Rice Flashcards
When does newly harvested rice arrive at the brewery?
October to early spring, roughly 7 months.
What is the one big advantage of rice over grapes?
Rice can be stored for weeks or even months without rotting or severely degrading which means the rice harvest can be processed in small batches throughout the season.
All five catgegories of rice can be found within a single paddy.
T or F
True
Name the five categories of rice.
Santoh (grade 3)
Nittoh (grade 2)
Ittoh (grade 1)
Tokuto (special grade)
Tokujo (higher special grade)
Broadly, there are what two type of rice?
Japonica (short)
Indica (long)
Name four features specific to sake rice:
- large grains
- low protein content and the presence of a well-defined, large Shinpaku. Ideally linear in shape.
- Good water absorbency and high solubility during the brewing process.
- Low ratio of rice cracking.
Why is rice cracking undesirable?
It leads to a less effective separation of starch from undesirable components.
The features specific to sake rice make what three things possible?
- The separation of a large proportion of desirable starch away from undesirable impurities.
- Help the water penetrate deep into the grain during washing, soaking, and steaming.
- Water penetrability also helps the rice ‘melt’ easily, making its starch available for conversion to sugar and then fermentation into alcohol.
What are the two most important varieties of Shuzo-koteki-mai?
Yamada-nishiki
Gohyaku-mangoku
Yamada-nishiki and Gohyaku-mangoku make up what percentage of sake-specific rice production?
Over 60%
How much of Japan’s rice production is used for sake, and of that, how much is sakspecific rice?
5% of Japan’s rice production is used for sake, and of that one quarter is Shuzo-koteki-mai
How many stages of drying rice are there?
Three
The bran and outer layers of unpolished rice contain large amounts of what?
Fats, proteins, vitamins, lipids, and minerals.
What happens if there is an overabundance of fats, proteins, vitamins, lipids, and minerals?
It can accelerate the fermentation and kōji propagation and could cause problems with the fermentation. It also makes it more difficult to achieve the precise and elegant flavours that arise from a long, slow fermentation.
Why must rice polishing be done slowly and gently?
The grains can become heated, dry out, or crack from the heat and friction.
To polish 600kg of brown rice to semibuai of 70% takes how long?
And what level is this?
10 hours
Junmai
To polish 600kg of brown rice to reach 50% semibuai takes how long?
And what level is this?
45 hours
Daiginjo
A course emery is used for how much of the rice polishing?
85% semibuai
What happens immediatly after milling?
Polished rice is rested to cool down and restore moisture level in order to avoid the risk of cracks caused by an immediate temperature change in water.
How long is polished rice rested?
Three to four weeks depending on climate.
Which of the following sake rice varieties is only grown in Yamagata?
A. Kura-no-Hana
B. Kame-no-O
C. Dewasansan
D. Gin-no-sei
C. Dewasansan
Which of the following is NOT a true statement about sake rice cultivation?
A. Sake rice is cultivated in wet mud which prevents oxygen access so that weeds cannot grow.
B. Sake rice is cultivated in greenhouse until it reaches a suitable height to transfer to rice paddy.
C. Gohyakumangoku is the most prolific sake rice.
D. Harvesting of sake rice is late September to early October.
C. Gohyakumangoku is the most prolific sake rice.
Identify the germ
B
Identify the Shinpaku
C
Identify the bran
A
How can weather conditions impact rice growth?
Low temperatures and insufficient sunlight during panicle and grain formation can result in smaller grains that are more soluable and result in heavier-tasting sake.
Higher-than-normal temperatures result in grains that are less soluable, boosting the amount of sakekasu and resulting in weaker sake.
Sake-specific varieties of rice are preferred by brewers because they:
a. have small grains
b. are high in protein
c. are resistant to cracking
d. produce large amounts of enzymes
c. are resistant to cracking
Seven stages of rice growth and harvest
- Seedlings - March to May
- Transplanting seedlings - late April to mid-June
- Draining and re-flooding the paddy - late-June to late-September
- Appearance of the Ears - August to early September
- Ripening - Late September to October
- Harvest - late September to October
- Drying and husk removal - late September to October
Name five important varieties of rice
- Yamada-nishiki
- Gohyakuman-goku
- Miyama-nishiki
- Dewa-sansan
- Omachi
Which of the following is NOT a true statement about sake rice compared to table rice?
A. Sake rice grows to be about 25% taller than table rice.
B. Sake rice is lighter in weight than table rice.
C. The width of a grain of sake rice is 20% larger than table rice.
D. Sake rice has more starch and less fat than table rice.
B. Sake rice is lighter in weight than table rice.
What are the three main reasons sake brewers prefer sake-specific rice?
- They contain less protein than table rice.
- Most of the starch granules lie in a well-defined almost pure starch core at the centre of the rice.
- They are larger-grained, and therefore less likely to crack when polished.
What are the top three varieties of sake rice?
Yamada-nishiki
Gohyakuman-goku
Miyama-nishiki
Which sake-specific rice is rising rapidly in popularity after being registered in 1997?
Dewa-sansan
How many sakamai varieties are officially registered in Japan?
Over 120
What are three traits producers look for when selecting varieties of sake rice?
- absorb the righ amount of moisture
- cooperate with and be penetrated by koji mold
- interact with various types of yeast
Why is it important for rice grains to be dried quickly?
To avoid rot.
The moisture content of rice is regulated by the government.
T or F
True
How many grades of rice are there and what are they?
Five grades:
Santoh (grade 3)
Nittoh (grade 2)
Ittoh (grade 1)
Tokuto (special grade)
Tokujo (higher special grade)
Why are table-rice varieties difficult to work with?
They lack the ratio of fat to protein that sakamai has. The variety also tends to produce stickier rice that is more difficult to work with during the brewing process.
Term for unmilled brown rice
Genmai
What is the objective of milling the rice?
Remove the pfat and protein on the outside and leave the starch remaining at the centre.
What are the advantages of Henpei Seimai and Genkei Seimai over traditional milling?
Henpei seimai (trade marked at Cho-henpei) mills flat and Genkei seimai mills retaining the original grain shape. Both leave more of the shinpaku intact.
Most sake is not made with sake rice.
T or F
True
Most premium sake is made with what?
Shuzo kotekimai
How does a rice become shuzo kotekimai?
The rice is inspected and registered by the Japanese government.
How many varieties of shuzo kotekimai are currently registered?
120 (give or take)
Shimpaku (shinpaku) translates to what?
White heart
In order to be called a _________________ grade of sake, the rice must have passed inspection. If not, it is classed as futsushu.
Tokutei meishoshu
