Hello, everyone.
I am Miyu Matsuzaki, 2021 Miss SAKE.
I have been working on a blog series: A Guide to Japanese Sake: Miss SAKE. You can see other learning materials on sake from the link that follows: https://www.misssake.org/a-guide-to-japanese-sake-miss-sake/
Premium Sake 1
I often hear the concern about sake saying, “I don’t know which sake is the best choice since there are too many kinds of sake.” I was also one of them when I first started learning sake.
To help guide such a person in choosing a sake of their taste, I firstly look at the styles of sake from premium to non-premium sake. By understanding the styles, you can choose a kind of sake that suits your taste!
There are two main categories of Sake.
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- Junmai style sake
- Ginjo and daiginjo style sake
The very first article will be dedicated to the former category, focusing on its ingredients.
WHAT IS SAKE MADE OF?: 【Ingredients】Junmai Style Sake
Some simple kinds of sake are primarily made of rice, water, and Koji rice (malted rice). This can be classified as premium sake; namely, Junmai style, meaning “pure rice”. As its name suggests pure rice, you can enjoy the rich flavor of rice. This is shown at the top of the diagram.
Other normal sake varieties are made with brewed alcohol, for three reasons:
(1) to bring out a fruity aroma
(2) to facilitate fermentation and manufacture a large volume
(3) to balance flavor, for example, dry and light sake.
These sakes are shown in the lower level of the diagram.
Please compare and see what kind of type suits your taste!
In the next article, I will have a closer look at Ginjo style sake!
2021 Miss SAKE
Miyu Matsuzaki
