Japanese rice alcoholic drink. Sake: the famous Japanese drink

Sake is not Japanese rice vodka at all, as many people think, but Japanese wine is quite noble and has its own unique taste and consumer culture. The strength of sake usually varies up to 25 degrees. Because alcoholic drink sake was born in Japan, special attention When making a drink, the focus is on its taste and aroma, rather than its intoxicating power - such is the cultural difference between Japan and Europe. Sake is obtained through the fermentation of rice. And due to the use of distillation, sake is often classified as vodka. This is the national Japanese alcoholic drink. In Japan itself, it does not have a special name and is referred to by Europeans as a general Japanese term for any alcoholic beverage. In the taste of sake you can usually find sherry and bitter notes, as well as grapes and fruits. The most best samples sake can exhibit rare alcoholic flavors such as cheese and mushroom. In general, sake is a drink so unique and unlike any other that it is very difficult to classify it into any group and even calling sake wine is rather a convention.
The first sake was brewed in Japan about two thousand years ago. The origin of his recipe is not known for certain. There are only assumptions that it was brought from China. At first, the famous alcoholic drink sake was produced and drunk only at the emperor's court and in Shinto shrines, and only in the Middle Ages did it begin to be brewed ordinary people. Sake production technology back then was very different from what it is today. Just imagine that the rice was chewed right in the mouth and spat into special containers where it fermented. The Japanese themselves, however, did not like this method either, so soon they began to use koji, a special type of mold, instead of saliva to start the fermentation process. It was only in the 17th century that sake began to be produced in large quantities for sale. The center for rice cultivation and sake production was the Kini region, where the prefectures of Nara, Hyogo, Kyoto and Osaka are now located. Only special varieties of rice are suitable for making sake: large and heavy grains, which contain a lot of starch. The most suitable rice varieties for sake are Yamado Nishiki and Omachi. However, everything is not limited to the requirements for rice. Water is also important, which must be purified from iron and manganese. First, when creating sake, rice is polished, grinding 10-50% of the grain. Then the polished rice is soaked for several hours and steamed. Some of this rice is diluted with a culture of mold fungi and a starter is made from it, kept in a warm and humid room for 35 hours. The result is a wort that is mixed with steamed rice with the addition of water - after which the main fermentation process takes place for 15-35 days. This is how sake is obtained, which is then settled and filtered. Sometimes, in order for the drink to have an even milder taste, sake alcoholic beverage is pasteurized and aged for 6-12 months. Sake can be drunk slightly chilled or heated to 60 degrees. This is the only drink in the world that can be drunk in such a wide temperature range. Alcoholic beverages are delivered promptly and around the clock. And you only need to make one call, and sake will share your meal with you.

What kind of cookware is used:

Sake is served in special porcelain or ceramic jugs called tokkuri. They are round with a narrow neck, but there are also other types, such as “katakuchi”, which resemble a small teapot.
What is the correct way to drink sake is a controversial issue. Some claim that this is a tiny cup without a handle - "ochoko", others - "sakazuki", that is, a cup similar to a saucer, or "masu" - a wooden cup in the shape of a box. But, in general, a wine glass, although not traditional, is perhaps the optimal vessel for drinking sake. When drinking, it does not interfere with seeing the color and feeling all the shades of aroma, which greatly affect the taste of the drink, so a wine glass allows you to enjoy sake to the fullest. Use traditional glassware if you want to add a touch of authenticity to the ceremony, but if you want to discover sake in its entirety, use glasses.

Bring the sake to the desired temperature. Regular sake, as well as Honjozo and Junmai sake, are heated to room temperature, while Ginjo and Daiginjo (plain sake) are served chilled. The main rule: “Good sake is drunk cold. Bad sake is warm.”

Pour sake for each guest, but not for yourself. Hold the tokkuri with both hands, fingers pointing down. You can wrap the tokkuri in a napkin to avoid spilling sake over the vessel. Pour for your guest just before each toast. Don't pour it for yourself. It is the guest's task to ensure that the host's cup is not empty.

You can pour with one hand, but be sure to touch the hand in which you are holding the vessel with your other hand. This is equivalent to pouring with two hands.
If you are higher in status than the person you are pouring to, you can simply pour with one hand.

Hold the cup correctly. It is correct to hold the cup suspended while you are being poured. Grasp the cup with one hand (usually your right) and place it on the palm of your other hand.

If the pourer is of lower status than you, then you can hold the cup with one hand.

Toast. If you're in a Japanese restaurant, you can say "Kanpai." Touch the cups. If you are drinking with a person who is higher in status than you, make sure that the edge of your cup is lower than the edge of his cup when you touch.

Sake not very good strong drink(the alcohol content is about the same as strong wine, except for the Ginjo variety), and should be drunk in much the same way as wine. But if sake (especially not high quality) is served warm, drink slowly as alcohol vapors can burn your nasopharynx. This is not a shot, don't drink the whole cup in one gulp! When drinking, turn slightly away from the person of higher status. If a person's status is very high, it is not indecent to turn away completely while taking a sip of sake.

Sake, saké - famous Japanese strong alcoholic drink based on rice. The first mention of a strong rice drink appeared about 10,000 years ago in China, and its descendant - sake - appeared in Japan about 2,000 years ago, and during this time the hardworking and patient Japanese people were able to achieve perfection in its production. The preparation technology makes sake similar to beer, but sometimes it is called “rice wine” or “rice vodka.” However, sake is not vodka, wine or beer at all, but completely special kind alcohol. Sake is so unique that no one approaches it European names, as well as cooking methods. Its incomparable taste is achieved through the use of special varieties of rice, and the finished drink is drunk both hot (up to 60°C) and cold (about 5°C). Sake is used in traditional Japanese cooking as a means to eliminate strong or unpleasant odors.

Sake, like many popular drinks, has rich history. This interesting drink has been prepared on the Japanese islands for two millennia. There are several versions of the origin of this drink, but over the years it is quite difficult to determine the truth. Rice, the main component from which sake is prepared, was known already in ancient times. In China, from where rice came to Japan, a drink made from rice or, as it is also called, “rice wine,” was already popular in the 8th century BC. It was drunk by noble residents and courtiers led by the emperor. The Japanese transferred this practice to their homeland and improved the technology for producing rice wine, and the drink itself eventually became one of several types of elite alcohol in the world.

The word "sake" has long history, reflecting changes in lifestyle and technology. There are several points of view on the origin of this word, each of which has significant justification. They all boil down to the fact that initially a whole phrase was used to denote the drink, which over time was shortened to one long word, and that, in turn, became so short that it contains only two syllables. Apparently, the word for the drink is quite ancient, and all the transformations to simplify it indicate its frequent use, which indirectly speaks of sake as an important element of Japanese life.

One version says that sake or its pra-drink began to be made in 4800 BC in China, on the Yangtze River. After some time the drink fell on japanese islands, where he took root. The Chinese chronicle of Wei-Zhi of the 3rd century AD tells of the country of Yamatai, in which a certain rice wine is drunk during the funeral ceremony. There is another mention in the chronicle of Nihongi in 720. It says that the subjects of Emperor Shujin worship the god of rice wine, Omiwa no Kami. In the complex hierarchy of Japanese mythological characters, there are several other names associated with “rice wine”. There is quite a bit of information about the history and distribution of sake. However, it is known that sake was prepared not only from rice. In southern Kyushu, for example, sake was made from potatoes, and in Okinawa, from sugar beets. Over time, large long-grain rice of a special variety became the main raw material for sake.

At first, sake was prepared in a not entirely hygienic way - they chewed the rice and spat this mass into a fermentation container. In addition to rice, they chewed acorns, millet and chestnuts. This mixture began to ferment, saliva acting as a catalyst for fermentation and the formation of sugar. This sake was called kuchikami no sake, (literally - sake chewed in the mouth), had a low alcohol content and was consumed as a gruel. This “drink” lasted for several centuries, after which the Japanese developed a special fungus kojikin, which converted rice starch into sugar. In this case, the rice, after exposure to the fungus, became malt, and all that remained was to add yeast shubo so that alcohol begins to be produced. After the discovery of a fungal culture, the process of chewing rice ceased to be a necessary element in making sake, and the noticeably increased “degree” of the drink only spurred the search for new ways to improve its quality. In the Heian era in the 8th-12th centuries, another stage appeared in sake preparation technology, with the help of which the strength of the drink increased even more, and the likelihood of souring decreased. The following centuries were not in vain - during this time, sake brewers learned to control the fermentation process and, in addition, began to use some kind of pasteurization - sour sake was poured into tanks and heated. But the Japanese did not like this method of preserving sake - the quality of the drink deteriorated significantly. And only 500 years later, the Frenchman Louis Pasteur would discover “pasteurization,” which would significantly change the cuisines of many peoples of the earth, not excluding the Japanese.

Sake production peaked during the Edo period (17th to 19th centuries). At this time, a record number of sake breweries appear, located in the prefectures of Kyoto, Osaka and Hyogo. The entire process of procurement and processing of raw materials took considerable time, was labor-intensive and required accuracy and attention. Large, long-grain rice was used to make sake. In order to reveal its properties, rice was polished or peeled, losing from 10 to 50% of its volume. This was followed by washing, soaking and steaming. Part of the rice was selected for fermentation, which must be kept in a warm or even hot place for 35 hours. Of course, sourdough is not complete without the addition of a special fungus-catalyst koji. This culture activates the fermentation process and releases starch from rice, transforming it into sugar, due to which alcohol is produced. The resulting finished starter is mixed with water, steamed rice and yeast and left to ferment. The next stage - fermentation - lasted about 3 months, after which the drink was purified and filtered (and modern conditions also pasteurized).

The strength of the finished sake can be from 7 to 20 degrees and the drink is drunk cold or hot. The color of young sake can be green or have a lemon-greenish tint; the color of aged sake is more saturated and can even be amber. However, the usual color of sake is light tones with yellowish or warm undertones, but not saturated, but rather pastel. Although the production uses two main components - rice and water, the taste of the drink of each sake brewery is unique, and in the country rising sun There are thousands of sake varieties, each of which has its own unique properties and flavors. Elite varieties of sake may have fruity notes in the bouquet. The quality of rice greatly influences the taste of sake. For “proper” rice, the weather must be cool and stable throughout the year without temperature changes or drought. The second and no less important component is water - it should be saturated with magnesium, phosphorus, calcium and potassium and contain almost no manganese and iron.

In modern Japan, there are about 2,000 sake producers, each of whom prepares their own drink or a whole series of varieties. If we divide sake into types, the most popular now is cleared sake. seishu, reminiscent of sherry in taste. This drink is almost colorless and transparent. Old people prefer raw sake nigorizake, with a bitter taste and a yellowish tint. Sake does not like light, which is why it is poured into opaque dishes or aluminum cans. Temperature changes are also harmful to it; after several such fluctuations, sake begins to deteriorate, and its taste loses its original freshness. Sake is rarely aged, or rather, a smaller part of it is used for aging. total number. The Japanese love to drink fresh sake as soon as it has been refined. But the aged drink is also valued for its specific taste and sweet spicy aroma. This is not to say that sake gets better with aging - again, wine standards do not apply here. For example, sake variety koshu aged in cedar barrels for several decades, during which it darkens or turns yellow, and the aroma becomes spicy and sweet. For aging, take sake of average quality, since the delicate bouquet of fresh elite sake will disappear, and the dense and strong aromas of cedar wood will come to the fore.

If we evaluate the “species” differences of modern sake, we can identify several of these main types, each of which has many variations or varieties. Firstly, all sake is divided into 2 main types: futsu-shu- “regular sake” and tokutei meisoshu- “special sake.” Futsu-shu, as the most common sake, is produced in larger quantities than specialty sake. This is an analogue of European ordinary wines. Another thing - tokutei meisoshu. All the skill of the master, all the knowledge accumulated over centuries, is put into this sake. Distinctive feature tokutei meisoshu considered high alcohol content and high quality, as well as many varieties. Honjozo-shu- sake, to which is added small quantity alcohol, which allows new aromas to be revealed during fermentation. This type of sake appeared in Japan in the 60s of the 20th century, and the term itself serves to distinguish high-quality sake with the addition of alcohol during the production process from sake to which alcohol is simply added for volume and strength. Junmai-shu translates as “pure rice wine” and is made only from rice. This distinctive feature varieties - not a drop of alcohol and up to 30% pre-polished rice. IN ginjo-shu there should be at least 50-60% polished rice, and in daiginjo-shu the share of such rice is 50% or less.

Sake differs in production methods. The most common sake Kimoto prepared according to special recipe for 300 years in a row. Carefully verified processes allow us to achieve stable taste and high quality of the drink. To prepare it, the starter is prepared manually - “beaten” to a paste-like state and left to ferment. Yamahai It is prepared a little differently: the starter sours on its own and ferments for a month. At the same time, it is claimed that the aroma of the drink will be richer. Sokujo- modern sake with accelerated process fermentation of sourdough, to which lactic acid is added, while it differs from the first two in a clearer and purer aroma. Namazake- unpasteurized sake, prepared by any of the three methods described above. Genshu- so-called “pure sake” with 18-20% alcohol. Nigorizake- unfiltered sake with slight sediment in a bottle. Before drinking, it is customary to shake it and strain through cheesecloth. Doburoku- homemade sake with whitish sediment. Its main difference is the addition of steamed rice after the first fermentation, which increases the strength of the drink significantly.

Sake loves the dark, so best place for its storage - a cool, ventilated room, isolated from sun rays. Ready and sealed sake in bottles can be stored for several months at room temperature, But open bottle It is better to drink immediately or within 2-3 hours. Of course, sake will “last” in the refrigerator until the morning, but its taste will lose its freshness. That is why there are so many different glass and ceramic tableware for bottling a Japanese drink. Aged sake varieties need to be stored in cooler conditions. Stability of temperature and humidity is important for them. After years of such aging, the color of the drink darkens and becomes saturated, and the taste takes on shades of sherry, which is generally understandable - although the drinks are completely different, in both cases special fungal cultures are included in the preparation process.

It’s not enough to store sake correctly - you also need to drink it correctly. Sake is one of the few drinks that can be drunk both cold and hot. The temperature is usually chosen depending on the situation, but in most cases, sake is drunk warmed up. The temperature of the sake should match the temperature human body, that is 36.6°C. Among professional tasters, the accepted temperature is 20°C. There are those who like to make it hotter or cool it colder - there is no strict restriction here - sake is drunk in complete harmony with oneself, to lift the mood, warm the body and soul. The ritual (there is no other way to call it) of drinking sake includes mandatory elements: small choko cups or larger ones - sakazuki, jug tokkuri, as well as a special masu box made of cypress. This box is a kind of symbol of respect - placed in masu the cup is filled to the brim or to the brim of the box, which is placed in a saucer. By doing this, the pourer shows respect to the guest. Such rituals can be observed in traditional Japanese restaurants, where the owner pours sake in this way for a particularly respected person or simply a welcome guest. Another sign of respect or friendship is drinking from the same cup. This can be a sign of deep respect or trusting friendship. Cocktails based on sake are made: saketini, tamagozake, nogasake And " sake bomb"(sake with beer).

In general, the ritualized nature of drinking sake in some way protects the Japanese from drunkenness. It is simply impossible to drink sake “without ceremony”; this is contrary to its nature and centuries-old traditions. Some types of sake are used in Japanese religious rituals. In our country, Cahors can be considered an analogue of this use, but if Cahors is a symbol of the blood of Christ, then sake has a completely different meaning. It is more of an offering, a gift. A bottle of sake is opened after a victory (for example, in sports), and in World War II kamikazes drank their “last cup of sake,” which was a symbolic farewell. IN New Year's Eve The Japanese love to drink specially prepared sake toso, which is drunk first by the oldest member of the family and passed down by seniority to the youngest, who need to at least wet their lips with it.

The Japanese tradition of drinking sake dates back thousands of years and is becoming increasingly widespread. But few can answer the question of what sake is and how many degrees it contains.

What is sake

Sake is a traditional Japanese low-alcohol drink. All over the world it was believed that it was Japanese. But calling it sake or sake at the same time is incorrect. In Japan, “sake” refers to almost all alcoholic drinks. And sake is more similar in the way it is produced, because it is produced by fermentation rather than distillation.

It is made from refined rice by fermentation. This is a clear drink with a yellowish or greenish tint; when consumed, the taste of herbs, spices and fruits is felt. True professionals distinguish up to 90 flavor shades and aromas that emphasize softness and harmony. The strength of sake allows it to be classified more as vodka than vodka. Production technology involves the use of clean water, rice and yeast.

How many degrees are there in sake?

Depending on the composition and production technology of sake, its degree reaches 20% vol. It turns out average value between beer and . As sake ages, its strength increases. If necessary, it is diluted with spring water to the required 16-20% vol.

Types of Japanese vodka and their features

The taste and quality of Japanese vodka depends on the polishing of rice grains:

Junmai. These are 100% natural products. For its production, rice polished to 70% is used, and various additives in the form of alcohol, water, etc. are excluded. Any alcohol from rice that does not contain different types additional components, bears the prefix “junmai” in its name.
Honjojo. To prepare it, a small dose of alcohol and rice, polished to 70%, are used. When consumed, a soft and light taste is felt.
Ginjo. The technology uses rice, which is polished to 60%, and a special type of floral yeast, fermentative even at low temperatures. The taste sensation is soft, with light floral and fruity aromas.
Daiginjo. Refers to the highest grade sake. Selected rice grains are used, polished to 50%.
Tokutei meiseshu. Alcoholic drinks of all elite types, belonging to the premium class. They account for 25% of all sake produced.
Futsushu. This is the name for all cheap and sour drinks that do not differ in quality from table wine. 75% of all sake produced comes from this type of alcohol, which has no gradations.

How to make sake

If you can find the necessary ingredients, then you can make Japanese sake, despite some difficulties, at home.

To do this you need to prepare:

round rice grains - 800 g;
steamed rice - 187.5 g;
koji rice - 75 g;
yeast - 5 g;
koji-kin seeds (can be purchased in Japanese stores or online).

The first priority is to obtain rice starter, which is necessary for correct process fermentation. Requires 75g koji. You need to steam 400 g of rice and cool it. After scattering it on a flat surface, you need to add koji-kina spores evenly. Leave for 15 hours, but cover with a damp cloth to prevent drying out. Once the process is complete, the rice should smell like cheese.

Cooking the rice will be the next step. You need to boil 187.5 g of rice grains in a double boiler, which, after cooling, must be mixed with water and added yeast and koji rice. The resulting mixture must be stored in the refrigerator for 10 days. At certain intervals the mixture needs to be shaken. The mass can be used as a starter for sake production.

The next stage is the alcohol preparation process itself:

Day one. You need to mix 375 g of rice and 450 ml of water. Add the mixture prepared for the starter and mix. Leave to ferment for 15 hours.
Day two. You need to mix the mass thoroughly.
Day three. Add additional 750g steamed rice grains, 225g koji and 1170ml water and then mix well.
Days four and five. The resulting composition should be thoroughly mixed and then left to go through the fermentation stage.
Day twentieth. Yeast activity is coming to an end, and the degree of the drink can reach up to 18.5% vol.

After completing the entire cycle, the drink should be filtered and poured into a sterile container. To obtain traditional old sake, it is necessary to pasteurize it to avoid re-fermentation and age the liquid for one year. Before pouring sake into small containers, if necessary, it is diluted with purified water to bring the strength to 14-16% vol.

How to drink correctly

Sake in Japan is drunk in different ways - warm, slightly heated, and sometimes cooled with ice cubes. This depends on the ambient temperature, type of drink and personal preference.

Sake is heated in special porcelain jugs - “tokkuri”, which have a narrow neck. Internal volume - 180-360 ml. To warm up a drink at home, you can place the carafe in a container with hot water. Restaurants use special ovens.

Inexperienced consumers who are just getting started with sake are not recommended to learn from expensive and refined varieties of the drink, as they can spoil the taste and wonderful aroma. It is better to gain experience on cheaper types.

After reaching the required temperature, the jug, placed on a “tokkuri hakama” (a special ceramic stand), is served on the table.

The owner himself or the staff pours sake for the guests. By Japanese traditions It is considered indecent to pour alcohol yourself. And one of the guests pours it for the owner. Drink from small cups different forms, but the volume should not exceed 2-3 sips. Most often they are porcelain or ceramic, but can be made of other materials. You need to hold the tokkuri with both hands, this is a sign of respect for the guests. The cup must be held suspended when it is filled.

To drink, raise the cups to eye level and say “Kanpai.” After this, you can touch them and take a small sip; it is not customary to drink in one gulp. Light Japanese seafood dishes are suitable as a snack.

Sake, or as it is also called, Japanese vodka, along with samurai, Fuji, kimono and sakura, has been a constant symbol of Japan for many centuries. The whole point is that this country for a long time was artificially isolated from the rest of the world and developed in its own way, without experiencing foreign influence until the 19th century. This is still not done with Sake in other countries, only by Japanese producers!

Specifics

So, sake - how many degrees does it contain and what type of drink can it be classified as? It is quite difficult to classify sake into any group. Some call the drink rice vodka, as it is made from rice. But mandatory distillation is not carried out. It’s also not correct to call sake wine (we’ll tell you how many degrees: from fifteen to twenty), because the technology for preparing the drink includes mold fermentation. According to European standards, for example, the drink can be attributed, rather, to rice beer, only of increased strength, achieved using special technologies.

A little history

In ancient times, sake was the privilege of the emperor and those close to him. Then it was called the drink of the gods. In its unchanged form, it was preserved, according to the testimony of Japanese archaeologists, for two millennia. So there is something to be proud of! Sake was also used for various rituals. In Japanese mythology, there is even a so-called Rice Warrior (comparable to the European Bacchus). Sake became available for general consumption only in the 18th century. Since then, ordinary peasants began to drink the magic drink of the gods. Sake production enterprises appear. Some of them still exist today, maintaining an almost three-hundred-year tradition of production.

Cooking technology

The process is quite labor-intensive, its recipes have been passed down and preserved for many centuries. For cooking, special sakamai rice is used, which contains a lot of starch. The composition of the water used for the drink is also important.

Soaked, washed, soaked, steamed. Then comes the malting stage (the decomposition of mold fungi in it). Malt is used for sourdough and is used as the main component for mash. Next, mix the ingredients and add clean water. The next phase is the ripening of the mash (usually up to thirty days). In this case, the mash must be cooled to five degrees from time to time. This explains the fact that sake was previously made in winter months. Then the mash is divided into solid and liquid fractions (in ancient times this was done by squeezing out using a weight - special bags with the drink were placed under pressure and the liquid was squeezed into a vat). They say that with this method of production, this type of alcohol acquires additional notes and taste qualities. The solid fraction does not disappear either! It is used to produce shochu, another Japanese type of alcohol. And also for pickling vegetables.

Final stage

This is how young sake is obtained. How many degrees is it? About fifteen. It settles in a special container for about two weeks. In this case, solid suspensions should precipitate, and top part poured into another tank. Then the liquid is further filtered (some manufacturers prefer to omit this process, preferring to preserve the natural taste) - and, in principle, the drink is ready for consumption. But true connoisseurs prefer to drink aged sake. To do this, a pasteurization process is carried out (using a coil with steam, when the liquid is heated to 65 degrees), sealed and kept for six to twelve months.

Japanese sake. How many degrees is in the drink?

During aging, the strength of the drink may increase. Get aged sake. How many degrees is it? Up to twenty, rarely - up to twenty-five. Also low in strength - at least incomparable with Russian vodka or Irish whiskey! But this strength is usually diluted to 16 degrees. Vodka-sake ratio (how many degrees): 40 to 16. So in this regard, calling sake rice vodka is doubtful.

Types of sake

The class of the drink directly depends on the degree of polishing of the rice. The fact is that the shell of the grains contains oils and substances that give the drink an unpleasant aftertaste. The higher the percentage of polished rice used for preparation, the more valued the drink is. Here are some of them:

How to use

They drink sake from special small glasses. They say the drink good quality must be drunk chilled to 5 degrees. Bad sake, the Japanese say, is drunk warm (heated to 60 degrees). Then all unpleasant tastes disappear.