Sake

Sake is a Japanese alcoholic beverage made by fermenting rice with koji mold and yeast. Unlike beer, it converts starch into fermentable sugar during fermentation rather than in a separate malting stage.

Koji: Koji is grain or beans inoculated with Aspergillus mold, whose enzymes break down starches and proteins. Koji supplies the enzymes that turn sake rice starch into fermentable sugars.
Sakamai: Sakamai is rice cultivated or selected for sake brewing, often with large kernels and a central starch core. Brewing rice can be polished deeply while retaining a starch-rich center.
Junmai: Junmai is a sake category made without added distilled alcohol. It identifies sake brewed without the alcohol addition used in some other styles.
Beer: Beer is an alcoholic beverage made by fermenting sugars extracted from malted cereal grains, usually with hops. Beer typically converts starch before fermentation, unlike sake’s simultaneous conversion and fermentation.
Aspergillus oryzae: Aspergillus oryzae is a mold cultivated to produce enzymes used in Japanese food fermentation. This mold grows on rice to make the koji used in sake brewing.
Rice polishing: Rice polishing removes the outer layers of rice grains to expose their starchy cores. The amount removed helps define sake grades and influences flavor.
Ginjo: Ginjo is a premium sake category made with highly polished rice and low-temperature fermentation. Its production rules often yield fragrant, delicate sake styles.
Wine: Wine is an alcoholic beverage produced by fermenting the sugars naturally present in grapes or other fruit. Wine ferments fruit sugars directly, while sake relies on koji to release sugars from rice starch.
Parallel fermentation: Parallel fermentation is the simultaneous conversion of starch into sugar and sugar into alcohol. Sake’s mash performs saccharification and alcohol fermentation at the same time.
Sake brewing water: Sake brewing water is the water used to wash, soak, steam, and ferment rice. Its mineral composition affects yeast activity and the character of the brew.

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