Saké

Question 1

What does Saké refer to in Japanese?

Answer 1

• refers to all alcoholic beverages

Question 2

How is Sake comparable?

Answer 2

Brewed like a beer
Drunk like a wine

Question 3

Describe Sake Fermentation Process

Answer 3

• Moto/Shubo: starter mixture of rice mash, koji kin, yeast and water
• Moromi / fermenting mash: Koji, Water and steamed rice are added in three successive stages, doubeling the size each time - 45 days to 20% alc
• Dilution: water is added to lower ABV to 17%, pressed and filtered and often pasturized

Question 4

Describe the rice preperation

Answer 4

• Milling: rice is polished to desired seimaibuai
• Rinsing: rinsed with water to remove excess starch
• Soaking: soaked in water
• Steaming: Steamed in different stages
• Koji Production: first batch is inoculated with koji, growing for two days

Question 5

What is the best rice variety?

Answer 5

• Yamada Nishiki

Question 6

What are the sweetness levels of Sake?

Answer 6

• Range goes from bone dry to sweet
• is indicated by nihonshu-do / sake sweetness meter
• negative values denote sweetness
• positive values denote dryness
• zero is neutral

Question 7

What is Junmai Style?

Answer 7

• 70% of rice polished
• only water, rice and koji
• producer print term seimaibuai on label

Question 8

What is Honiozo?

Answer 8

• 70% of polishing
• a slight amount of brewers alcohol is added before pressing

Question 9

What is Ginjo?

Answer 9

• 60% of polishing
• honiozo style
• added brewers alcohol
• if no alcohol is added the label says Junmai Ginjo

Question 10

What is Daiginio

Answer 10

• polished to 50%
• if no alcohol is added the label says Junmai Daiginio

Question 11

What is namazake?

Answer 11

• unpasteurized sake

Question 12

What is nigorizake?

Answer 12

• cloudy, coarsly filtered sake

Question 13

What is taruzake?

Answer 13

• sake aged in wooden barrels

Question 14

What is Jizake?

Answer 14

• Sake from a smaller kura

Question 15

What is Genshu Sake?

Answer 15

• undiluted sake

Question 16

Tokubetsu

Answer 16

Premium category of Sake

Question 16

Food and Sake Pairing

Answer 16

• Kimoto and Yamahai have more umami to be paired with bigger and richer meat

Question 17

Sake bottle sizes

Answer 17

• 300ml
• 720ml
• 1.8 l