Sake Flashcards
What is sake?
Japanese term for alcoholic beverages. English usually refers to fermented rice beverage.
What is Multiple Parallel Fermentation?
Simultaneous fermentation of starch into sugar, and sugar into alcohol.
What is “koji”?
Steamed rice that has been inoculated with Koji-kin (aspergillus oryzae).
What is the commonly preferred rice strain for sake production?
Yamada Nishiki
Why is Yamada Nishiki preferred for sake production?
Large grains, centralized starch pocket, less protein.
Which prefecture in Japan is best know for sake rice production?
Hyogo prefecture
How is sake rice processed for fermentation?
The protein is milled away to reveal the starchy center.
Shinpaku
Starchy heart of a rice grain.
Sei-mai buai
Sei-mai “polished rice” buai “ratio”
Sei-mai buai - Rice polishing ratio.
Junmai
Max 70% of rice grain remaining. Only water, rice, and koji permitted. Translates to “pure rice”.
Honjozo
Max 70% rice grain remaining, small amount of brewer’s alcohol is added to sake before pressing.
Ginjo
Max 60% of rice grain remaining. In the honjozo style (brewer’s alchol added).
Junmai Ginjo
Max 60% rice grain remaining. Made in the junmai style (only rice, water, and koji permitted - no brewers alcohol).
Daiginjo
Max 50% rice grain remaining. In the honjozo style (brewer’s alcohol added).
Junmai Daiginjo
Max 50% rice grain remaining. In the junmai style (only rice, water, and koji permited - no brewer’s alcohol).
What are the percentages of polishing in sake production?
max 70% (base level - includes junmai and honjozo), max 60% (ginjo), max 50% (daiginjo)
What is the difference between koji and koji-kin?
Koji-kin is the mold, koji is the rice that has been inoculated.
What is the process of sake production?
Polishing Steaming Inoculation with koji-kin Harvesting of koji Inoculation with yeast and water to create moto Moto is fermented Addition of rice, water, and koji to moto in stages to create moromi Dilution to 17% ABV Pressing (filtration and pasteurization optional)
Moto
Sake starter (made from koji, rice, and water)
Moromi
Moto with additional steamed rice, water and koji added (this ferments into sake)
What is the approximate ABV that moromi ferments to?
~20% ABV
Nihonshudo
Sake Meter Value (SMV). Measure of specific gravity to indicate sweetness. Negative values are sweet, positive values are dry.
Tokkuri
Traditional ceramic flask
Service temperature for sake.
Slightly chilled or room temperature. Warming is traditional, but disrupts flavor.
Namazake
Unpasteurized sake
Nigori Sake
Unfiltered (cloudy) sake
Taruzake
Sake aged in wooden barrels
Jizake
Sake from smaller kura
Kura
Brewery
Genshu Sake
Undiluted sake
Tokubetsu
Sake with a special characteristic.
Yamahai????
Taru
Kimoto
Shizuku
