Preparing steamed rice

Question 1

What are the 4 stages of preparing rice?

Answer 1

1. Polishing
2. washing
3. soaking
4. steaming

Question 2

What are the 3 layers of a grain of rice?

Answer 2

1. Outer layers (hull/husk)
2. middle layers (endosperm)
3. starch core (‘shinpaku’)

Question 3

What is the polishing ratio?

Answer 3

The percentage of the original rice grain that remains

Question 4

What is the polishing ratio for Junmai/Honjozo?

Answer 4

70% or less

Question 5

What is the polishing ratio for a ginjo?

Answer 5

60% or less

Question 6

What is the polishing ratio for a daiginjo?

Answer 6

50% or less

Question 7

What is the purpose of Washing?

Answer 7

• to remove resultant rice dust from polishing off outer/middle layers of rice

Question 8

What is the purpose of Soaking and Steaming?

Answer 8

• softens the grains
• ensures they have the correct texture and level of moisture to facilitate breaking up of rice starches

Question 9

What are the 4 stages of making koji?

Answer 9

1. Cooling the steamed rice
2. Spreading the mould over the steamed rice
3. Initial mould growth
4. Controlling and stopping the mould growth

Question 10

How + why is the steamed rice cooled before koji making?

Answer 10

• rice is spread out on mats to cool naturally
• the rice is too hot straight out of the steamer to allow mold growth

Question 11

Describe the process of spreading koji mold (3):

Answer 11

• cooled rice is moved into the warm + humid koji room.
• rice is spread in a thin layer on a table.
• mold spores are spread over the rice.

Question 12

What is Koji?

Answer 12

• refers to steamed rice that has been inoculated with mold spores.
• also refers to the mold itself, Aspergillus oryzae

Question 13

What are the typical conditions of a koji room?

Answer 13

warm and humid

Question 14

How is the growth of mold controlled and stopped?

What is the aim of the brewer?

Answer 14

• to control the growth of mold, the koji is moved to a part of the koji room where temp and humidity can be controlled more precisely.
• to stop mold growth, the koji is moved out of the koji room to a cooler location.
• the aim of the brewer is to slow growth so that exactly the amount needed is obtained.

Question 15

What are the two things in the fermentation process that can influence the style of sake produced?

Answer 15

• Special Yeast strains, which contribute a significant amount of flavor
• fermentation temperature; lower, cooler fermentations produce sake with fruity/floral aromas

Question 16

Cooler fermentation temperatures produce?

Answer 16

fruity and floral aromas - ginjo

Question 17

Warmer fermentation temperatures produce?

Answer 17

lactic and cereal aromas - Honjozo

Question 18

What 3 contributing factors will produce fruity, floral ginjō aromas?

What 3 contributing factors will produce sake with cereal and lactic aromas?

Answer 18

Fruity, Floral Ginjō:
* special yeast strains
* lower polishing ratio
* cooler fermentation temps.

Cereal, lactic Honjōzō:
* Standard yeast strains
* higher polishing ratio
* warmer fermentation temps