Guide 2: What Is Sake Made From, and How Is It Brewed?
Sake—especially those labeled Junmai-shu (pure rice sake)—is created from very simple ingredients.
The basic components are just rice, water, rice koji, and yeast. With so few ingredients, it’s amazing how they produce such an endless variety of flavors.
Note: For sake other than Junmai-shu, the use of brewer’s alcohol and certain additives is permitted.
< Main Ingredients of Sake >
Rice
Although it looks similar to table rice, sake is often made from a special type called shuzo kotekimai (sake-brewing rice). The grains are larger, with a pure starch core, making them ideal for fermentation.
Water
About 80% of sake is water. The quality of the water greatly influences the taste. Mineral-rich hard water produces crisp, sharp sake, while soft water gives a rounder, mellower flavor.
Rice Koji
This is steamed rice inoculated with koji mold. Koji transforms starch into sugar—a kind of magic—which then becomes the food source for yeast to create alcohol.
Yeast
Yeast converts sugar into alcohol and aroma. Fruity fragrances and gentle umami flavors are born from the hard work of these tiny microorganisms.
< How Sake Is Brewed (Simple Overview) >
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Polish the rice (to remove the outer layers), wash it thoroughly, and steam it.
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Turn a portion into rice koji, then mix it with the rest of the rice and water to start the mash.
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Add yeast, which converts the sugars into alcohol.
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When fermentation is complete, press the mash—the clear liquid that emerges is sake.
< Why Is Sake So Deep and Complex? >
The ingredients are simple, but the result varies greatly depending on factors such as polishing ratio, type of water, choice of koji and yeast, and careful control of fermentation temperature and time.
That’s why from the same “rice,” brewers can create fruity and aromatic sake, crisp and dry sake, or mellow and sweet sake—each with its own personality.
< Conclusion >
Sake is a miraculous drink born from nothing more than “rice and water.”
With the harmony of human wisdom and nature’s power, it becomes a beverage Japan proudly shares with the world.
In the next episode, we’ll explore: What does “seimai buai” (rice polishing ratio) mean?
