Sake
Sake (酒; pronounced "SAH-KEH" in Japanese, but often "SAH-ki" by English speakers) is a Japanese alcoholic beverage, brewed from rice.
In Japan, the word simply means alcoholic beverage, and regionally, it can take on more specific meanings. In Southern Kyushu, sake means potato shochu (imo-jochu), a distilled beverage; and, in Okinawa, it means sugar cane shochu (awamori, literally "bubble top", or kūsū, literally "old beverage").
History
The history of sake can be traced back to the 3rd century in Japan. The first sake was called kuchikami no sake, (口噛み酒) or "chewing-in-the-mouth sake," and was made by an entire village chewing rice, chestnuts, and millet and spitting the mixture into a tub, allowing it to mould. Then the mouldy mixture was combined with freshly cooked grain and allowed to ferment. The resulting fermentation produced a much stronger alcohol content than simple fermentation, as higher levels of starch digesting enzymes (especially amylase) in the mould allowed more sugars to be available to the yeast (This method was used also by American Natives; see cauim). Chinese millet wine, xǐao mǐ jǐu (小米酒), made the same way, is mentioned in inscriptions from the 14th century BC as being offered to the gods in religious rituals. Later, from approximately the 8th century BC, rice wine, mǐ jǐu (米酒) with a formula almost exactly like that of the later Japanese sake, became popular in China.
Centuries later, chewing was rendered unnecessary by the discovery of koji (麹; Aspergillus oryzae), a yeast whose enzymes convert the starch in the rice to sugar. This development greatly increased the sake's alcohol content. World War II also altered the recipe, when rice shortages forced brewers to develop new ways to increase their yields. By government decree, pure alcohol and glucose were added to small quantities of rice mash, increasing the yield by as much as four times. 95% of today's sake is made using this technique, left over from the war years, though connoisseurs say that the best sake is still made with just rice, koji, and water.
Varieties
There are four basic types of sake, created by slightly varying the brewing method.
- junmai-shu, (純米酒 literally "pure rice wine") made from rice only, with no alcohol added
- honjozo-shu, with a slight amount of distilled alcohol added
- ginjo-shu, (吟醸酒) from highly milled rice; alcohol may or may not be added
- daiginjo-shu, (大吟醸酒) from even more highly milled rice; again alcohol may or may not be added
Sake that has not been pasteurized is referred to as namazake or kizake(生酒), and may be made with any of the above methods.
Serving sake
In Japan sake is served cold, warm or hot, depending on the preference of the drinker, the quality of the sake and the season. Typically, hot sake is consumed in winter and cold sake is consumed in summer. It is said that the alcohol in warm or hot sake is absorbed by the body more quickly, so drinking sake warm was popular during and after World War II to mask the roughness of the flavor due to difficulty of obtaining ingredients. Sake is one of the few alcoholic beverages that is regularly consumed hot.
The most common way to serve sake in the United States is to heat it to body temperature (100°F/40°C), but professional sake tasters prefer room temperature, and chilled sake (50°F/10°C) is growing in popularity.
Sake is served in shallow cups, called choko. Usually sake is poured into the choko from ceramic flasks called tokkuri. Other, more ceremonial cups, used most commonly at weddings and other special occasions, are called sakazaki. Drinking from someone else's sake cup is considered a sign of friendship, or to honour someone of lower status.
As with other alcohol in Japan, sake is poured with the palm of the hand facing down and the back of the hand facing up, particularly when it is poured for another person. Pouring with the palm of the hand facing up is considered rude and is likely to elicit surprise and disapproval.
Ritual uses
Sake is often drunk as part of Shinto purification rituals (compare with the use of red wine in the Christian Eucharist). During World War II, Kamikaze pilots drank sake prior to carrying out their missions. Today barrels of sake are broken open during Shinto festivals and ceremonies or following sports victories. These sake are served freely to all to spread good fortunes and called iwai-zake, literally "celebration sake". Sake is also served during the light meal eaten during some tea ceremonies.
See also
- Shochu (a distilled beverage, distinct from sake)