History Flashcards
How long as sake been produced in Japan?
Over 2000 years
How many producers were there during the Meiji era?
Over 30,000
After WWII how many producers remained?
Over 4000
Rice farming is older in China or Japan?
China, it goes back approx. 10,000 years
Sake has been uniquely Japanese how long?
2000 years or so
When was a process much like pasteurization developed in Japan?
16th Century
When did Sake become commonplace in Japan?
14th Century
What happened in September, 1945?
The Makurazake Typhoon hit near the atomic bomb site, taking much of the contaminated soil and bringing radiation-free topsoil.
The Sake class grading system was introduced when?
1943
Why was the Sake class grading system introduced?
To define grades of sake as brewers began stretching batches out by dilution with water and the addition of brewer’s spirit.
Who produced the first pure junmai-shu and when?
Chiyonosono from the Kumamoto Prefecture in 1968
The sake class grading system was converted into what and when?
The Junmai System in 1991
What was brewers spirit previously used for?
Dilute sake while fortifying it and masking impurities.
Knowing Nihon (日本) means ‘sun’ or ‘origin,’ why is Japan called Nihon?
The sun rises in the east, and for the Chinese, it appeared that the country to their east was where the sun originated. Nihon means ‘the land of the rising sun’ or, in other words, Japan.
The oldest written records about Japanese sake are found in what?
Third-century Chinese history books.
The oldest written records of Japanese sake mentioned what habit?
The habit of gathering to drink sake when mourning the dead.
Written references to sake made using mold dates to when?
The 8th Century.
By the 10th Century, sake was produced where and for what and whom?
It was produced at the Imperial Court to be consumed by the emperor or for ceremonial use.
When did sake come to be brewed at Shinto shrines and Buddhits temples?
12th to 15th centuries.
When were detailes of sake-making first detailed?
10th Century
When did brewers begin using lactic acid fermentation?
12th to 15th centuries
Before the 12th to 15th centuries, polished rice was used for what?
Koji only, unpolished rice was used for the sake.
When do the diaries of Buddhist priests record the use of hi-ire with morohaku sake?
15th and 16th centuries.
What other advances facilitated the mass production of sake by the 16th century?
innovations in woodworking that allowed for the construction of 1500L vats.
The city of Edo is now called what?
Tokoyo
In the 18th century, what was the average annual production of kudarizake and what was it equivalent to?
38,000 kL, equivalent to 54 L per person annually in Edo.
What is the primary difference between sake produced in the 18th century and sake produced today?
The amount of water used. The ratio of water to polished rice was about half then, indicating people preferred a sweeter, more vsicous style.
What was wood ash used for in historical production methods?
Wood ash was added to the moromi to reduce the acidity before filtering.
In the Edo era, distilled alcohol added to sake was made from what?
sakekasu
Tanba is a Toji guild in which prefecture?
Hyogo
Echigo is a Toji guild in what prefecture?
Niigata
Tango is a Toji guild in what prefecture?
Kyoto
Tanba, Tajima, Kinosaki, Nantan
Four Toji in Hyogo
What is NRIB?
The National Research Institute of Brewing
The history and produce record of provinces ca. 8th century.
Fudoki
The 12th century legal book that records details of ancient sake-making methods.
Engishiki
The period during which full-fledged production of sake by specialists not affiliated with temples or shrines began.
Muromachi
