SAKE - RICE WINE

Rice is a grain with the highest yield per acreage to sustain large numbers of people. In a rice farming country like Japan, an alcoholic beverage of rice was made from early days and has played many roles. Natural microbial flora in the semi-tropical climate in Japan made it possible to make sake or rice wine from rice. It is interesting to note that the early sake was in a solid form and served on tree leaves that steamed rice was adhered here. Later, sake was made into a slur or liquid state.

Starch in rice needs to be converted to fermentable sugar through saccharification in the first step of sake brewing. It is done by way of enzymes called amylases. Amylases are found in sprouted grains (the one from barley used for beer making is called malt). Amylases are also found in fungal microbes in nature. A specific strain of fungal microbes, Koji, was found useful in sake brewing and has been used for hundreds of years. Amylases can also be found in saliva for digestion of starchy foods in the body. Amylases from saliva were used for hydrolyzing grain starch to make alcoholic beverages all over the world. Many years ago it was common in some parts of Japan for unmarried females to chew rice kernels and spit them in a pot. The pot was placed in a warm place for the natural yeast to begin the fermentation process. The yielded alcoholic beverage was called "Chewed Sake."

Hydrolyzed starch that consists of dextrose and other sugars is metabolized by yeast to ethanol, carbon dioxide and other flavor components. The finished product is called sake. The sake fermentation is very unique because starch saccharification occurs at the same at the same time as fermentation in the same brewing vessel. This is the only alcoholic beverage manufacturing process that allows these two processes to take place simultaneously. This is the primary reason why sake fermentation yields an higher alcohol content (15 - 17%) than a separate saccharification and fermentation process does as in wine production (12 - 13%).

Sake brewing was further refined by enthusiastic innovations and technology without the use of virgin saliva. Sake was a part of Japanese culture and even used as part of payment to government employees. Sake was admired in poems, songs and novels much like wine has been in the West. Sake is used to unite people together, to celebrate social, seasonal or familial events or to simply boost the ones spirit or moral. Sake brewing has been monopolized (by the government, feudal lords, Buddhist temples and rich merchants) just as wine has been in the West. Even today, sake is respected as a special, sacred drink for bonding a bridegroom and bride during a wedding ceremony. It is also used to celebrate the new year and in offering goodwill at shrines or temples.

Sake consumption reduced as the economy grew from the 1970's until recently. People did not feel the need to drink sake on a busy weekday. Beer became more appealing in busy working life. The government regulation for taxation was also confusing. To reduce the use of rice as a sake brewing ingredient, alcohol addition was a common practice in many sake making companies. As the economy grows in Japan, consumers are maturing to find a way to enjoy more of this traditional alcoholic beverage itself and also for food pairing. Good sake is coming back to life in Japan. Green River Sake plays a leading role in such a new move.

Sweet sake was highly welcomed for many years. Sake becomes sweet if there is some residual sugar, while sake tastes dry if there is less sugar left. People tend to prefer the dry sake because of a calorie conscious outlook and the desire to use it in food pairing. Sake dryness can be indicated by the Sake Meter Value (SMV). The SMV is a measurement of specific gravity by a hydrometer at 59°F (15°C). The greater the density due to residual sugar or components, the sweeter the taste and the lower the SMV numbers. In other words, an increasing SMV number means a decrease in sweetness and an increase in dryness. The SMV is used as a ballpark figure rather than an absolute indicator of sweetness or dryness. Actual dryness is the overall taste sensation of residual sugar, acid and other taste constituents. Tasting is believing for dryness.