Vodka sake how many degrees. Making sake at home step by step

Sake is a traditional alcohol of Japan, which is sometimes incorrectly called rice vodka or rice wine. This is not true - there are no analogues to sake.

The taste of the drink can have bitter shades with fruity notes, among which juicy grapes, plump apples, and ripe bananas can be discerned. The best varieties have the taste of mushrooms and noble cheese.

The color can be clear, lemon green or yellowish amber.

The consistency is thick (like liqueur).

Strength: 15-20%

100 grams of sake contains: proteins - 0.5 g; fats - 0 g; carbohydrates - 5 g. Energy value - 134 kcal.

Story:

It is believed that sake has been brewed for at least 2 thousand years. This is clear from the chronicles of 720 BC, which tell of the worship of a rice wine deity. At first it was made only for the Emperor. Steeped in myth, sake was used for rituals. But they prepared it differently than now: they chewed the rice for a long time and spat it into vats where it fermented. When instead of saliva for fermentation they began to use mold fungus - koji (17-18 centuries), the “divine” alcohol began to be mass produced, sold, and it was finally tried not only by representatives of the imperial retinue, but also by peasants. Some enterprises still produce sake to this day (for 300 years!).

Secrets of production:

The sake production process is long and labor-intensive. The drink is based on special (large, heavy and starchy) rice and mineralized K, Mg, P, Ca, but devoid of Mn and Fe water (from local springs).

• Rice grinding within 2-3 days. The grain is ground by 30-60%, the remaining bran and germ are removed.
• Preparing rice. Includes washing it, soaking it in water (up to a day) and steam treatment.
• Working with koji. Molds are placed on part of the prepared rice, placing it in a warm, humid room (with strict microclimate control) for about 2 days.
• Primary congestion "moto". Rice with and without Koji (part of it) is mixed, water and yeast are added, and aged for half a month - a month. During this time, Koji converts starch into sugar.
• The main congestion is "moromi". The remaining rice and water are added to the resulting mixture in 3 stages (over 4 days). The composition ferments for 18-31 days. Sake of ordinary varieties ferments at 15-20 °C, elite sake at 10 °C (and no higher) - the more slowly the fermentation takes place, the richer the taste of alcohol will be.
• Sediment separation. Fermented sake is decanted and passed through a press, making the drink clear. But some varieties must be “smoky”, for which the settled sediment is returned to the liquid.
• Sedum. Young sake is passed through a filter containing activated carbon. But this is not always done, because the process deprives the drink of color, some aromas and flavor notes.
• Pasteurization and aging. Carried out to kill bacteria and yeast residues. Sake is heated to 65°C, sealed and aged for six months to a year. This increases the percentage of alcohol in the drink, but it is diluted again.

Types and varieties:

Sake is now produced not only in Japan, but also in China and the USA. From the Chinese, “Jingdao” or “Red Crane” is known, from the American ones - “Yaegaki Ki-ippon Dry Sake”, “Gekkeikan Sake”, “Sho Chiku Bai”. The Japanese consider the best sake to be produced in 5 regions of their country - Akita, Kyoto, Hyogo, Osaka and Hiroshima. Among the brands, they prefer two “cranes” - “Sawanotsuru” (swamp) and “Hakutsuru” (white).

Classification of the drink. Let’s say right away that the higher the percentage of polishing of rice grains, the higher the class of sake, and, accordingly, its taste, its quality, and its price.

• "Jummai"- completely natural product. It contains only rice (polished up to 70%), additions in the form of alcohol, sugar, etc. No. Any other sake that does not contain additives in the name acquires the prefix “junmai” (“junmai ginjo”, “junmai daiginjo”)
• "Honjozo"- the grinding of rice grains in it reaches 70%, but has a minimal additive in the form of alcohol. This softens the taste, making it, although slightly rough, light.
• "Ginjo"- polishing of rice grains in it reaches 60%. It has an additive in the form of special yeast, which allows the drink to ferment at a low temperature. The taste is light, the aroma contains notes of fruit and flowers.
• "Daiginjo"- polishing of rice grains (of the highest quality) reaches 50%. Considered the ultimate sake.
• "Tokutei Meishoshu" is the general name for premium drinks. Accounts for 25% of the volume of sake produced.
• "Futsushu" is the general name for drinks, no different from table wine made from rice. Accounts for 75% of the volume of sake produced. It has no gradations.

Effect on the body:

Benefits (from small doses): normalizes the functioning of the heart and blood vessels, restores memory, improves brain function, increases immunity, prevents cancer, treats bruises and abrasions, prolongs youth.

Harm: if you individually cannot tolerate sake, drink it in too large doses, are pregnant, breastfeeding or are a child.

How to drink sake correctly:

1. Beverage temperature . Before drinking, elite sake is cooled to 5 °C, mediocre sake is heated to 15-30 °C, which improves its taste in both cases.
2. Dishes . For drinking, there are special small cups made of ceramic, glass, wood, plastic or metal without handles (stacks - bowls), which are called “choco”. The round vessel from which sake is poured has a narrow neck. It is called "tokkuri". It is placed for heating or cooling in a metal container (“tirori” or “tampo”). In the old days in Japan, sake was served in 180 ml wooden boxes (“masu”) filled with it, now more and more often - in ceramic bowls.
3. Drinking process . Each “choco” is drunk to the bottom and refilled for a new toast. At the end of any toast, the word “compai” is pronounced, meaning that the “choco” must be completely drained. They don’t pour themselves a drink.
4. Snack . Japanese cuisine is considered ideal - sushi, rolls, seafood, etc. But you can also serve sake with nuts, chips, sandwiches, slices of cheese or vegetables.

Sake at home

With some effort, you can get the hang of preparing a completely acceptable imitation of sake. The ingredients of the recipe can be purchased in shops specializing in Japanese cuisine or through online stores.

For the koji starter:

• koji-kin seeds - 1 tsp.
• round rice - 800 gr.

For the primary congestion “moto”:

• koji rice - 75 gr.
• steamed rice - 180 gr.
• yeast - 5 gr.
• water - 280 gr.

For the basic moromi mash:

• sourdough “moto” - 500 ml
• water - 4 l.
• koji rice - 700 gr.
• steamed rice - 15 cups

1. Preparing the starter (koji rice). To do this, wash the rice under running water until it becomes transparent and place in a shallow colander. After an hour, when the water from the rice has drained through the colander, it will need to be steamed and cooled. Sprinkle koji-kin seeds over the prepared rice and cover with a barely damp cloth. After 15 hours the starter is ready. The smell of cheese coming from the rice will help you determine this. We will need this rice at all stages of cooking.
2. Preparation of live sourdough "moto". To do this, steam steamed rice (180 grams), cool and mix it with water, kozhi rice (75 grams from the previously prepared) and yeast. Place this composition in a glass jar and refrigerate for 10 days. The jar is shaken daily until the starter becomes like a creamy soup.
3. Preparing a young drink. The entire preparation process can take about a month (or even more). But the main points will take place in the first 4 days:

• Day 1: steam steamed rice (375 g), cool and fill with water (450 ml). Add all the “moto” starter and 150 g to the mixture. koji rice. Mix everything and leave for 15 hours at room temperature.
• Day 2: Stir the mixture.
• Day 3: add steamed (steamed and chilled) rice - 750 g, koji rice - 225 g, water - 1.2 liters. After 10 hours, mix the mixture again, after which we repeat the mixing process every 2 or 3 hours.
• Day 4: Add the remaining ingredients: (steamed and cooled) rice, koji rice and water. Stir.
• Days 5 and 6: mix the mixture well and leave to ferment for about 15 days.
• Day 20: strain the young sake and pour it into sterile bottles. This sake will not be stored for long – 30 days (in the refrigerator). It would be more traditional to pasteurize it (keep it at a temperature of 65 degrees) and then keep it for 6-12 months in an airtight package.

Attention, TODAY only!

OTHER

Video: Sake production. Japan Sake is considered a drink of friendship and trusting communication in Japan. More than two...

Video: ALCOHOL IN JAPAN - vodka, cognac, sake, how much the Japanese drink The main drink of Japan is sake - Japanese wine,…

Video: SCP-455 Cargo Ship (Season 3 remaster)(Object Class: Euclid)(Cognitohazard) Many uninitiated people perceive…

The Japanese believe that drinking sake encourages trusting communication and strengthening friendships. This is one of the oldest...

Sake is a traditional Japanese alcoholic drink. It is often compared to wine and called “Japanese...

Video: Bicycle for weight loss In the USA, they received Rock Sake sake, the calorie content of which is half that of…

Video: Japanese Hajime mixed and tried all the drinks from the store (Russian subtitles) - Japanese YouTubeWhat is sakeSake…

Video: Part 07 - Our Mutual Friend Audiobook by Charles Dickens (Book 2, Chs 9-13)Japan is a country of contrasts. The whole world…

The Japanese have a unique national cultural tradition, which is in many ways different from other neighbors in the region. She has…

Video: What do the Japanese drink? How the Japanese drink Coffee and Alcohol Sake is the sacred drink of JapanMost Russians believe that...

“Sakura flowers in spring, starry sky in summer, full moon in autumn, white snow in winter, all this colors the taste of sake. If you don’t like its taste, then there’s something wrong with you,” says the manga “Vagabond Kenshin” by the famous mangaka Nobuhiro Watsuki. And this quote very correctly describes the subtleties of the unique tastes of the most popular and deeply national Japanese drink - sake. By the way, sake contains only 18-20 degrees of alcohol.

The result of fermentation from special varieties of rice is an alcoholic drink, not vodka, as is mistakenly believed; the strength of sake is closer to wine. The best varieties of sake leave a long and delicate aftertaste: notes of soy sauce carefully intertwine with the aromas of apples and grapes. The taste of excellent cheese is enhanced by the subtle taste of fresh mushrooms and aged sherry; some varieties of sake of different shades seem slightly bitter.

The transparency of winter ice gives way to the undertones of young foliage and the juiciness of ripe oranges. From complete crystalline to the juiciness of ripe orange – these are the colors of sake.

Navigation

Sake storage

Sake is not wine in the classical sense of the word; other fungal cultures are used in its fermentation, and therefore it is impossible to find sake aged for many years. Even a year can be disastrous for this drink after it moves from barrel to bottle.

Sake does not like light and heat; direct sunlight will “kill” it in a matter of hours, as will elevated temperatures. For sissy sake, darkness and coolness, up to + 10 °C, and also low humidity are desirable, and therefore it is better to keep it in the refrigerator, and even in the depths of the shelves.

Use is a harsh word. It is not suitable for sake, with its “drinking culture” of narrow-necked thin porcelain jugs and tiny bowls. Tokkuri jugs are heated in special stoves, or, in extreme cases, at home, for example, in containers with hot water. There is not much sake in tokkuri, usually 180 or 360 ml, so there is no need for long heating, just to “reveal” the aroma of the drink.

The bowls are also very small, rather, even miniature: square “masu” made of varnished wood are the largest, cylindrical “o-choko” are everyday, “choko” are the usual glass shape, and flat “sakazuki” are suitable for holidays and for everyone days, but all of them hold literally three sips, except for “masu”, which can be more.

The Japanese do not recognize strict temperature “frames”; there are lovers of ice sake and supporters of warm sake, adherents of hot or simply chilled sake. It all depends on the person’s personal preferences and on the time of year, on the type of sake, its brand or the very atmosphere of the reception.

An ordinary person will find five, ten, fifteen shades in sake, but the Japanese themselves, especially sake professionals, can easily distinguish 50, and even 90 fruit and other tones. At the same time, the pros say that the greatest variety of tastes can be revealed only when drinking a cold drink, without completely rejecting the peculiar charm of a warmed one.

You can heat sake to the level of “hinatakan”, and it will be “sunny”, up to 30 ° C, another five degrees, and it will become “itohadakan”, like human skin, in translation. Another step of 5 °C in heating - “nurukan” or slightly warm, just “warm”, + 45 °C, this is “jokan”, hot sake “atsukan” has a temperature of 50 °C and “extra”, that is “ tobirikan", heated to 55 °C.

Beginners in drinking this wonderful Japanese drink can experiment boldly, but it is better to use simple varieties, ordinary ones, and when tasting, for example, “Ginjo-shu” and “Daiginjo-shu”, one must trust the advice of professionals: careless heating will simply kill all the exquisite charm and the taste luxury of rice nectar.

"Kampai!" - the Japanese most often say instead of a long toast, and it means “To the bottom.” “Kapmai” is often heard at the table, because it is this toast that serves as the boundary between the formality and the relaxed part of the feast, where each guest has his own tokkuri jug. You need to pour from it to your neighbors on the right and left, and in no case - for yourself; your neighbor will pour it for you, and at this time you hold your bowl in the air - as a sign of respect and basic politeness.

While sipping sake in small sips, enjoying the taste and aroma, you can snack on something light and delicious: grilled octopus and shiruko bean soup, herring caviar and smoked tender eel, sashimi with pickled vegetables and traditional Japanese tempura - this is what will perfectly highlight the elegance of taste and the subtle beauty of amazing rice sake.

Japan is a country of contrasts. The whole world admires its brave samurai and remembers the crazy kamikazes not without respect. At the same time, the traditions of the Land of the Rising Sun often drive visitors into a stupor. Even Japanese drinks are a curiosity for us, like sake. True, problems with rice beer arise only among those who know little about this drink and, moreover, do not know how to drink it correctly.

If you came to Japan, then you are a gaikokujin (Japanese: 外国人, literally “a person from an outside country”). Unlike a Mexican gringo, which can take on a negative connotation if you are, for example, gaikokujin is simply a collective word for foreigners. However, it can easily transform into gaijin (Japanese 外人) - a discriminatory word, sabetsuyogo, which is offensive in nature. You will definitely become a gaijin if you disrespect sake.

Perhaps we should start by debunking cultural myths. The most terrible gaijin believe that sake is rice vodka. This is the biggest misconception, because this drink is the result of fermentation of wort from rice and rice malt. No distillation is provided for its production. It would also be a misconception to consider sake as rice wine - its production technology includes mold fermentation. After all, no fructose is involved in the fermentation process, only starch.

In Japan, rice beer is called nihonshu (Japanese). 日本酒 ), and in everyday life the words sake (Japanese. 酒 ) or o-sake (Japanese お 酒 ) locals refer to any alcoholic beverages.

Sake is a rice beer, nothing more. Certain varieties of rice are used to make wort, which is then fermented with koji mold (Aspergillus oryzae) and yeast. The styles and quality of this Japanese alcoholic drink depend on two ingredients: water and rice. Today, about 60 types of rice with a high starch content are used to produce sake. The best varieties: "Yamadanishiki" from Hyogo Prefecture and "Omachi" from Okayama Prefecture. Drink styles are determined by the degree of polishing of the grain. It is believed that the less polished rice, the more interesting the drink is.

The classification of sake is quite extensive. In general, there are two main types: futshu (普通酒) and tokutei meishoshu (特定名称酒). Futsushu is something like table wine. Tokutei meishoshu is a premium sake, which will mainly be discussed below. Perhaps I’ll say a few more words about water and we can move on to the traditions of drinking this amazing drink. The role of water in sake production is very important. It is believed that soft water produces a more “feminine”, light sake - this is prepared, for example, in Kyoto. Harder water, such as in Kobe, produces denser, more “masculine” sake.

How a samurai drinks sake and a good gaikokujin

Still think that sake is only drunk warm? You risk becoming a gaijin. This is another cultural myth. In general, it is believed that low-quality sake from the futsushu series is drunk warm, but premium varieties should be drunk slightly chilled. This is also partly misleading. The Japanese themselves do not mind drinking either cold nihonshu or warmed up, up to 55°C. But you need to be very, very careful when experimenting with expensive varieties, such as “Ginjo-shu” or “Daiginjo-shu”.

First, you should know what sake is made from. It is served in small jugs, collectively called Tokkuri - a ceramic flask with a volume of about 360 ml. Tokkuri is also often called “choshi”, although choshi is often made of metal. Tokkuri come in different shapes and sizes. In everyday life they mainly use Tsuru-kubi, Mentori, Rosoku, Henko and Kabura

Tokkuri with sake is served on a special ceramic stand, which the descendants of samurai call “tokkuri-hakama”.

Sake is drunk from small “sakazuki” bowls made of clay, glass or wood. There are also small square “tubs” with a volume of 30-40 ml. Previously, sake was drunk from large bowls that were passed around, but today this ritual is obsolete. The drink from Sakazuki should be drunk in small sips, stretching the pleasure over long hours.

What is very important: pouring yourself sake from a tokkuri is considered bad manners; only a stupid gaijin does this. During a meal, you must treat your neighbor to a drink from your tokkuri, and he, in turn, must take care of you.

Pouring yourself sake from a tokkuri is considered bad manners. While drinking nihonshu, your tablemate should take care of this, just as you should take care of his sakazuki.

A few words about warmed sake. It’s quite easy to prepare a Japanese drink at home. To do this, place your tokkuri in a pan or kettle of hot water for a few minutes. Depending on the serving temperature, warm sake is divided into:

• “hinatakan” (“sunny”) – 30°C,
• “itohadakan” (“human skin”) – 35°C,
• “nurukan” (“slightly warm”) – 40°C,
• “jokan” (“warm”) – 45°C,
• “atsukan” (“hot”) – 50°C
• “tobikirikan” (“extra”) – 55°C.

Experiment with heat, but remember that good sake doesn't need it!

What does a samurai drink sake with and a good gaikokujin?

Some sake styles are best enjoyed chilled, while others are best served warm or almost hot. The same is true with food. To begin with, I will say that sake can be drunk as an aperitif or digestif, so gastronomic accompaniment is not necessary. The simplest style is honjozo, in which a small amount of distillate is added to the fermented wort during the production process. Honjozo has a light, slightly rough citrus flavor. This sake is pleasant to drink, both chilled and heated to 50°C, with any seafood, in particular sushi, sashimi and teriyaki.

The more premium daiginjo (“daiginjo”), which is prepared in mid-winter from only 50-60% polished rice, is usually drunk chilled or at room temperature. Such sake does not need an appetizer, and if such a need arises, then lamb, duck or sashimi dishes will be the ideal accompaniment. By the way, in the homeland of this drink they prefer to drink junmai daiginjo (“junmai daiginjo”), a brighter representative of daiginjo with pronounced tones of melon, orange and sage in the aroma.

Finally, if you decide to earn the reputation of a decent gaikokujin, I recommend ordering genmai (“genmai”) sake in the company of Japanese people. This style of sake is made from unpolished brown rice, resulting in a very deep flavor and aroma. Genmai is similar, but comparing it to a popular wine would be a mistake. In the glass it reveals notes of almond, lime, and later caramel and juniper. It’s a sin to heat such sake, but ideal snacks would be tempura, aged hard cheese and dark chocolate.

Finally, sake should be drunk in good company and this is perhaps the most important thing. Before each new toast, do not forget to top up your neighbor’s drink. Well, where can you drink sake without the main Japanese toast - “Kampai!” (literally “To the bottom!”). True, this is not just a toast, but a whole custom. If you want to show sympathy to the person sitting next to you and be known as a cool gaikokujin, fill a bowl full of sake and serve it to that person. He must show his gratitude and drink the drink to the bottom, then rinse the Sakazuki and also pour sake into it to the brim, and then hand the bowl to you.

sake is a traditional Japanese alcoholic drink made from special varieties of rice. There is a lot of controversy surrounding nihonshu, which is what the Japanese also call sake. Some say that this is rice vodka, some are convinced that it is rice wine, and there is also a version that it is simple rice beer.

In fact, sake is not similar to traditional European types of alcohol, and it is very difficult to attribute it to any group of alcoholic beverages. But the Japanese are convinced that this is a self-sufficient drink that does not fall under any of the existing categories.

What is the difference between sake and vodka?

Since we have already figured out that there is no such thing as “sake rice vodka,” we just have to figure out what the main differences between them are:

Different strengths of drinks. Vodka is 40 degrees, and in sake the strength of the drink ranges from 14–20%.

Different consistency. Sake is thick and viscous, very reminiscent of liqueur.

Sake differs from vodka in its aroma. The rice drink contains notes of fruits, flowers, grains, nuts, beans, herbs, spices, dairy products, honey, caramel, chocolate, earth, mushrooms, hay and even meat.

Classic vodka has a crystal clear color, and sake, depending on the degree of ripeness, can vary from a delicate lemon shade to deep amber.

Different cooking technologies.

How sake is made in Japan

In Japan, special varieties of rice are used to prepare sake, which differ from ordinary rice in large grains and high starch content. The best varieties are considered “Yamadanishiki” and “Omachi”.

The process of producing rice drink can be divided into 8 stages:

Grinding rice. This process takes 2–3 days.

Rice washing, soaking and steaming.

Preparing koji rice dough.

Preparing the primary mash "moto".

Preparation of the basic moromi mash.

Pressing.

Filtration. After pressing, the sake is filtered through activated carbon.

Excerpt.

Manufacturing technology usually results in a strength of about 18–20 degrees alcohol. However, sake is diluted with water to about 15 degrees before bottling.

As for the process of sake production at home, it is of course different from the factory one, but the main stages are still the same.

Homemade sake recipe

Sake production is very similar to beer technology, but differs in the way the starter is prepared. The difference is that malt is prepared for beer by sprouting grain. And the rice that is used in the recipe for making sake is not sprouted, but fermented.

Before we start preparing the drink itself, we need to prepare two types of starter. Of course, you can use store-bought analogues, but there is no guarantee that all storage rules have been followed.

Koji Sourdough

Ingredients

Koji-kin seeds – 1 tsp.

Round rice – 800 g

Cooking method

First, we need to rinse the rice thoroughly until the water becomes completely clear.

Then place the rice in a sieve and leave for 1 hour to allow the excess water to drain completely.

Now you need to steam the rice. To do this, you can use a double boiler or a slow cooker. Rice prepared in the usual way is not suitable for fermentation.

Cool the finished rice to room temperature, sprinkle it with koji-kin seeds and cover the top with a cotton cloth or gauze thoroughly soaked in water. Leave for 14–16 hours for fermentation.

It is easy to determine the readiness of the starter - the rice will become snow-white in color and there will be a pronounced smell of cheese.

Live sourdough Moto

Ingredients

Steamed rice – 180 g

Koji starter – 75 g

Water – 270 ml

Dry baker's yeast – 5 g

Cooking method

With steamed rice, repeat the first 3 steps from the koji sourdough recipe.

Mix the finished rice with the koji starter, add warm water, yeast and mix everything thoroughly.

Transfer the prepared mixture into a glass container, cover with a lid and place in the refrigerator for 10 days. In this case, it is necessary to shake the contents of the jar daily.

Properly prepared sourdough should have a creamy consistency.

After we have prepared two starters, we can proceed directly to the sake preparation itself.

Sake ingredients

Steamed rice – 15 cups

Koji starter – 700 g

Sourdough Moto – 500 ml

Water – 4 l

Cooking method

Sake preparation will take place in several stages. First we need to cook the rice.

Now cool 375 g of rice to room temperature and mix it with moto starter, 450 ml of water and one glass of koji starter. Transfer the resulting mixture into a 3-liter glass container and leave it warm for a day. Stir the contents of the jar a couple of times during the day. During this time, the rice will absorb all the liquid.

On the third day, add another 750 g of rice, 225 g of koji starter and 6 glasses of water. Leave in the same place for another 12 hours. And don't forget to mix.

On the fourth day, add all the remaining ingredients, mix thoroughly and leave warm again.

On the fifth day, active fermentation will begin and we continue to withstand it until the desired strength. On day 10, the strength of the drink will average 15 degrees, and on day 20 it will be about 19 degrees.

The finished drink must be filtered, then passed through a filter and bottled.

Young homemade sake can be stored in the refrigerator for about 30 days.

How to drink sake correctly

Sake is drunk following certain rules, etiquette and traditions.

It is usually served in a special tokkuri jug. According to Japanese traditions, before each toast, the drink is poured into small cups of choko, and before drinking they always say “Compai”, which means “to the bottom”.

As for the drinking temperature, it is customary to drink sake either chilled to 5 degrees or heated to 60 degrees. But the Japanese adhere to one rule: “Good sake is drunk cold. Bad sake is warm.” This is due to the fact that when the rice drink is heated, all the rich aroma and taste dulls or disappears altogether. Therefore, it is recommended to heat lower quality sake.

Error or something to add?

Sake is often called Japanese vodka or wine, but this is not at all true, because... The process of making these alcoholic drinks is significantly different from making sake. In this article you will learn what sake is made from, how it is made, how many degrees it contains and how to drink it correctly.

Sake is a traditional Japanese alcoholic beverage produced by fermenting a base of wort and steamed rice malt.

The taste of sake may contain notes of grapes, apples and bananas; some expensive varieties may contain the taste of ripened cheese, soy sauce or fresh mushrooms.

The color of sake varies among different varieties and can range from clear to greenish or yellowish-amber.
The consistency of sake is thick, comparable to liqueur.

Only special varieties of rice are used to produce sake. The difference between these varieties is that the grains are larger and heavier, and also contain more starch compared to regular varieties of rice. The best varieties are considered to be “Yamadanishiki” and “Omachi”.

Special requirements also apply to water. Water should not contain iron and manganese, but it should contain potassium, magnesium, phosphorus and calcium.

There are 8 stages in sake production:

1. Grinding. Sanding takes an average of 2-3 days, and the grains are ground from 30% to 65%. This is necessary to remove the bran and germ from the rice grain because... The proteins and fats in the bran and germ impart unnecessary aroma and flavor to sake.
2. Preparing rice. After polishing, the rice is washed and left to soak for up to 24 hours (soaking time depends on the polish). After soaking, the rice is steamed for better fermentation.
3. Using koji fungi. This is one of the most important stages in the process of making sake. Mold fungi “koji” are added on top of the prepared rice and kept in a warm and humid room for about 2 days. The main condition is constant monitoring of temperature and humidity.
4. Primary congestion "moto". Steamed rice, yeast and water are added to the mixture obtained at stage 3, and all this is aged for 2 to 4 weeks. During this time, koji fungi convert the starch contained in the rice into sugar, and yeast convert the resulting sugar into alcohol.
5. The main congestion is "moromi". After aging, more steamed rice and water are added to the primary “moto” mash in three batches over 4 days.
   Fermentation of the resulting mixture lasts from 18 to 32 days. Fermentation time depends on temperature. Regular sake varieties ferment at a temperature of 15 to 20 degrees Celsius, expensive varieties - at a temperature of 10 C and below.
6. Pressing. After fermentation, the resulting sake is pressed to separate the pure sake (seishu) and the white sediment (sakekasu). According to Japanese law, only a clear drink without sediment can be called sake. Some varieties should have a “smoky” appearance, for this purpose the settled sediment is added back to pure sake.
7. Filtration. Often, but not always, the resulting sake is purified with activated carbon to remove foreign odors, but due to filtration its special aroma, color and taste are lost. Recently, manufacturers have been trying not to purify sake, but to get rid of unwanted odors and tastes, they are improving the technology of rice fermentation.
8. Pasteurization and aging. Most new sake is pasteurized (heated to 80 C for 30 minutes) to kill bacteria and remaining yeast. After this, the sake is placed in sealed containers for a period of 6 to 12 months.

How many degrees are there in sake?

When properly produced, sake's strength ranges from 18 to 20 degrees. But very often before bottling it is diluted with water, bringing the alcoholic degree in sake to 15.

Types of sake

Sake, like any other alcoholic drink, is classified into expensive and cheap varieties. Below we consider the main ones:

• "Jummai" is a 100% natural product. It contains only rice (polished up to 70%), there are no other additives in the form of alcohol, sugar, etc. Any other sake that does not contain additives acquires the prefix “junmai” in the name (“junmai ginjo”, “junmai daiginjo”).
• “Honjozo” - the polishing of rice grains in it reaches 70%, but has a minimal additive in the form of distilled alcohol. This softens the flavor, making it light but slightly coarse.
• “Ginjo” - polishing rice grains up to 60%. It has an additive in the form of special yeast, which allows the drink to ferment at low temperatures. The taste is light, the aroma has notes of fruit and flowers.
• “Daiginjo” - polishing of rice grains (of the highest quality) reaches 50%. Considered the ultimate sake.
• Tokutei meishoshu is the general name for premium drinks. It makes up about 25% of the volume of sake produced.
• “Futsushu” is the general name for drinks, table rice wine. Accounts for 75% of the volume of sake produced. It has no gradations.

How to drink sake correctly

Before drinking, elite sake is cooled to about 5 C, lower quality sake is heated to 15-30 C (sometimes up to 60 C). There is a saying: “Good sake is drunk cold. Bad sake is warm.” This is said because when sake is heated, all its rich aroma and taste are dulled or completely lost. Therefore, it is recommended to heat lower quality sake.

For sake, special small cups made of ceramic, glass, wood, plastic or metal without handles (stacks - bowls) are used, which are called “choko”. The round vessel from which sake is poured has a narrow neck. It is called "tokkuri". It is placed for heating or cooling in a metal container (“tirori” or “tampo”).