:

After Sake is made there are few processes which follow to create different styles. They are as follows:

There are two main styles of sake:

- Honjozo - Pure distilled alcohol is added during fermentation to extract alcohol soluble aromas and flavour components.

- Junmai - Pure rice wine without any addition of alcohol.

The process of Seimai (Polishing Rice) plays a major role in defining the quality of sake; the higher the polishing ratio the more expensive the sake made from it is.

Sake types based on Seimai are:

- Junmaishu & Honjozo - Rice is polished 30%

- Junmai Ginjoshu & Ginjoshu - Rice is polished 40%

- Junmai Dai-Ginjoshu & Dai-Ginjoshu - Rice is polished 50%

"Tokutei Meishoshu" or Special Designation Sake are:

- Namazake - Unpasteurized Sake

- Taruzake - Cedar cask aged Sake

- Nigorizake - Coarsely filtered Sake.

- Genshu - Undiluted Sake

Serving Sake

Sake can be served at various temperatures depending on the weather or the kind of food it is being served with. Generally there are three:

- Chilled (reishu 冷酒)

- At room temperature (jōon 常温)

- Heated (atsukan 熱燗)

Typically, hot sake is a winter drink, and high-grade sake is not usually drunk hot, because the flavors and aromas may be lost. Most lower-quality sake is served hot because that is the traditional way and it often tastes better that way, not so that flaws are covered up. There are gradations of temperature both for chilling and heating, about every 5 °C (9.0 °F), with hot sake generally served around 50 °C (122 °F), and chilled sake around 10 °C (50 °F), like white wine. Hot sake that has cooled (kanzamashi 燗冷まし) may be reheated.

@O-Choko & Tokkuri
Image Credits - www.japanstyle.info     

Sake is traditionally drunk from small cups called choko or o-choko (お猪口) and poured into the choko from ceramic flasks called tokkuri.

Sake is traditionally served in units of 180 ml (one gō), and this is still common, but other sizes are sometimes also available.

Article by – Kevin Rodrigues, Certified Sommelier.