Product Code Database
Sake, lead=yes, or saki, also referred to as Japanese rice wine, is an alcoholic beverage of Japanese cuisine origin made by fermenting rice that has been White rice to remove the bran. (2025). 9780857090515, Woodhead Publishing. ISBN 9780857090515 Despite the name Japanese rice wine, sake, and indeed any East Asian rice wine (such as huangjiu and cheongju), is produced by a brewing process more akin to that of beer, where starch is converted into sugars that ferment into alcohol, whereas in wine, Ethanol is produced by fermenting sugar that is naturally present in fruit, typically grapes.
The brewing process for sake differs from the process for beer, where the conversion from starch to sugar and then from sugar to alcohol occurs in two distinct steps. Like other , when sake is brewed, these conversions occur simultaneously. The alcohol content differs between sake, wine, and beer; while most beer contains 3–9% ABV, wine generally contains 9–16% ABV, and undiluted sake contains 18–20% ABV (although this is often lowered to about 15% by diluting with water before bottling).
In Japanese, the character (kanji: , ) can refer to any alcoholic drink, while the beverage called sake in English is usually termed meaning 'Japanese alcoholic drink'. Under Japanese Alcohol law, sake is labeled with the word , a synonym not commonly used in conversation.
In Japan, where it is the national beverage, sake is often served with special ceremony, where it is gently warmed in a small earthenware or porcelain bottle and sipped from a small porcelain cup called a sakazuki. As with wine, the recommended serving temperature of sake varies greatly by type.
sake are mentioned several times in the Kojiki, Japan's first written history, which was compiled in 712. Bamforth (2005) places the probable origin of true sake (which is made from rice, water, and ) in the Nara period (710–794). The fermented food fungi traditionally used for making alcoholic beverages in China and Korea for a long time were fungi belonging to Rhizopus and Mucor, whereas in Japan, except in the early days, the fermented food fungus used for sake brewing was Aspergillus oryzae. Some scholars believe the Japanese domesticated the mutated, detoxified Aspergillus flavus to give rise to Aspergillus oryzae.
In the Heian period (794–1185), sake was used for religious ceremonies, court festivals, and drinking games. Sake production was a government monopoly for a long time, but in the 10th century, Buddhist temples and Shinto shrine began to brew sake, and they became the main centers of production for the next 500 years.
A large tub with a capacity of 10 koku (1,800 liters) was invented at the end of the Muromachi period, making it possible to mass-produce sake more efficiently than before. Until then, sake had been made in jars with a capacity of 1, 2, or 3 koku at the most, and some sake brewers used to make sake by arranging 100 jars.
In the 16th century, the technique of distillation was introduced into the Kyushu district from Ryukyu. The brewing of shōchū, called "Imo–sake" started and was sold at the central market in Kyoto.
The Nada-Gogō area in Hyōgo Prefecture, the largest producer of modern sake, was formed during this period. When the population of Edo, modern-day Tokyo, began to grow rapidly in the early 1600s, brewers who made sake in inland areas such as Fushimi, Itami, and Ikeda moved to the Nada-Gogō area on the coast, where the weather and water quality were perfect for brewing sake and convenient for shipping it to Edo. In the Genroku era, when the culture of the chōnin class, the common people, prospered, the consumption of sake increased rapidly, and large quantities of taruzake were shipped to Edo. 80% of the sake drunk in Edo during this period was from Nada-Gogō. Many of today's major sake producers, including Hakutsuru, Ōzeki, Nihonsakari, Kikumasamune, Kenbishi and Sawanotsuru, are breweries in Nada-Gogō. The method, one of the traditional techniques for preparing the starter mash, was developed in the Nada during the Edo period.
During this period, frequent natural disasters and bad weather caused rice shortages, and the Tokugawa shogunate issued sake brewing restrictions 61 times. In the early Edo period, there was a sake brewing technique called shiki jōzō that was optimized for each season. In 1667, the technique of kanzukuri for making sake in winter was improved, and in 1673, when the Tokugawa shogunate banned brewing other than kanzukuri because of a shortage of rice, the technique of sake brewing in the four seasons ceased, and it became common to make sake only in winter until industrial technology began to develop in the 20th century. During this period, aged for three, five, or nine years, koshu was a luxury, but its deliciousness was known to the common people.
In the 18th century, Engelbert Kaempfer and Isaac TitsinghTitsingh, Isaac. (1781). "Bereiding van de Sacki" ("Production of Sake"), Verhandelingen van het Bataviaasch Genootschap ( Transactions of the Batavian Academy). Vol. III. published accounts identifying sake as a popular alcoholic beverage in Japan, but Titsingh was the first to try to explain and describe the process of sake brewing. The work of both writers was widely disseminated throughout Europe at the beginning of the 19th century.
In Japan, sake has long been taxed by the national government. In 1878, the liquor tax accounted for 12.3% of the national tax revenue, excluding local taxes, and in 1888 it was 26.4%, and in 1899 it was 38.8%, finally surpassing the land tax of 35.6%. In 1899, the government banned home brewing in anticipation of financial pressure from the First Sino-Japanese War and in preparation for the Russo-Japanese War. Since home-brewed sake is tax-free, the logic was that by banning the home-brewing of sake, sales would increase, and more tax revenue would be collected. This was the end of home-brewed sake. The Meiji government adopted a system in which taxes were collected when sake was finished, instead of levying taxes on the amount and price of sake at the time of sale to ensure more revenue from liquor taxes. The liquor tax for the sake produced in a given year had to be paid to the government during that fiscal year, so the breweries tried to make money by selling the sake as soon as possible. This destroyed the market for aged , which had been popular until then, and it was only in 1955 that sake breweries began to make again.
When World War II brought rice shortages, the sake-brewing industry was hampered as the government discouraged the use of rice for brewing. As early as the late 17th century, it had been discovered that small amounts of distilled alcohol could be added to sake before pressing to extract aromas and flavors from the rice solids. During the war, large amounts of distilled alcohol and glucose were added to small quantities of rice mash, increasing the yield by as much as four times. A few breweries were producing "sake" that contained no rice. The quality of sake during this time varied considerably. Incidentally, as of 2022, so much distilled alcohol is not allowed to be added, and under the provisions of the Liquor Tax Act, 50% of the weight of rice is the upper limit for the most inexpensive sake classified as futsū-shu.
In 1973, the National Tax Agency's brewing research institute developed kijōshu.
New players on the scene—beer, wine, and spirits—became popular in Japan, and in the 1960s, beer consumption surpassed sake for the first time. Sake consumption continued to decrease while the quality of sake steadily improved. While the rest of the world may be drinking more sake and the quality of sake has been increasing, sake production in Japan has been declining since the mid-1970s. The number of sake breweries is also declining. While there were 3,229 breweries nationwide in fiscal 1975, the number had fallen to 1,845 in 2007. In recent years, exports have rapidly increased due to the growing popularity of sake worldwide. The value of sake exports in 2022 was more than six times that of 2009. As of 2022, the value of Japan's alcoholic beverage exports was approximately 139.2 billion yen, with Japanese whisky in first place at 56.1 billion yen and sake in second place at 47.5 billion yen. Today, sake has become a world beverage with a few breweries in China, Southeast Asia, South America, North America, and Australia.
In addition to Aspergillus oryzae (yellow kōji), Aspergillus kawachii (white kōji) and Aspergillus luchuensis (black kōji), which are used to brew shōchū and awamori, have been used to brew sake since the 21st century.
In 2018, Satake Corporation developed a new type of rice milling machine that allows dramatically faster and more focused milling of the long axis portion of rice, which has a high mineral content and adds a miscellaneous taste to the flavor. This has made it possible to achieve the same flavor in a ginjō-shu with a 60% polishing ratio as in a conventional daiginjō-shu with a 40% polishing ratio, and many breweries now sell sake made from flat-milled rice.
More breweries are also turning to older methods of production. For example, since the 21st century, the use of wooden tubs has increased again due to the development of sanitary techniques. The use of wooden tubs for fermentation has the advantage of allowing various microorganism living in the wood to affect sake, allowing more complex fermentation and producing sake with different characteristics. It is also known that the antioxidants contained in wood have a positive effect on sake.
In December 2024, sake brewing (not sake itself) was recognized by UNESCO as an intangible cultural heritage.
In terms of excavated archaeological evidence, the oldest known sake brewery is from the 15th century near an area that was owned by Tenryū-ji, in Ukyō-ku, Kyoto. Unrefined sake was squeezed out at the brewery, and there are about 180 holes (60 cm wide, 20 cm deep) for holding storage jars. A hollow (1.8 meter wide, 1 meter deep) for a pot to collect drops of pressed sake and 14th-century Bizen ware jars were also found. It is estimated to be utilized until the Ōnin War (1467–1477). Sake was brewed at Tenryū-ji during the Muromachi period (1336–1573).
Sake rice is usually polished to a much higher degree than ordinary table rice. The reason for polishing is a result of the composition and structure of the rice grain itself. The core of the rice grain is rich in starch, while the outer layers of the grain contain higher concentrations of fats, vitamins, and proteins. Since a higher concentration of fat and protein in the sake would lead to off-flavors and contribute rough elements to the sake, the outer layers of the sake rice grain is milled away in a polishing process, leaving only the starchy part of the grain (some sake brewers remove over 60% of the rice grain in the polishing process). That desirable pocket of starch in the center of the grain is called the shinpaku. It usually takes two to three days to polish rice down to less than half its original size. The rice powder by-product of polishing is often used for making Rice cracker, Japanese sweets (i.e. Dango), and other food stuffs.
If the sake is made with rice with a higher percentage of its husk and the outer portion of the core milled off, then more rice will be required to make that particular sake, which will take longer to produce. Thus, sake made with rice that has been highly milled is usually more expensive than sake that has been made with less-polished rice. This does not always mean that sake made with highly milled rice is of better quality than sake made with rice milled less. Sake made with highly milled rice has a strong aroma and a light taste without miscellaneous taste. It maximizes the fruity flavor of ginjō. On the other hand, sake made with less milled rice but with attention to various factors tends to have a rich sweetness and flavor derived from rice.
Rice polishing ratio, called Seimai-buai (see Glossary of sake terms) measures the degree of rice polishing. For example, a rice polishing ratio of 70% means that 70% of the original rice grain remains and 30% has been polished away. As of 2023, the most polished sake has a polishing ratio of 0.85% or less, with at least 99.15% of its rice grains polished away. This sake is Reikyo Crystal 0, released by 新澤醸造店, priced at 1,375,000 yen for 720 ml.
The first region known for having great water was the Nada-Gogō in Hyōgo Prefecture. A particular water source called was found to produce high-quality sake and attracted many producers to the region.
Typically breweries obtain water from wells, though surface water can be used. Breweries may use tap water and filter and adjust components.
As A. oryzae is a microorganism used to manufacture food, its safety profile concerning humans and the environment in sake brewing and other food-making processes must be considered. Various health authorities, including Health Canada and the United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA), consider A. oryzae generally safe for use in food fermentation, including sake brewing. When assessing its safety, it is important to note that A. oryzae lacks the ability to produce toxins, unlike the closely related Aspergillus flavus. To date, there have been several reported cases of animals (e.g. , a horse) being infected with A. oryzae. In these cases the animals infected with A. oryzae were already weakened due to predisposing conditions such as recent injury, illness or stress, hence were susceptible to infections in general. Aside from these cases, there is no evidence to indicate A. oryzae is a harmful pathogen to either plants or animals in the scientific literature. Therefore, Health Canada considers A. oryzae "unlikely to be a serious hazard to livestock or to other organisms," including "healthy or debilitated humans." Given its safety record in the scientific literature and extensive history of safe use (spanning several hundred years) in the Japanese food industry, the FDA and World Health Organization (WHO) also support the safety of A. oryzae for use in the production of foods like sake. In the US, the FDA classifies A.oryzae as a Generally Recognized as Safe (GRAS) organism.
From the 1980s, research was conducted to brew sake using Aspergillus kawachii (white kōji), which is used to make shōchū, and sake made with Aspergillus kawachii became popular when Aramasa Co, Ltd. released "Amaneko" using Aspergillus kawachii in 2009. Aspergillus kawachii produces about 10 times more citric acid than Aspergillus oryzae, and thus has a strong ability to suppress the growth of bacteria that damage the flavor of sake. It also imparts a sour, citrus-like flavor to sake. Because it produces so much citric acid, older sake-making methods such as kimoto or yamahai can produce a starter mash as quickly as modern sokujō. Kimoto and yamahai do not add artificial lactic acid, which allows them to be labeled "additive-free," giving them a marketing advantage when exporting.
The various types of yeast used in sake brewing belong to the species Saccharomyces cerevisiae, and a large number of yeasts have been developed in Japan. For example, the laboratory of the has 400 types of yeast.
Before the modernization of Japan, breweries used yeasts that were native to each brewery. The yeasts evolved uniquely in each brewery as they competed for survival by mixing with microorganisms that became airborne and attached to the human body during the sake brewing process. Because some of these yeasts were not suitable for brewing sake, the quality of sake varied from brewery to brewery and from period to period.
In 1895, Dr. Kikuji Yabe isolated the first Saccharomyces sake yeast suitable for brewing sake. In 1904, the government established the National Brewing Laboratory and began detailed studies of yeast. In 1906, the Brewing Society of Japan was founded, and a system was established whereby any superior yeast discovered was registered as Kyokai-kōbo ("Kyokai yeast", "Association yeast") and distributed to breweries throughout Japan. Kyokai yeast No. 7 and No. 9 are particularly popular. In response to the popularity of ginjō-shu since the 1980s, various aromatic yeasts have been developed. Today, the Brewing Society of Japan, research institutes in each prefecture, and breweries continue to develop a variety of yeasts, and an increasing number of breweries are making sake from yeasts found in flowers.
Some sake yeasts can also color sake. For example, Kyokai yeast "Akairo kōbo", isolated in 1984, can produce pink nigori or origarami sake by producing a red pigment during fermentation. This yeast is not fertile and temperature control is difficult, but it adds a sweet strawberry flavor to the sake.
On the second day, the mixture stands for a day to let the yeast multiply.
The second step (the third day of the process), called , involves the addition of a second batch of , steamed rice, and water to the mixture. On the fourth day of the fermentation, the third step of the process, called , takes place. Here, the third and final batch of kōji, steamed rice, and water is added to the mixture, followed by up to ten days or so of additional fermentation to complete the three-step process.
The multiple parallel fermentation process of sake brewing, where starch is converted into glucose followed by immediate conversion into alcohol, is unique to it. This distinguishes sake from other brewed alcoholic beverages like beer because it occurs in a single vat, whereas with beer, for instance, starch-to-glucose conversion and glucose-to-alcohol conversion occur in separate vats. The breakdown of starch into glucose is caused by the fungus, while the conversion of glucose into alcohol is caused by yeast. Due to the yeast being available as soon as the glucose is produced, the conversion of glucose to alcohol is very efficient in sake brewing. This results in sake having a generally higher alcohol content than other types of beer or wine.
After the fermentation process is complete, the fermented is pressed to remove the sake lees and then pasteurized and filtered for color. The sake is then stored in bottles under cold conditions (see "Maturation" below).
The process of making sake can range from 60 to 90 days (2–3 months), while the fermentation alone can take two weeks. On the other hand, ginjō-shu takes about 30 days for fermentation alone.
Ginjō is sake made using a special method called ginjō-zukuri, in which rice is slowly fermented for about 30 days at a low temperature of 5 to 10 degrees Celsius (41 to 50 degrees Fahrenheit). Sake made in ginjō-zukuri is characterized by fruity flavors like apples, bananas, melons, grapes, peaches, pineapples, citrus, etc. In general, the flavor of sake tends to deteriorate when it is affected by Ultraviolet or high temperatures, especially for sake made in ginjō-zukuri and unPasteurization namazake. Therefore, it is recommended that sake with the name ginjō be transported and stored in cold storage. It is also recommended to drink chilled to maximize its fruity flavor.
Junmai is a term used for the sake that is made of pure rice wine without any additional distilled alcohol. Special-designation sake which is not labeled has an appropriate amount of distilled alcohol added. The maximum amount of distilled alcohol added to is 50% of the rice weight, mainly to increase the volume, while the maximum amount of distilled alcohol added to special-designation sake is 10% of the rice weight, to make the sake more aromatic and light in taste, and to prevent the growth of lactic acid bacteria, which deteriorate the flavor of the sake. It is often misunderstood that the added distilled alcohol is of poor quality, but that is not the case with the addition of distilled alcohol to special-designation sake. Specifically, 78.3% of the sake entered in the , the largest sake contest, had distilled alcohol added, and 91.1% of the winning sake had it added. However, the most important aspect of the contest is the brewing technique, not whether it tastes good or not.
Sake made with highly milled rice has a strong aroma and a light taste without miscellaneous taste. It maximizes the fruity flavor of ginjō. On the other hand, sake made with less milled rice but with attention to various factors tends to have a rich sweetness and flavor derived from rice.
In 2018, Satake Corporation developed a new type of rice milling machine that allows dramatically faster and more focused milling of the long axis portion of rice, which has a high mineral content and adds a miscellaneous taste to the flavor. This has made it possible to achieve the same flavor in a ginjō-shu with a 60% polishing ratio as in a conventional daiginjō-shu with a 40% polishing ratio.
The certification requirements for special-designation sake must meet the conditions listed below, as well as the superior aroma and color specified by the National Tax Agency. The listing below often has the highest price at the top:
| Rice, Kōji rice | 50% or less, and produced by slowly fermenting rice at low temperatures of 5 to 10 degrees Celsius. | At least 15% | |
| Rice, Kōji rice, Distilled alcohol | 50% or less, and produced by slowly fermenting rice at low temperatures of 5 to 10 degrees Celsius. | At least 15% | |
| Rice, Kōji rice | 60% or less, and produced by slowly fermenting rice at low temperatures of 5 to 10 degrees Celsius. | At least 15% | |
| Rice, Kōji rice, Distilled alcoholThe weight of added alcohol must be below 10% of the weight of the rice (after polishing) used in the brewing process. | 60% or less, and produced by slowly fermenting rice at low temperatures of 5 to 10 degrees Celsius. | At least 15% | |
| Rice, Kōji rice | 60% or less, or produced by special brewing methodA special brewing method needs to be explained on the label. | At least 15% | |
| Rice, Kōji rice, Distilled alcohol | 60% or less, or produced by special brewing method | At least 15% | |
| Rice, Kōji rice | Regulations do not stipulate a rice polishing ratioWSET Level 3 Award in Sake Study Guide | At least 15% | |
| Rice, Kōji rice, Distilled alcohol | 70% or less | At least 15% |
target="_blank" rel="nofollow"> 直汲み、槽場汲みの日本酒. . Kandaya
Some other terms commonly used in connection with sake:
In Japan, the Liquor Tax Law prohibits new entrants from obtaining a new sake brewing license to sell sake in Japan. If a new entrant wants to start brewing sake, it must either take over an existing brewery or produce sake for export only. Therefore, young entrepreneurs who want to make sake tend to start making craft sake, which is easier to enter. The Japan Craft Sake Breweries Association was founded in 2022 under the leadership of Shuhei Okazumi of Ine to Agave Brewery. The association hopes to appeal to young people and women who have not been frequent sake drinkers, and due to the high added value, many craft sake are priced at about twice the price of traditional sake.
Nihonshu-do or Sake Meter Value (SMV) is calculated from the Relative density of the sake and indicates the sugar and alcohol content of the sake on an arbitrary scale. Typical values are between −3 (sweet) and +10 (dry), equivalent to specific gravities ranging between 1.007 and 0.998, though the maximum range of can go much beyond that. The must be considered together with to determine the overall perception of dryness-sweetness, richness-lightness characteristics of a sake (for example, a higher level of acidity can make a sweet sake taste drier than it actually is).
San-do indicates the concentration of acid, which is determined by titration with sodium hydroxide solution. This number equals the milliliters of titrant required to neutralize the acid in of sake.
Aminosan-do indicates a taste of umami or savoriness. As the proportion of rises, the sake tastes more savory. This number is determined by titration of the sake with a mixture of sodium hydroxide solution and formaldehyde and is equal to the milliliters of titrant required to neutralize the amino acids in 10 mL of sake.
Sake can have many flavor notes, such as fruits, flowers, herbs, and spices. Many types of sake have notes of apple from Ethyl hexanoate and banana from isoamyl acetate, particularly ginjō-shu. In addition to apples and bananas, other fruits mentioned as flavor notes for fruity sake, especially ginjō-shu, include melons, grapes, peaches, pineapples, citrus, etc.
Sake is traditionally drunk from small cups called or o-choko and poured into the from ceramic flasks called . This is very common for hot sake, where the flask is heated in hot water, and the small cups ensure that the sake does not get cold in the cup, but it may also be used for chilled sake. Traditionally one does not pour one's own drink, which is known as tejaku, but instead members of a party pour for each other, which is known as shaku. This has relaxed in recent years but is generally observed on more formal occasions, such as business meals, and is still often observed for the first drink.
Another traditional cup is the masu, a box usually made of hinoki or Cryptomeria, which was originally used for measuring rice. The holds exactly one gō, , so the sake is served by filling the to the brim; this is done for chilled or room temperature sake. In some Japanese restaurants, as a show of generosity, the server may put a glass inside the or put the on a saucer and pour until sake overflows and fills both containers.
Sake is traditionally served in units of , and this is still common, but other sizes are sometimes also available.
Saucer-like cups called are also used, most commonly at weddings and other ceremonial occasions, such as the start of the year or the beginning of a kaiseki meal. In cheap bars, sake is often served at room temperature in glass tumblers and called koppu-zake. In more modern restaurants, wine glasses are also used, and recently footed glasses made specifically for premium sake have also come into use.
Traditionally sake is heated immediately before serving, but today restaurants may buy sake in boxes that can be heated in a specialized hot sake dispenser, thus allowing hot sake to be served immediately. However, this is detrimental to the flavor. There are also a variety of devices for heating sake and keeping it warm beyond the traditional .
Aside from being served straight, sake can be used as a mixer for , such as tamagozake, , or nogasake. Ume Cocktail Menu. Tucson, AZ: Ume Casino Del Sol, 2015. Print. Outside of Japan, the sake bomb, the origins of which are unclear, has become a popular drink in bars and Asia-themed karaoke clubs.
The Japanese Sake Association encourages people to drink chaser water for their health, and the water is called Yawaragi-mizu.
Generally, it is best to keep sake refrigerated in a cool or dark room, as prolonged exposure to heat or direct light will lead to spoilage. Sake stored at a relatively high temperature can lead to the formation of diketopiperazine, a cyclo (Pro-Leu) that makes it bitter as it ages.(Lecture Note, October 2011). Sake has high microbiological stability due to its high content of ethanol, but instances of spoilage have occurred. One of the microorganisms implicated in this spoilage is lactic acid bacteria (LAB) that has grown tolerant to ethanol and is referred to as -bacteria.(Suzuki et al., 2008). Sake stored at room temperature is best consumed within a few months after purchase.
Sake can be stored for a long time due to its high alcohol content and has no use-by dates written on the bottle or label. However, there is a best before date for good drinking, and it depends on the type of sake, with the typical twice-pasteurized sake having a relatively long best before date. According to major sake brewer Gekkeikan, the best before date when unopened and stored in a dark place at about 20 degrees Celsius (68 degrees Fahrenheit) is one year after production for futsū-shu and honjōzō-shu, 10 months for ginjō-shu, junmai-shu, and sake pasteurized only once, and up to eight months for special namazake that can be distributed at room temperature. According to Sawanotsuru, once pasteurized sake and unpasteurized namazake have a best before date of nine months after production. Some sources also state that the best before date for unpasteurized namazake is three to six months after production. Namazake generally requires refrigeration at all times. However, there are exceptions to these storage conditions, in which case the conditions are stated on the label. For example, sake under the brand name Aramasa must be kept refrigerated at all times, even if it is junmai-shu, which has been pasteurized.
Once the sake is opened, it should be kept refrigerated, as the flavor deteriorates more quickly than before opening. Best before date after opening the bottle varies depending on the source. According to sake media outlet Sake no shizuku, which interviewed several major sake production companies, the responses from all companies were nearly identical. According to the responses, junmai type sake without added distilled alcohol has a best before date of 10 days after opening, while other types of sake with added distilled alcohol has a best before date of one month after opening. According to the international sommelier of sake certified by SSI International, ginjō type sake, which is fermented at low temperature for a long time, has little flavor degradation for two to three days after opening and has a best before date of one week after opening. Other special designation sake and futsū-shu have little flavor degradation for 10 to 14 days after opening the bottle and have a best before date of one month after opening. Unpasteurized namazake deteriorates the fastest and should be drunk as soon as possible.
These best before dates are shortened when stored at high temperatures or in bright places, especially under sunlight or fluorescent lights that emit ultraviolet rays. On the other hand, the optimal temperature to minimize flavor degradation is minus 5 degrees Celsius (23 degrees Fahrenheit). It is also recommended that sake bottles be stored vertically. This is because if the bottle is placed horizontally, the sake is exposed to more air inside the bottle, which speeds up oxidation and may change the flavor when it comes in contact with the cap.
If these types of sake, which were clear or white at first, turn yellow or brown, it is a sign that the flavor has deteriorated. The exception is aged koshu, which is amber in color from the time of shipment because it has been aged for several years to optimize its flavor.
In a ceremony called kagami biraki, wooden sake casks are opened with mallets during Shinto festivals, weddings, store openings, sports and election victories, and other celebrations. This sake, called ('celebration sake'), is served freely to all to spread good fortune.
At the New Year, many Japanese people drink a special sake called toso. is a sort of made by soaking , a kampo (traditional Japanese medicine), overnight in sake. Even children sip a portion. In some regions, the first sips of are taken in order of age, from the youngest to the eldest.
On Children's Day, May 5, there is a custom of drinking shōbu sake, which is made by cutting iris roots and leaves into thin slices and soaking them in sake, a tradition inherited from . It is believed that iris has the power to ward off evil spirits and has medicinal properties.
Despite this growth, sake remains a niche product in the United States, accounting for only 0.2% of the total alcohol market as of 2020. This suggests there is potential for further expansion, mainly as American consumers develop a taste for Japanese culture and cuisine.
|
|
