SAKÉ 酒
Here, I´m not going to talk about cooking sake, it is a drinking Sake — Japan’s national beverage. Sake is generally referred to all alcoholic drinks including beer, wine, whisky, shochu, and the beverage we call “sake” in English, which you have probably sampled at your local izakaya (or a sake bar). I would like to take this opportunity to introduce to you the brief process of modern sake brewing, the common types of sake, and the ways to drink it. In Japan, saying “sake” might not mean quite what you think it does. “Sake” (酒) actually is just a general term for alcohol in Japanese. The word you will want to use is nihonshu (日本酒), which literally means “Japanese liquor.” This refers to Japanese alcohol made with four main ingredients – water, rice, koji mold, and yeast.
Sake is generally served cold or gently warmed, and has traditionally been used in ceremonial settings, historically including events such as Shinto festivals and weddings, as well as the New Year. In modern times occasions now include store openings, professional sports team celebrations, and election victory parties, in addition to casual drinking, of course. To avoid spoiling in hot weather, sake has traditionally been brewed in the winter, and despite modern refrigeration techniques, sake still maintains a seasonal quality.
Sake Brewing Process
Lets not go to the sake history which stretches far to the Japanese civilisation. The origin of sake is unclear, however it is documented that the method of fermenting rice into alcohol spread to Japan from China around 500BCE. So, let me just simplify it and see how the sake brewing is processed in modern days.
Rice and water
The first step in making good sake is procuring the right type of rice. Sake brewers actually use what is called sakamai (酒米), literally meaning “sake rice.” This type of grain is larger, stronger, and contains less protein and fewer lipids (fatty acids) than rice for consumption. The rice is polished to remove the bran around it. Using a stronger type of rice prevents grains from breaking during the polishing. As little as 30% and as much as 65% of the kernels can be removed during polishing, and removing different amounts results in different tastes. The percentage of the kernel remaining is referred to as the seimaibuai (精米歩合), or polishing rate. After polishing, the rice needs to be left alone for about 10-20 days before washing and soaking for sake.
The final sake product is actually as much as 80% water, and so successful sake breweries have always been linked to areas with good water resources. Good water for brewing sake has low iron content, since it is said to ruin the color, scent, and taste. Potassium, magnesium, and phosphoric acid help the yeast and koji develop.
Soaking and steaming
Next, the rice needs to be washed and soaked, similar to how we prepare regular rice at home. Washing the rice makes sure the nuka powder (糠, also translated as rice-bran) is removed, and the rice is left to soak. The amount of time the rice is soaked is shorter the more it is polished. Times can vary from as short as a minute, to overnight.
This is where the process significantly diverges from how regular white rice is prepared. Instead of putting the rice in water and boiling it, the rice is placed into a steaming vat, called a koshiki (漉し器), so that steam comes up through it, giving the rice a firmer consistency, as well as a harder outside and softer inside. At this point, the batch might be split. Only about 1/4 of the rice will be covered with the koji mold, while about 3/4 will go straight into the fermentation vat.
Koji cultivation (Seigiku, 製麹)
Good koji is vital to making good sake. There are thousands of different strains, but brewers will choose only the best ones for making sake. Koji mold in the form of a fine powder is sprinkled over the rice, and the batch is left in the “koji room” (kojimuro 麹室), where a high temperature and humidity level are maintained for 36-45 hours, during which the brewers will monitor and frequently mix or rearrange the batch. Only about 100 grams of the koji powder is enough for 1 ton of sake. Trivia: Koji was actually declared a “national fungus” in the journal of the Brewing Society of Japan because of how it is used not only for sake, but also to make soy sauce, miso, and a variety of other important Japanese foods.
Yeasting (shubo/moto 酒母/酛) and Mashing (moromi, 醪 )
Yeast is also essential to modern sake production, and the yeast starter ensures that there will be enough yeast cells. This is essentially the initial seed mash before the main mash. The rice is split into two batches, one with koji, and one without? Some of the koji rice and some of the plain rice are recombined at this stage, along with more water and some pure yeast cells, making the perfect environment for the yeast to flourish over a period of around 2 weeks.
After the yeast cells have been allowed to flourish over about two weeks, we can move on to the main mash. Everything will be transferred to a much larger vat, and over the next four days the brewers will add even more of the ingredients, doubling the size of the batch each time. The brewers will monitor the batch over the next 20 to 40 days, making sure the temperature, humidity, and other factors are controlled to ensure the quality of the final product. The whole chemistry of this process is complicated, but the main idea is that during the alcohol brewing process, the starch turns into a sugar, which then turns into alcohol. When brewing beer, this happen in two discrete steps, but when brewing sake, the two processes occur almost simultaneously.
Diluting and pressing the sake (Joso 上槽)
At this stage, some water is added to the mixture. Adding water can also bring out softer characteristics in the flavor of the sake. Brewers may also choose to add brewer’s alcohol, which not only influences the texture and viscosity, but also increases the overall yield, although it may sacrifice some flavor.
Sake can be separated from the mash in several ways. One way is to put the sake moromi into something resembling a mesh pillow case, and then stack it in a box-style press called a fune (槽). Another way is the yabuta air bladder press, which inflates to press the sake. Sometimes the bags are simply suspended above a container to let gravity do the work of separating the sake.
Filtration (Roka濾過) and pasteurization
Sake at this stage is often run through a charcoal filter, removing solids that could cause discoloration or other problems during the aging process. Without the filtration, the sake might have a yellowish-green tint to it. Unfiltered sake is also a marketed product, referred to in Japanese namagenshu (生原酒) or namazake (生酒). Be warned – it has a much livelier taste, but has to be refrigerated since it’s also skipping pasteurization.
As mentioned above, using heat to pasteurize sake was a well-known practice since the 14th century in Japan. Sake today is briefly exposed to high temperatures to kill off bacteria and deactivate enzymes that could adversely affect the color and flavor, making sake easier to store and less prone to spoil.
Aging and bottling
Most sake is left to age for about six months (and sometimes up to a year) before it can be shipped out for consumption. It can be aged in storage tanks or in bottles. It is also diluted again with water, bringing the alcohol content to about 15%. For comparison, wine is generally about 9-16% ABV (alcohol by volume), and beer is around 3-9%, whereas sake is actually around 18-20% before dilution. It is also pasteurized once more before shipping. A typical batch of sake produces roughly 250 of the standard 720 ml bottles (about the same size as a bottle of wine).
Types Of Sake
There are so many different types of sake that — to keep things simple — I am going to focus only on some major types and classifications. Along with a good cup, this information is all you need to enjoy some sake tasting at a specialty sake shop, bar, or izakaya. You can classify sake by several factors, including the type of rice used, where it was produced, the degree to which the rice has been polished, brewing processes, how it was filtered, and more. I want you to enjoy sake tasting — not overwhelm you — so here is a handy list of the main types and classifications of sake you will encounter.
Junmai — Junmai refers to pure rice (純米) (non-additive) sake. The only ingredients used are water, rice, koji and yeast – with no added alcohol. This classification also means that the rice used has been polished to at least 70 percent. Junmai sake tends to have a rich, full body with an intense, slightly acidic flavor.
Honjozo — Honjozo (本醸造) also uses rice that has been polished to at least 70 percent (as with junmai). However, honjozo, by definition, contains a small amount of distilled brewers alcohol, which is added to smooth out the flavor and aroma of the sake. Honjozo sakes are often light and easy to drink, and can be enjoyed both warm or chilled.
Ginjo and Junmai Ginjo — Ginjo (吟醸) is premium sake that uses rice that has been polished to at least 60 percent. It is brewed using special yeast and fermentation techniques. The result is often a light, fruity, and complex flavor that is usually quite fragrant. It’s easy to drink and often (though certainly not as a rule) served chilled. Junmai ginjo is simply ginjo sake that also fits the “pure rice” (no additives) definition.
Daiginjo and Junmai Daiginjo — Daiginjo (大吟醸) is super premium sake (hence the “dai,” or “big”) and is regarded by many as the pinnacle of the brewer’s art. It requires precise brewing methods and uses rice that has been polished all the way down to at least 50 percent. Daiginjo sakes are often relatively pricey and are usually served chilled to bring out their nice light, complex flavors and aromas. Junmai daiginjo is simply daiginjo sake that also fits the “pure rice” (no additives) definition.
Futsushu — Futsushu (普通種) is sometimes referred to as table sake. The rice has barely been polished (somewhere between 70 and 93 percent), and — while I´m definitely not qualified to be sake snobs — is the only stuff I would probably recommend staying away from. Surprisingly, you can get really good-quality sake for very reasonable prices, so unless you’re looking for a bad hangover (and not-so-special flavor), stay away from futsushu.
Shiboritate — Although sake is not generally aged like wine, it’s usually allowed to mature for around six months or more while the flavors mellow out. However, shiboritate (しぼりたて) sake goes directly from the presses into the bottles and out to market. (People generally either love it or hate it.) Shiboritate sake tends to be wild and fruity, and some drinkers even liken it to white wine.
Nama-zake — Most sake is pasteurized twice: once just after brewing, and once more before shipping. Nama-zake (生酒) is unique in that it is unpasteurized, and as such it has to be refrigerated to be kept fresh. While it of course also depends on other factors, it often has a fresh, fruity flavor with a sweet aroma.
Nigori — Nigori (濁り) sake is cloudy white and coarsely filtered with very small bits of rice floating around in it. It’s usually sweet and creamy, and can range from silky smooth to thick and chunky. This type of sake seems to be far more popular in Japanese restaurants outside of Japan than in Japan.
Jizake — Jizake (地酒) means “local sake” and is a great word to keep in mind when traveling to different regions of Japan. Sake is brewed throughout the country, and good jizake usually goes extremely well with each region’s local cuisine — and since it’s local, it’s also usually fresh and often nicely priced.
Ways To Drink Sake
Now comes the fun part and final step: drinking the sake! The most common questions we hear from sake beginners are:
- Should you drink sake cold, warm, or at room temperature?
- What kind of cup or glass should you drink it out of?
- To Chill or Not to Chill
There is no hard—and—fast rule, and the most important considerations are the particular sake in question and your own preferences. Some sake is at its best cold, while others taste perfect when warmed. Every sake is different, and sake connoisseurs will tell you to experiment. My philosophy is: Do what tastes best to you. It’s no fun if you’re worried about whether what you’re doing is right or wrong.
That being said, here are some general guidelines to help you in knowing whether to cool or warm sake:
- Ask the shop or restaurant staff for their recommendation: They will know whether it is best cold, warm, or either way.
- Avoid extremes: Whether chilling or warming, be careful not to overdo it, since overheating and over—chilling can disrupt a sake’s particular flavors and aromas.
- If warming, do not heat the sake directly, rather, pour the sake into a receptacle (like a sake carafe, ideally) that can handle some heat, and then heat it very gradually in a water bath. Avoid heating it too quickly or too intensely (definitely don’t do it in a microwave!).
- At the risk of overgeneralizing, many sake experts say that ginjo and daiginjo sakes are usually best not warmed (since being served chilled enhances their flavors and aromas), while many junmai and honjozo sakes do well either way (since warming these types of sakes tends to draw out their complex flavors and smooth them out a bit).
- Many sake varieties taste great at different temperatures — as different temperatures draw out distinctive characteristics — which makes it very worthwhile to experiment for yourself.
I wish I could tell you that all sake experts agree, but of course, this is never the case. With premium sakes, many connoisseurs recommend drinking sake out of a glass, as this tends to avoid getting in the way of the complex and often subtle flavors and aromas. But it’s also fun to drink sake out of an ochoko or masu, and enjoying the sake receptacle itself can greatly enhance the experience.
If you do have a more delicate palate and can deeply appreciate sake’s profound characteristics, then it will be worthwhile to invest in good sake-drinking glasses. As with everything else, the golden rule is not to take things too seriously, and enjoy yourself. The best way to really gain an appreciation for and understanding of sake is to drink it. So get out there and taste some sake — you may be surprised to find you have a particular type, style, and temperature you like best.