The History of Sake Sake, believed to have first been developed during the 7th century as an offering to God for the celebration of bountiful crops and other agricultural festivals. Sake has been brewed commercially since the 16th century. The traditional technique of brewing sake includes a process called “sterilization.” It is during this phase that the sake’s aroma and flavor develop, and therefore has a large effect on the overall character of the sake.
Many of the breweries in Japan operate during the winter months, as this also contributes to the flavor and character of the sake. Thus, the rice harvested at the beginning of autumn becomes sake sometime in December.1
Sake Classifications
Junmai Dai Ginjyo – at least 50% of the original rice grains are polished off to make Junmai Dai Ginjyo. This is the highest grade of sake.
Junmai Ginjyo – uses no more than 60% of its original rice grain. This is the second highest grade of sake.
Tokubetsu Junmai – literally translated “special Junmai” and technically qualifies as Junmai Ginjyo. It indicates the use of a more highly polished rice, or the use of a very special sake rice.
Junmai – “pure sake” made only from rice, water and koji2 which are the traditional Japanese methods of sake production.
Sake Designations
Nigori-Zake – cloudy sake that has not been pressed fully from the fermenting rice solids. It has a milky-white opaque appearance.
Genshu – sake that has not been fully diluted from the naturally-occurring 20% alcohol content reached during normal brewing. Most sake is diluted with pure water down to 15-16% alcohol.
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1Jizake (“Premium sake”): taken directly from Wine of Japan
2is the steamed rice that has koji-kin, or koji mold spores, cultivated onto it. This magical mold, for which the official scientific name is Aspergillus Oryzae, creates several enzymes as it propagates, and these are what break the starches in rice into sugars that can be fermented by the yeast cells, which then give off carbon dioxide and alcohol. Without koji, there is no sake. |
