What is sake ?
The word “Sake” (pronounced "SAH-KEH" in Japanese, but often "SAH-ki" by English speakers) simply means “alcoholic beverage” in Japanese, we call it “Nihon-shu”(=Japan-Sake) in Japan. Sake is brewed from rice. But it is not simple fermentation like wine, nor it is a distilled beverage. It is closer to beer. Beer is made by converting starches in barley to sugar using enzymes that arise when the barley is malted. In Sake brewing, these enzymes are provided courtesy of Koji mold which gives off the engymes which subsequently convert starch to sugar.In beer, the starch to sugar conversion and sugar to alcohol fermentation take place separately. However, in Sake brewing, the moldy rice trickles sugar into the mash in the same space and at the same time as yeast cells are converting sugar into alcohol.
5 Importants Elements for sake making
By milling percentage and ingredients
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Sake is classified by how much the rice is polished down and it's ingredients. In general, the more you polish, the more its taste become elegant style. The less polishing ratio means sake is robust and Umami-rich.
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Sake Type - by Flavour and Aroma
The sake service institute of Japan (SSI) who run a worldwide recognized sake tasting course have devised a system where the main sake grades are divided into 4 different sake profiles based on flavour and aroma.
Photo used under Creative Commons from Norio.NAKAYAMA