How Sake is Made

Sake is a beverage traditionally enjoyed with Japanese cuisine. Though many people enjoy the drink, few know the fastidious process of brewing it. Here is a quick tutorial on how your favorite rice beverage is made.

1. Sourcing

The first step in making sake is sourcing the perfect ingredients. The beverage is made with rice and water, with a bit of help from koji spores and yeast. Koji spores help convert the rice into sugar, which is eaten by the yeast. The yeast, in turn, expels alcohol.

2. Washing

Once the rice is sourced, it is measured and washed. After it is washed, it is soaked to get it ready for steaming. This is typically done by machine processes, but it can also be done by hand if one chooses to do so.

3. Steaming

After the rice is washed and soaked, it is ready to be steamed. Unlike rice you eat for a meal, rice for sake is steamed, not boiled in water. This allows the rice to remain firm on the outside and soft in the center.

4. Cooling

Rice must be cooled once it is removed from the steamer. Refrigerated cooling systems are used during the processing of large amounts of sake. When sake is handmade, the rice is cooled by tossing and kneading it.

5. Koji

Rice is inoculated with koji spores and stored in a temperature- and humidity-controlled special koji muro, a cedar-lined room. A clean environment is crucial to making koji properly.

6. Fermentation

When a batch of koji is ready, it is mixed into a fermentation tank with spring water and yeast. The rice is then added. This process is repeated slowly over four days, filling the tank slowly.

7. Pressing and Racking

The brew, or moromi, is drained into cloth bags and pressed. The sake emerges from the end of the bag and is gathered.

Once all of the steps are complete, the sake is aged, then bottled and delivered to any establishments that carry it. If you would like to try authentic Japanese sake with an amazing meal, visit RuSans today. It goes well with sushi and other meals that are available at the best Japanese seafood restaurant in Kennesaw!

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