Your Complete Guide to Japanese Sake

THE BOMBEST SAKE INFOGRAPHIC EVER: YOUR COMPLETE GUIDE SAKE (SAH-KEE) IS MADE FROM RICE AND THE ALCOHOL CONTENT (15% TO 20%) IS HIGHER THAN MOST WINES. Sake is sometimes considered a religious drink, and was once brewed in temples and shrines ( 酒 HOW TO MAKE SAKE MAKING SAKE IS A THREE-STEP PROCESS. Koji Moromi Shubo Spores of mold are added to steamed rice. The resulting koji is added to a yeast starter and mash to assist turning the starch to glucose. Shubo is combined with koji, steamed rice, and water, and everything is left to ferment. Once done, the sake is pressed, filtered, and pasteurized. Sake is stored cold. Steamed rice, koji, water, and yeast are combined to spur the moromi process. 70% 70% 30% 30% Each Grain Rice Rice JUNMAI HONJOZO no added sugars, starches, or alcohol. Rice is milled to 30% and there is 70% of each grain remaining. A small amount of additional alcohol is added to lighten the flavor. The rice ratio remains the same (30% to 70% ). 60% TYPES OF SAKE 65% 40% Each Grain Rice DAIGINJO O to 65% of the rice gets milled away, creating a fragrant, full-bodied sake. GINJO Ginjo has the same ingredients as Honjozo, but the rice is milled 40% with 60% of each grain remaining. DRINKING SAKE Sake is served in a tokkuri, which You drink sake out of cups Do not pour your own sake. Let your friend or colleague fill your cup, then in return, you pour his or her sake. looks like a vase. called ochoko. Don't drink your sake until everyone's glass is full. In Japan, everyone will raise their glass and say "kampai" (cheers). Sake bombs (a shot of sake poured in a beer glass) are an American tradition; you may not want to do sake bombs in Japan. Most high-quality sake is served cold. t0 takelessons To learn more Japanese vocabulary, sign up for lessons with a private tutor at TakeLessons.com