Sake (sah- keh) is a Japanese alcoholic beverage made from rice. Its history is very long, dating back to the 3rd century A.D. when literature recorded the manner and custom of taking Sake. It was approximately in the 3rd century B.C. when a method of rice planting was introduced to Japan. It is believed that Sake making in Japan started around the same time.

The Japanese Liquor Law defines Sake as, "made from rice, rice koji and water using fermentation and filtration processes". This is a definition in principle and refers to the traditional type of Sake peculiar to Japan.

All Sake can be divided into two groups: that with added alcohol, and that made with rice only.

Sake with added alcohol, have four groups, the first and largest of which is cheap Sake, in which lots of alcohol is added to increase yields. The other three groups of alcohol-added Sake are premium Sake (Honjozo, Ginjo-Sake and Dai-Ginjo-Sake), which have but a small amount of alcohol added. The difference between these three is how much the rice has been milled before brewing.

Sake made with only rice, there are three groups: Junmai-Sake, Junmai-Ginjo, and Junmai-Dai-Ginjo. The difference between these three is, again, how much the rice has been milled before brewing.

sake

a few types of sake

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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