Sake Flashcards
What does the term Sake mean in Japan?
It is the term for any fermented Beverage or alcohol
What is the Japanese term for what we know as Sake?
Nihon Shu “alcohol of Japan”
What is the Japanese term for Grades of Sake?
Tokutei Meishou Shu
What is Futsuu-shu?
“Normal sake”
- Doesn’t qualify unter Tokutei Meishou Shu classifications
- About 80% of production in Japan
What is Sake with Brewer’s Alcohol added?
Honjozo-shu
What does Tokubetsu designate?
A more highly polished rice or special bottling under Junmai-shu or Honjozo-shu (either ginjo or daiginjo)
What is Ginjo-shu
- Made in a more traditional way compared to mass produced
- polished to 60% or less remaining
What is Daiginjo-shu
- Highest quality designation
- 50% of mass polished away or more
If a label says only ginjo or daiginjo, is alcohol added?
Yes. Needs to say junmai if nothing is added
What is Junmai-shu, what is the seimaibuai requirement?
Often a lighter style
no brewer’s alcohol added
no longer required seimaibuai
What is the highest quality level of sake available?
Junmai Daiginjo-shu
highly polished (50%)
alcohol can be 17%+
What is the term for rice milling in sake production?
Seimaibuai
Why is rice milled in sake production?
To remove protein rich husk of the grain and use only the pure starchy center
-best starches are in the core
What is the term for the core of starches in a grain of rice?
Shinpaku
translates to heart rate
sometimes mistranslated to white heart
Required gradations for milling rice: Junmai-shu Honjozo Ginjo-shu Daiginjo-shu
Junmai-shu - no requirement
Honjozo - 70% remaining
Ginjo-shu - 60% remaining
Daiginjo-shu - 50% remaining
What is the highest quality rice variety? What is it known as?
Yamada Nishiki
“King of Sake Rice”
Name three rice varieties for Sake production
Omachi* Rice Oseto Yamada Nishiki* - "king of sake rice" Miyama Nishiki* Hatta Nishiki Dewa San san Gohyakumangoku*
*popular
What is the genus/species for the Koji fungi
Aspergillus oryzae
What is MPF
Multiple parallel fermentaion
rice starch –> Sugar
Sugar –> alcohol
What is Saccharification?
Breakdown of starch into sugar
Why is it necessary for lactic acid to be added during fermentation?
Parallel fermentation of starch being broken down into sugar by koji-kin and sugar being converted to alcohol by yeast require higher acid
What is the new vs old method of adding Lactic acid?
Old - add Lactic Acid Bacteria - develops slowly and adds savory or gamey flavors
New - acidulate with Lactic Acid - produces cleaner flavors, skips step of LAB producing the acid.
What are three styles of sake having to do with different yeast starters?
Kimoto-moto - traditional orthodox - pole ramming (yama oroshi) to stir (like batonnage) - uses “starter” made from yeast, koji mold and rice crushed into puree
Yamahai-shikomi - traditional - rice ferments naturally- pole ramming not necessary - gamier style sake
Sokujo-moto - faster more industrial, early introduction of lactic acid speeds process up **Primary way of making sake
What is Mr Kinichiro Kagi’s contribution to sake production?
Realized that pole ramming unnecessary, enzymes work on their own
-Yamahai method born
rough (yama) stop (hai)
What is the most common type of press in sake production?
Automatic machine press with many filters
What is the most expensive/time intensive method of pressing sake?
Shizuku-shibori - drip-pressing
Gravity pushes liquid through fine mesh
low yield
What is the term for pressing sake off its lees
Shibori
What is Nigori-zake?
Cloudy, unfiltered sake
not technicall sake unless it acheives “sheishu” or clean sake, status by straining and reintroducing products
What is nama-zake?
Unpasteurized sake
can be known as nama
fresher, livlier
needs constance refrigeration
What is the difference between Namachozo and Namazume
Namachozo cellared without pasteurization, but pasteurized before bottling
Namazume pasteurized once before cellaring, not again
What is Genshu?
undiluted sake
What is the term for sake aged in wooden barrels
Taruzake
What is Teiseihaku-shu
purposely overmilled sake - 80% seimaibuau
What is Kuroshu
Sake made with no polishing
What is iwai-sake and toso?
Celebration sake drunk straight from wooden barrels. toso is aromatized with tososan (herbs) drunk at New year
What are the definitions and service temperatures for the following warm sake terms? Hito-hada-kan Nuru-kan Jyoh-kan Atsu-kan
Hito-hada-kan “human-skin warm” 95-104
Nuru-kan “lukewarm” 104-114
Jyoh-kan “good hot” 114-122
Atsu-kan “hot enough” 122-131
what is the range of service temperatures for warm sake?
95-131 F
What is the Sake Value Meter?
Nihonshudo - measure against specific gracity
0 is neutral, negative is sweet, positive is dry
How many prefectures of Japan are there? Name 5
47
Miyagi, Tokyo, Kyoto, Osaka, Hiroshima (N-S)
What size does “Go” designate
180mL - traditional serving size
What size does “Sho” designate
1800mL - original bottle size
What size does “Masu” designate
18mL - sip
8-shaku Masu
What size does “To” designate
18L - Barrel Sizes
4-to or 72L barrel most common
2-to or 26 L medium
1-to is small
Define Toji
Brewmaster
Define shinshu
new sake
Define kurabiraki
warehouse opening
Define kappu-zake
single serving glass with pull off top
What is a tokkuri and masu?
ceramic narrow neck flask and square wooden cup
Both come in “1-go” sizes (180mL)
How long is sake fermentation?
30-45 days
What is the name for the mold used to break down rice
koji-kin
