Sake, often referred to as Japanese rice wine, is a traditional alcoholic beverage made from fermented rice. It has been a significant part of Japanese culture for over a thousand years, enjoyed in ceremonies, festivals, and daily life.

Production Process:

1. Ingredients:

•Polished rice

•Water

•Koji mold (Aspergillus oryzae)

•Yeast

2. Rice Polishing:

•The rice used for sake is polished to remove the outer layers, which contain proteins and fats that can affect the flavor. The degree of polishing is crucial and determines the sake’s classification.

3. Washing and Soaking:

•The polished rice is washed and soaked to achieve the right moisture content.

4. Steaming:

•The rice is then steamed to make it suitable for fermentation.

5. Koji Making:

•A portion of the steamed rice is inoculated with koji mold and left to develop for about 48 hours. Koji mold breaks down the rice starches into fermentable sugars.

6. Fermentation:

•The koji rice is mixed with additional steamed rice, water, and yeast in a process called shubo or moto to create a yeast starter.

•The main fermentation (moromi) occurs over several weeks, where the mixture is gradually built up by adding more rice, water, and koji in stages.

7. Pressing and Filtration:

•After fermentation, the mixture is pressed to separate the liquid from the solids.

•The sake is then filtered to remove any remaining particles.

8. Pasteurization and Aging:

•Most sake undergoes pasteurization to kill any remaining bacteria and yeast.

•It is then aged for a few months to a year to develop its flavors.

9. Bottling:

•The final product is diluted with water to achieve the desired alcohol content (typically around 15-20% ABV) and bottled.