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 Sake
(sah-keh) is a fermented alcoholic beverage with a long history in
Japanese culture. While often called 'rice wine' sake is actually more like
beer than wine as it is made from a grain, rice, not a fruit as wine is.
Sake is a fermented, but not distilled beverage, and should not be confused
with shochu, another Japanese alcoholic beverage that is
distilled. The
alcoholic content of sake is higher than beer, generally between 12% and 18%
alcohol by volume, and has a complex, even fruity flavor when made by a high
quality manufacturer. Sake characteristics run the gamut from
sweet to dry, fruity to earthy, with acidity and fragrance complexities that
rival western wines. Sake is far from a simple drink.
Hot Sake vs. Cold Sake
Historically, sake was served warm. The reasons were twofold. Firstly, this ancient drink was created before refrigeration and was therefore
habitually served that way after methods to chill food and drink were
developed.
Secondly, sake was also historically a much more coarse beverage, and often took up flavors from the
wooden casks in which it was stored. Many off flavors were also a side
effect of the fermentation process, which were masked by serving the sake at
a higher temperature. More recently, better brewing techniques, more refined
strains of yeast and koji, and modern storage practices have created
a very different product than in the past. A more refined product does not
mean that all sake is the same, however. Just as western wines have subtle
differences, so do sakes from different regions and different manufacturers.
In general, high quality sake is meant to be consumed cold, while lower
quality sake is drunk warm, which can hide off flavors that are created
during the fermentation process of the cheaper brands. That said, the peak
flavor higher quality sakes can be achieved at subtly different
temperatures, different for each brand. To most people, this difference will
not be noticeable (similar to the many different kinds of tea, each of which
has an 'optimal' brewing temperature). But a general rule is that good sake
should be served slightly chilled, but never too cold as many of the
subtleties of the beverage may be muted when the drink is too cold. There
are a few decent sakes, however, that are meant to be served slightly warmed,
and will be labeled as such, and can make a nice treat on a cold winter day,
but as a general rule, higher quality sake should be served slightly
chilled.
Milling The Rice - Making The Sake
Sake takes
approximately one month to make and is consumed rather quickly after being
aged about six months to smooth out its flavor. It will not improve with
longer aging as will some traditional western wines. Rice used in sake
production is polished, or 'milled,' removing much of the outer coating. In
fact, in some premium sakes, as much as 65% of the grain is milled away,
leaving only a small amount of the grain to be used in production. The
degree of milling will greatly influence the quality of the final product,
and there are five designations for sake, depending on the degree of milling
and additives in the final product.
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Junmai-shu: This is a 'pure' sake with no
distilled alcohol added as a finishing ingredient. Traditionally, 30% of
the grain had to be milled away for this designation, however recently
the laws have changed and there are no longer any milling requirements,
only that no alcohol may be added to the product.
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Honjozo-shu: This style has had at least 30%
of the grain milled away and a modicum of alcohol has been added during
finishing.
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Ginjo-shu: This style has had 40% of the grain
milled away and may or may not have alcohol added during the finishing.
If bottle is labeled Ginjo, it indicates that distilled alcohol
was added and if it is labeled Junmai Ginjo, it means there was
no alcohol added.
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Daiginjo-shu: This sake style has had 50% of
the grain milled away and also may or may not have had alcohol added
during finishing. If bottle is labeled Daiginjo, it indicates
that distilled alcohol was added and if it is labeled Junmai Daiginjo,
it means there was no alcohol added.
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Namazake: This is actually a special
designation that means that the sake was not pasteurized before
bottling. Sake is generally pasteurized to kill any bacteria or mold
that may contaminate or ruin the final product in some way. It also
serves to deactivate certain enzymes that may change the characteristics
of the sake (for better or worse) before it reaches the consumer.
How Sake is Made
Sake production is a complex undertaking. First the rice
is milled, as mentioned above. It is then washed, soaked, and rinsed to
remove any particulate matter (called nuka) that may be clinging to
the grains. The rice is then steamed to the proper
consistency for the fermentation, as the rice will be fully cooked yet still
slightly firm. Half of the rice is placed into a large
vat and the other half is reserved to create the starter, with a special mold
called koji sprinkled into it when it has cooled. This will be used
to convert the starches in the rice to sugar for fermentation. Over the course of three
to four days, the koji starter is mixed and carefully watched. When ready, a portion of the the koji starter is mixed with
a
portion of the remaining cooked rice, and water and yeast is added. Fermentation takes
place over the next few weeks as more rice, water and koji starter are mixed
in over three successive stages. When the mash (as the fermenting mix is
called) has reached the point of perfection (a judgment that is more art
than science and generally done by very experienced individuals) the
resulting product is pressed to separate the liquid from the solids.
Traditionally, this was done by hand using large canvass bags, however now
is mostly done by machines. The resulting liquid is then filtered and
pasteurized. The sake is generally aged six months, after which it is
blended and often water is added to achieve the proper level of alcohol by
volume. It is then bottled. Some sake is actually not filtered and contains
some of the lees (sediment) and is called nigori-zake (cloudy sake)
usually labeled as pearl in western countries.
Sake may sound like a simple product, rice, water and yeast, however the
slightest change to the process can make a world of difference. The source
of the rice is crucial to the consistency of the product. And variation in
the koji production, or the temperature of the fermentation can also result
in a drastically different profile. Sake making is truly an art that has
evolved over the centuries, and continues to progress even today. Just as
varietal wines from different regions and grape types can display vastly
different characteristics, so can sake from different regions and
manufacturers. It is well worth the effort of anyone who likes sake to
explore the many different sakes available.
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