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>.
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