Japanese sake, or "Nihonshu", is a traditional Japanese drink made from fermented rice. Over the centuries, the brewing of this mythical Japanese drink has become a true ancestral art. Discovery of “sakeification”.
A good sake and its secrets
In order to make a good sake, it is said that it is necessary to have quality rice, the purest water and a lot of experience. The stublities about the realization of the alcoholic drink of the land of the rising sun are legion.
Thus, the choice of rice is of paramount importance. In Japan, there are 500 different types of rice. The most popular are:
- Yamada Nishiki : a rice rich in starch, low in lipids and proteins, which limits taste artefacts.
- Gohyakumangoku : gives a sake that is both very clear and infinitely sweet.
- Miyama Nishiki : very balanced sakes, with a fruity nose and light bitterness.
- Omachi : gives an earthy and herbaceous aroma, with a slight astringency.
The different stages of sake preparation
The preparation of a good sake leaves little room for doubts, so here are the different stages of preparation of a cellar master:
- Preparing the rice : this is a key step, which makes it possible to keep only the heart of the rice, which is rich in starch.
- Kojification : the rice is spread out on cotton cloths, cooled to 40 ° C and sprinkled with koji-kin, mushroom spores. This allows the fermentation process to begin naturally.
- Shubo : mixture of koji, rice and water using moto-suri, a kind of oars with very long handles. In order to promote the evolution of natural yeasts.
- Moromi : the preparation is put in vats for 3 to 7 weeks depending on the master brewers.
- Press and clarification : a process that requires a lot of delicacy that can take 3 to 4 days.
- Aging : the sake, once the preparation is finished will wait 6 to 12 months in the cellars in order to be able to be tasted.
You already know almost everything about the secrets of the preparation of ancestral Japanese sake, but do you know the big names in this legendary drink? Here is a non-exhaustive selection: Junmai Daiginjo cuvée Takashimizu, Fukuhachi or Amanoto Junmai Daiginjo 35 from the Akita region.
Alcohol abuse is dangerous for health. To consume with moderation.
