How is it produced?
Sake is one of the alcoholic drinks, as are wine and beer, which are produced by way of a fermentation process. Fermentation means turning sugar into alcohol with the use of yeast. Sake is made from rice, which doesn't contain sugar, but does contain starch. This starch is turned into sugar under the influence of the so-called 'koji' and the alcohol can be created by adding yeast.
The ingredients for sake are water, rice, yeast and the aforementioned koji. This is steamed rice on which a type of fungus is grown (the Aspergillus Oryzae). This fungus produces enzymes which break down the rice's starch and can thereby produce the necessary sugars. The koji plays an important role in determining the sake's properties. The quality and hardness of the water used also strongly influences the sake's taste. Miyamizu is mostly used, which means 'water from the gods'. This water contains all the required properties to brew the perfect sake. Nowadays the water is often chemically processed to acquire the same properties as Miyamizu. Good sake is produced using special sake rice, which is heavier than ordinary table rice and the core of which is free from fats and proteins. There are various different types of sake rice; every type gives the sake an own, specific taste.
The rice grains will first need to be peeled and polished before sake can be produced. The quality of the eventual sake will increase as more of the rice grains are polished away; rice which has 50% or more of the rice grains polished away is used for the very best sake. The rice is subsequently washed, soaked and steamed. The rice is then mixed with yeast and koji. The entire mixture is left to ferment; more rice, koji and water are added in three different stages. This process takes up four days. The resulting brew is subsequently left to ferment for 18 to 32 days, after which it is pressed, filtered and pasteurised. If alcohol is to be added, then this is done a few hours before pressing. The sake is then left to ripen, which is usually 6 months up to as much as two years. Water is subsequently added to reduce the alcohol percentage from 20% back down around 16%. And finally the sake is pasteurised for the second time and bottled.
