Sake, Japanese alcoholic beverage
There are a lot of Sake brewery where you can visit in Kyushu.
Sake is an alcoholic beverage brewed from rice, koji mold and yeast. Its alcohol content
ranges from 13% to 16% and its quality varies according to its fermentation processes.
Depending on the season, it’s served warm or chilled, and it tastes good in either case.
Sake produced in Japan is divided mainly into four categories, depending on the degree of
rice milling. They are, Honjouzou-shu (sake with at least 30% of rice polished away and a
little alcohol added), Junmai-shu (pure sake with no milling rate specified), Ginjou-shu
little alcohol added), Junmai-shu (pure sake with no milling rate specified), Ginjou-shu
(quality sake with at least 40% rice polished away), Daiginjou-shu (top-quality sake with
at least 50% of rice polished away).
In general, the more polished the rice grain is, the higher the grade of sake become.
In general, the more polished the rice grain is, the higher the grade of sake become.
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There are three important factors in sake brewing, quality rice, quality water,
and master brewer’s expertise.
Yamada-nishiki, which is famous as top-quality rice for sake brewing, is widely used to
make quality sake such as Ginjou-shu.
make quality sake such as Ginjou-shu.
The second most important factor in sake brewing is quality of water, so sake
breweries have been traditionally built where underground water is available.
Since Japan is a mountainous and rainy country blessed with high quality water,
sake brewing has been developed in many part of Japan including Kyushu.
Finally, master brewer’s techniques and crucial. It takes a lot of experience and a
discriminating taste to control the complicated process of sake brewing.
discriminating taste to control the complicated process of sake brewing.
Master brewers have long beloved that good rice malt guarantees good sake.