SakeGrant C. Klover

Culture & Cuisine: International Flavors 2012

Overview Rationale Objectives History Traditions Hot or Cold Ingredients

How to Make Tools Types /Taste Objective Review Bibliography

Rationale A focused study of Sake and its history in Japan, its

uses in everyday life and in religious ceremonies. By learning about sake we will gain a better

understanding of the history and traditions of the Japanese.

By looking at the importance of how to serve and taste sake students will gain a better understanding of the characteristics of modern day sake.

Students will taste sake and use provided information about the taste characteristics of sake to participate in a sake tasting.

Objectives Gain a brief understanding of the history

and importance of sake in Japan Learn how sake is made Learn different types and tastes of sake Learn the traditional and modern ways

to serve sake

History Sake was first made at least

2,000 years ago Origins traced back to when

wet rice cultivation was introduced to Japan in 300 BCE

The earliest “polishing” was done by the whole village- chewing rice and nuts and spitting the kernels into a communal tubThis sake was called "kuchikami

no sake," which is Japanese for "chewing the mouth sake"

History cont. At first, sake was produced for

private consumption Sake was used for many different

purposes in the Shinto religion In the 1300s sake began to be

mass produced Japan's Industrial Revolution in

the nineteenth century introduced automation and machinery into the brewing process, making sake more readily available

Traditions

Sake has always been a drink of reverence, family, and friendship, consumed to mark important occasions

Tradition holds that a person must never pour their own sake Instead, another person pours for you, and you do the same for

them Sake has been a major part of Japanese life for thousands of

years, and its popularity is now increasing world wide

How to Serve: Cold Sake on the rocks

Only well-balanced sake can survive this diluting Chilled sake (between 40⁰ and 50⁰)

Called ReishuCrisp, light, aromatic sakes best served this way as are

unpasteurized sakes

How to Serve: Hot Room Temperature Sake

(Between 60⁰ and 70⁰) Sakes with a lot of flavor, body, and

astringency are best in this range Cheaper (regular) sakes are intended

to be served room temperature or heated

Warm and Hot Sake (85 to ⁰130 )⁰ Japanese word for heated sake is

kanzake, abbreviated as o-kan Two ranges of warmed sake: nuru-

kan and atsu-kan, the warm and the piping hot

Ingredients… Good Rice = Good Sake Short Grain Rice

Here in the U.S.A. this variety is often called "pearl" or "California pearl“

Not expensive, and readily available in grocery stores that cater to ethnic foods

Cold Mountain Rice Koji Difficult product to find Koji is steamed rice that has

had koji-kin or koji mold spores cultivated onto it

Without Koji, there is no sake

Ingredients… Sake Yeast

Very different from wine yeast and bread yeast

Special Yeast Strains there are two which stand out as

being currently the most popular with modern sake producers

Sake #7the most commonly used strain in

Japan Sake #9

popular with producers of ginjo grade sakes

Ingredients… Salt

Epsom salt is preferred, but Morton salt can be used as a substitute

an optional ingredient, but it's one of those ingredients that can make the difference between "really good" sake and "great" sake

Water“Even in the tiniest amount, iron can really

wreck a sake by darkening the color and damaging the aroma in a very short period of time”

You can use distilled water instead to avoid this

Equipment for the Home Brew Fermenter BTF Iodophor Sanitizer A large steamer

sake rice needs to be steamed

A racking cane and hose

Airlocks and one-hole stoppers

Glass jugs of one-gallon capacity

A means to control fermentation temperature

How to Make Video’s How to make sake at h

ome part 1

How to make sake at home part 2

Professional Sake making

Making and Tasting Sake

How to use Tasting Chart

JUNMAI Rice only No adding of distilled alcohol In the past, at least 30% of the rice

kernel had to be ground away during the brewing process to qualify as a Junmai. Today the laws have changed, and

Junmai can now be milled at any percentage, as long as the number is listed somewhere on the label.  

Junmai Tasting Notes: Generally a bit heavier and fuller in flavor than other types of

sake, with slightly higher acidity; goes well with a wide range of food

The nose is often not as prominent as other types of sake, nor are other parameters dependent on whether a sake is a junmai or no

HONJOZO A bit of distilled alcohol

is added Generally lighter than

Junmai, and often very nice at room temperature or warmed

At least 30% of rice kernel is ground away during brewing process.  

Honjozo Tasting Notes: The flavor is lighter, and magically the

fragrance becomes much more prominent. Honjozo often makes a good candidate for

warm sake.

GINJO Highly milled rice With or without added alcohol At least 40% of rice kernel is ground

away during brewing process. Called Junmai Ginjo when no

alcohol is added. 

Ginjo Tasting Notes: The taste is layered and complex, light

and fragrant

DAIGINJO Highest milled rice Like Ginjo can be made with or without

added alcohol At least 50% of rice kernel is ground away

during the brewing process. Called Junmai Daiginjo when no alcohol is

added.

Daiginjo Tasting Notes: the taste is even lighter and more

fragrant and fruity than Ginjo sake.

Junmai-Ginjo This process strictly prohibits the use of any

additives, and up to 60% of the rice is refined, compared with only 27% in normal Sake making. In other words, the desired taste and aroma of Junmai-Ginjo must be achieved solely by a delicate balancing of rice, water and malt in a natural fermentation process.

Name and Type Notes Some Ginjo and Daiginjo are also Junmai (i.e.,

a Junmai Ginjo is a Ginjo with no added alcohol). If a Ginjo or Daiginjo is not labeled Junmai, then the added alcohol is limited to the same small amounts as Honjozo.  

 Although each "type" has a general flavor profile, there is much overlap in taste elements. Very often one cannot tell which type one is drinking, and therefore these "types" should only be considered as generalized guidelines of quality.  

Objectives review A better understanding of the history and

importance of sake in Japan Learned how sake is made and how to

make it yourself at home Tasted different types of sake and know

how to talk about the taste of sake Know the different ways that sake is

served and why

The End

Bibliography Harper, Philip, and Haruo Matsuzaki. The Book of

Sake: A Connoisseur's Guide. Tokyo: Kodansha International, 2006. Print.

"The History of Sake." Asian Art Mall. Web. 09 Feb. 2012. <http://www.asianartmall.com/historyofsake.htm>.

"How to Make Sake at Home - a Taylor-Made Guide." Taylor-MadeAK - Brewing Sake. Web. 09 Feb. 2012. <http://www.taylor-madeak.org/index.php/2008/02/29/how-to-make-sake-at-home-a-taylor-made-g>.

"Introduction." Sake.com. Web. 09 Feb. 2012. <http://www.sake.com/introduction.html>.

Bibliography cont. "Sake - Types and Grades of Japanese Sake, Nihonshu,

Rice Wine." ESake - Premium Japanese Sake (Rice Wine, Nihonshu) Online. Web. 09 Feb. 2012. <http://esake.com/Store/grades-chart.html>.

"Sake - Types of Japanese Rice Wine." ESake - Premium Japanese Sake (Rice Wine, Nihonshu) Online. Web. 09 Feb. 2012. <http://www.esake.com/Knowledge/Types/types.html>.

"Sake." Wikipedia, the Free Encyclopedia. Web. 09 Feb. 2012. <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sake>.

"Sake World - Types of Sake." Sake World Homepage - John Gauntner. Web. 09 Feb. 2012. <http://www.sake-world.com/html/types-of-sake.html>.