Sake Flashcards
What does “Sake” actually mean in Japanese?
A general term for all alcoholic beverages
How is Sake commonly defined in English?
As an alcoholic beverage produced from fermented rice.
In sake production, ___ is converted to fermentable ___
rice starch, sugars
What is unique about the conversion of starch to sugar and sugar to alcohol in Sake?
It occurs simultaneously in the same vessel
What is MPF?
Multiple Parallel Fermentation (MPF)
What does MPF rely on?
The combined activities of yeast and a mold to undergo both crucial processes of fermentation at once.
What is the mold in Sake-making called?
The koji-kin (Aspergillus oryzae)
What chosen typce of rice is considered superior by many?
Yamada Nishiki
What must the rice kernel undergo first?
Milling, or polishing, to remove some of the protein-laden outer husk of the rice grain
What is the pure starchy heart of the rice grain called?
The shinpaku
What does the Shinpaku produce?
The best sake
What is Seimaibuai?
The degree to which sake has been milled, labled according to scale
What is Tokutei Meishoshu?
Special Designation Sake (Junmai-Daiginjo)
When may Junmai Sake’s milling percentage be higher than 70%?
ONLY IF the producer prints “semaibuai” on the label, and uses only water, rice and koji
Junmai Sake has what % milled?
70% (prior to 2004) now may be higher
Name the Tokutei Meishoshu in descending order of Maximum Percentage of Rice Grain Remaining
Junmai (70%), Honjozo(70%), Ginjo(60%), Daiginjo (50%)
How is Honjozo a different style?
A slight amount of brewer’s alcohol (pure distillate) is added to the sake before pressing
When a Sake is labeled “Ginjo” it is what it style?
Honjozo in style, with brewer’s alcohol added. 60% milled.
When is a Sake labeled “Junmai Ginjo”?
When no distilled alcohol is added. 60% milled.
If labeled Daiginjo, the sake will be___in style, with ____ added.
honjozo, brewer’s alcohol
If no distilled alcohol is added, it will be labeled ___Daiginjo
Junmai
What is a Namazake style Sake?
Unpasteurized
What is a Nigori style Sake?
Unfiltered
What is a Taruzake style Sake?
Sake aged in wooden barrels
What is a Jizake style Sake?
Sake from a smaller kura (brewery)
What is a Genshu style Sake?
Undiluted sake
After milling, the rice is rinsed, soaked in water, and ___
steamed in successive stages
A first batch of steamed rice is inoculated with the koji-kin, a ___.
green, powdery mold
The mold grows on the steamed rice for about two days; the steamed rice upon which the mold is cultivated is the ___.
koji
Yeast, additional rice and water are added to koji to create what?
The moto, or starter
The moto develops for how long before it is moved to a larger vessel for fermentation?
Over a period of two weeks
Koji, water, and steamed rice are added to the moto in three successive stages, creating what?
The moromi, or fermenting mash, which doubles in size with each addition.
Once the final addition has been made, the sake will ferment for up to ____
45 days
Sake reaches an alcohol content of approximately …
20%, water is generally added back to lower the final alcohol level to around 17%
What is the final steps of Sake making?
Sake is pressed, and is usually filtered and pasteurized.
Sake may be bone dry to sweet; the level of residual sugar is often indicated on the label as a number on-
The Sake Value Meter (nihonshudo)
What is The Nihonshudo scale a measure of?
The sake’s specific gravity, or density in contrast to that of water. (-) values indicate sweetness, with (+) values indicating dryness; 0 is neutral
What are tokkuri?
Sake is traditionally decanted from the bottle into this ceramic, narrow-neck flask
Once in a tokkuri, the sake is then poured in what traditionally?
ochoko (small cylindrical vessels) or, for the more ceremonial- sakazuki cups.
Does Sake generally improve with age?
Nope!
