sake

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Sake in different vessels, on the right in a masu

Sake ( Japanese [ sakɛ ]) is an alcoholic drink from Japan made from polished rice . The clear or whitish-cloudy drink contains around 15–20 percent alcohol by volume .

In German, the misleading term rice wine is often used for sake . In terms of production technology, sake is more similar to beer , as starch first has to be broken down into sugar for alcoholic fermentation. The alcohol content of sake is higher than that of wine made from grapes . Sake accounts for around 4% of Japanese alcohol consumption, and the trend is falling - beers make up the largest proportion.

The term sake is used in the Occident regardless of the origin of the product. The term “Japanese sake”, on the other hand, is a protected term. Since in Japanese sake - also read shu in word combinations - can also generally denote alcoholic beverages , Japanese sake in the narrower sense is formally used as Nihonshu ( 日本 酒 , "Japanese alcohol drink") or Seishu ( 清酒 , "clear alcohol drink") ) designated. Coarsely filtered sake, nigorizake ( 濁 り 酒 , "cloudy alcohol drink"), also belongs to the Seishu category for tax purposes .

history

It is not reliably known how long sake was made in Japan. It is believed that production began with the introduction of wet rice cultivation in the 3rd century BC. Began at the end of the Jōmon period . Narrated are rites of Shinto , where rice chewed and then spat was in vessels. The rice fermented in the vessels had only a low alcohol content and was eaten like porridge. When chewing, an amylase , an enzyme contained in saliva, converts the starch contained in rice into sugar, which then enables fermentation and thus the production of alcohol. Chewing became superfluous from the 5th century onwards with the use of mushroom cultures , which were probably imported from China via Korea .

The historical work Nihonshoki , which was completed in 720, tells of a banquet in the year 485, at which court aristocrats sat by a brook in the garden and wrote verses. The creator of a successful poem was allowed to take a bowl of sake that was floating by on the stream. The connection between drinking games and sake was continued in the Nara and Heian periods . At festivals it was served according to its rank and was only allowed to be drunk after a song had been performed. Sake also became common after promotions and as a gesture of the loser in a losing game. Sake became a topic in verse and poetry early on, it is mentioned in the Man'yōshū and is also part of some chain poems created by poets such as Matsuo Bashō and Kobayashi Issa .

The production of sake was initially limited to the imperial court and was gradually transferred to the monasteries. Ashikaga Yoshimitsu placed the sake breweries under the shogunate government in 1369 . The spread of sake in the population ensured the shogunate a steady income. As recently as the late 18th century, sake taxes were one of the government's greatest sources of income.

Kenbishi, one of the oldest companies in the world, has been producing sake since 1505.

Manufacturing

Nigori, coarsely filtered sake

In principle, the production of sake is a two-stage fermentation process. The water-insoluble starch must first be converted into soluble sugar, which yeast can ferment into alcohol in the second step. What is unique about sake is that these processes take place simultaneously during the brewing process. (Unlike beer, where the conversion of starch to sugar is completely complete after mashing before fermentation begins.)

To prepare the rice for the fermentation process, the rice grains are first polished. This removes the outer bran layers and with them a large part of the proteins contained in the rice grain. For high-quality sake, the grains are polished to 50–60%, sometimes far less, of their original volume. The resulting rice flour is sold to manufacturers of confectionery and other products.

After polishing, the rice is washed to remove the residue of the rice flour and soaked in water. It is dampened , giving it a firm surface and a soft core.

Some of the rice is used to make kōji . It is inoculated with the mold Aspergillus flavus var. Oryzae , whose enzymes convert the starch into glucose . The ripening process is interrupted after a ripening time of 36 to 48 hours at higher temperature and humidity. The kōji is placed in a small tank with steamed rice and water, lactic acid and a yeast concentrate are added to form a starter culture called a shubo . The yeast build-up develops over two weeks, during which the glucose is used up when the yeast cells multiply and the sweet amazake is created .

A sugidama above the entrance to a brewery shows the degree of
ripeness of the sake .

Now the actual fermentation process begins . Kōji, rice and water are mixed again in a larger tank. Amazake is added to this mixture in three batches, one day apart. The subsequent fermentation process lasts 21 to 25 days.

During fermentation, a mixture of around 18% to 20% alcohol is created, which is pressed through filters to obtain the clear sake. If the alcohol content is too high at this point, adding water will lower it. The sake is then filled into tanks, in which it matures for another six to twelve months.

Most sake is pasteurized both after being pressed and after being bottled. Unpasteurized Sake Namazake ( 生 酒 ) must be stored refrigerated to prevent any change in taste due to yeast residues or enzymes it may contain.

The quality of the basic ingredients rice, water and yeast determine the final quality of the sake. In addition to the rice quality, the hardness and mineral content of the water are decisive for the taste of the sake. Centers of high-quality sake production are therefore often in places that have high-quality rice and spring water or lakes. Since the Edo period, these include Toyama , Suwa on Lake Suwa and Ikeda, among others .

species

Futsū-shu ( 普通 酒 ) describes a standard quality that makes up about 80% of the sake produced. Futsū-shu is produced in large quantities and in largely automated processes. The addition of ingredients such as sugar and acidulants as well as alcohol and water is allowed.

High quality sake is divided into the following categories. For sake in this group, the amount of koji must be at least 15% of the total volume of the rice used and the amount of alcohol added (if used) must not exceed 10% of the rice volume. There are also quality regulations for taste, color and clarity. Sake with a higher degree of polish has a mild taste with less umami than other sake and a fruity aroma of melon, pear and banana.

Classification of sake according to Tokutei Meishō-shu ( 特定 名称 酒 )
category Degree of polishing Addition of alcohol Other requirements
Junmai-shu ( 純 米酒 ) (not mandatory) No
Tokubetsu Junmai-shu (特別 純 米酒) 60% or less * No * or special brewing method
Honjōzō-shu ( 本 醸 造酒 ) 70% or less Yes
Tokubetsu Honjōzō-shu (特別 本 醸 造酒) 60% or less * Yes * or special brewing method
Ginjō-shu ( 吟 醸 酒 ) 60% or less Yes
Junmai Ginjō-shu ( 純 米 吟 醸 酒 ) 60% or less No
Daiginjō-shu ( 大 吟 醸 酒 ) 50% or less Yes
Junmai Daiginjō-shu ( 純 米 大 吟 醸 酒 ) 50% or less No


Further designations:

  • Namazake ( 生 酒 ) is unpasteurized sake. A distinction is made between completely unpasteurized sake (sometimes referred to as Hon-Nama, "real" Namazake ) and sake that has been pasteurized once, either shortly before tank storage ( Nama-zume ) or after filling ( Nama-Chozo ).
  • Genshu ( 原 種 ) is sake that has not been diluted. The alcohol content can be 18–22%.
  • Nigorizake ( 濁 り 酒 ) is cloudy sake, sometimes also called "unfiltered sake". According to Japanese law, Seishu must always be filtered, so nigorizake is simply pressed through a coarser mesh or some sediment is added again after pressing.


Special types of sake:

  • Koshu ( 古 酒 ) is stored sake. Sake is normally intended to be consumed soon, whereas koshu is stored by the brewery for several years and changes both color and taste in the process.
  • Kijoshu ( 貴 醸 酒 ) is a sweet specialty that is used similar to a dessert wine. When brewing Kijoshu, the final addition of ingredients to the fermentation tank uses sake instead of water, which stops fermentation earlier and the resulting drink is sweeter than regular sake. Kijoshu is usually stored for a few years and is golden in color.
  • Taru-zake ( 樽 酒 ) is stored in barrels made from Japanese cedar wood. The wood gives off a characteristic taste to the sake after 1–2 weeks. Taru-zake is often served at Japanese weddings or other festive occasions.

similar products

Mirin is made from polished rice, koji and shochu and has a higher sugar and lower alcohol content compared to sake. Nowadays mirin is used almost exclusively as a condiment.

Unfiltered sake, Doburoku ( ど ぶ ろ く or 濁酒 / 濁 醪 ), is not considered sake under Japanese law and may only be produced and distributed with special permission .

The sediment that remains after pressing is sold as Sake Kasu ( 酒 粕 ) and can be used to pickle vegetables and fish, to prepare meals and to make amazake.

Administration

Three different shapes of drinking vessels for Japanese sake
Three different shapes of drinking vessels for Japanese sake

Sake is served hot or cold, with hot sake being particularly popular during the cold season. This is called figuratively "putting a hot stone on your stomach". To heat the sake, it is placed in a container made of porcelain or metal in a water bath and heated there to 40ºC to max. Heated to 55 ° C. Sake with a spicy taste, which is made from rice with only a low degree of polishing, is particularly suitable for warm enjoyment, e.g. B. Junmai or Honjōzō . Sake of the categories Ginjō or Daiginjō is served almost exclusively chilled at around 7 ° C. The quality of sake does not improve with storage; it is generally recommended to drink sake within one year of the printed production date.

Sake is sold in the form of glass bottles and tetrapaks , the latter only being used for simple sake. Common bottle sizes are 180 ml (also called " one cup "), 300 ml, 720 ml and 1800 ml. For serving, it is usually transferred into small ceramic bottles ( tokkuri ), from which those present refill each other. Sake is drunk from small wooden cubes ( Masu ), from flat drinking bowls ( Sakazuki ) or from small cups ( Ochoko , Guinomi ), but also from wine glasses.

The sake taverns ( izakaya ) are a popular locality . Small dishes and snacks are consumed with sake, so-called sakana (肴 or 酒菜) or otsumami (お 摘 み). Usually these are senbei (rice crackers), seeds (for example ginkgo nuts ), kamaboko (fish paste bars similar to surimi ) or tsukudani (seafood cooked in soy sauce and thus preserved), as well as edamame and pickled vegetables. Also sashimi , roe and shiokara (fermented and salted squid guts), as well as snacks of dried fish are popular.

use

Sake is offered as an aperitif , during a meal and also as a digestif . It is also used in sauces and marinades in Japanese cuisine .

In terms of taste, sake resembles dry sherry and can be replaced by this if necessary - for example when cooking.

The not yet fully fermented Amazake is served at the New Year festival and at the Hina-Matsuri (doll festival).

Ritual use

Sake barrels in Itsukushima Shrine

Sake is closely connected to many rites of Japanese Shinto and is a typical dedication that is offered to the Japanese deities in the form of large wooden barrels.

Further meaning of the word

Even salmon is called in Japanese "Sake". The two characters for the meanings "salmon" and "rice wine" are different, but there is little difference in pronunciation. The accent is on the first syllable of the word for salmon and the second syllable of the word for rice wine. Since the Japanese accent is generally very weak, misunderstandings (e.g. when placing an order) are easy. In common usage, however, confusion is ruled out by the fact that the word for rice wine is usually preceded by the honorary prefix “o”, ie “o-sake” is said. On the other hand to call the salmon clearly, there is the alternative pronunciation "Shake" ( [⁠ ɕake ⁠] ) and especially often used in sushi bars labeled "Samon" ( [⁠ saːmoɴ ⁠] , from the English. "Salmon").

literature

  • Ottokar Schiewek: About Saké, the national drink of the Japanese, and the mushrooms that are effective in making it. Grass, Barth & Comp., Breslau 1897. ( digitized version ).
  • Klaus Antoni : Miwa - The Holy Drink. On the history and religious significance of the alcoholic drink (sake) in Japan (=  Munich East Asian Studies . Volume 45 ). Franz Steiner Verlag, Stuttgart 1988, ISBN 3-515-04837-5 ( uni-tuebingen.de [PDF; 43.0 MB ]).
  • Rocky Aoki , Pierre A. Lehu: Saké. Water from Heaven. Universe, New York NY 2003, ISBN 0-7893-0847-9 .
  • Fred Eckhardt: Sake (USA). The complete Guide to American Sake, Sake Breweries and homebrewed Sake. Fred Eckhardt Communications, Portland OR 1992, ISBN 0-9606302-8-7 .
  • John Gauntner: The saké Handbook. 2nd edition. Tuttle, Boston MA 2002, ISBN 0-8048-3425-3 .
  • Philip Harper: The Insider's Guide to Saké. Kodansha International, Tokyo u. a. 1998, ISBN 4-7700-2076-7 .
  • Phillip Harper, Haruo Matsuzaki: The Book of Sake. A Connoisseurs Guide. Kodansha International, Tokyo u. a. 1995, ISBN 4-7700-2998-5 .

Web links

Commons : Sake  - collection of pictures, videos and audio files
Wiktionary: Sake  - explanations of meanings, word origins, synonyms, translations

Individual evidence

  1. ^ William Campbell: What the Japanese are drinking. In: The Japan Times Online. April 13, 2007, accessed April 20, 2014 .
  2. Yuichi Hayashi: Japanese Sake GI to Protect Brand Japan in Overseas Markets. (PDF) In: GAIN Report JA6012. USDA Foreign Agricultural Service, June 6, 2016, accessed September 11, 2019 .
  3. . In: ブ リ タ ニ カ 国際 大 百科 事 典 小 項目 事 典 at kotobank.jp. Retrieved December 17, 2016 (Japanese).
  4. 日本 酒 . In: 飲 み 物 が わ か る 辞典 at kotobank.jp. Retrieved December 17, 2016 (Japanese).
  5. 秋山 裕 一 : 濁 り 酒 . In: 日本 大 百科全書 at kotobank.jp. Retrieved December 18, 2016 (Japanese).
  6. Seishu ・ Nihon-shu | Sake Glossary. In: www.nada-ken.com. The Society for Nada-Sake Research, accessed December 18, 2016 .
  7. Victoria Lee: Mold Cultures: Traditional Industry and Microbial Studies in Early Twentieth-Century Japan . In: Denise Phillips, Sharon Kingsland (Eds.): New Perspectives on the History of Life Sciences and Agriculture . Springer, Cham 2015, ISBN 978-3-319-12184-0 , pp. 235 , doi : 10.1007 / 978-3-319-12185-7 (English).
  8. Kenbishi history. Kenbishi Sake Brewing Co. Ltd., accessed October 28, 2019 (jp).