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Sakura Town offers a wide variety of premium sake, low alcohol sake, sparkling sake, and pesticide-free sake, and we ship worldwide.
Last Article
In the last issue, we introduced you to the sake ware that is indispensable for sake.
All of our sake ware is made of Shigaraki-ware. The traditional way of making and the beautiful design woven by nature will enhance the taste of sake even more.
Please do not forget to check this article if you are interested.
Today's Topic
As the title says, you all know what sake is made of, right? That's right, rice. However, did you know that there is actually a type of rice that is used only to make sake, not the rice that Japanese people usually eat for meals?
In the center of rice, there is a white, round portion called the shin-paku. The larger this portion is, the easier to make the sake is said to be, because the portion other than the shin-paku portion contains a lot of fat and protein, which is generally considered to be the "off-flavor" of sake. Rice grown for sake production, known as sake rice, has a larger shin-paku(called "Shuzo-Kotekimai in Japanese") than normal rice, which means that the rice does not need to be unnecessarily polished when sake is made.
There is a wide variety of sake rice. In this topic, we will focus on the characteristics of rice suitable for sake brewing, which vary by prefecture.
Yamadanishiki
Main growing area: Hyogo Prefecture
Even those who are not familiar with sake have probably heard of this variety at least once. The shin-paku is linear and rather small, allowing for a higher polishing rate and lower protein content, making it an easy variety for brewers to produce.
Furthermore, the rice is soft, making it easy to produce high-quality koji rice. The resulting sake is a brand that tends to have a firm-bodied flavor and aroma.
”No Nature No Life” sold in Sakura Town is made with Yamada Nishiki.
Gohyakumangoku
Main growing area：Niigata Prefecture
Gohyakumangoku is a small-grained variety with a large shin-paku. Compared to Yamada-Nishiki, Gohyakumangoku is harder and less soluble, but it is also easier to make koji and easier to polish due to its high water absorbency, which are advantageous characteristics for sake brewing. It tends to produce sake that is light and has a beautiful flavor.
Miyamanishiki
Main growing area：Nagano Prefecture
Miyamanishiki rice is resistant to cold and is often grown in the Tohoku region as well as Nagano Prefecture. Sake made with Miyamanishiki rice can be described in one word: simple and pure sake. The sake has refreshing taste, with a light and delicate flavor.
Omachi
Main growing area: Okayama Prefecture
Omachi rice is tall (160 cm or more), making it susceptible to fall over, and it is also delicate and easily affected by bad weather and pests. It is also delicate and susceptible to bad weather and pests. Although the rice grains are large, the shin-paku tends to be uneven, and careful management of water and fertilizers is essential. Sake made from Omachi is characterized by a full, round body with a strong umami flavor. It is also heavy on the palate, but has a nice crispness due to its firm acidity.
Finally
There are many factors to consider when making sake, such as the selection of rice, polishing ratio, and type of water.
The taste of sake can be completely different depending on one thing or another.
It would be interesting to find out what kind of rice is used when drinking sake.
See you again in the next blog!
