The Things You Should Know About The Japanese Sake
The Japanese sake is a wine made out of fermented rice. It is called Nihonshu in Japan which means Japanese alcohol. Japanese sake has become increasingly popular together with the other cultures of Japan. This is due to the fact that they have good stories about their history.
You must have a good source of clean water, koji mold, rice and some yeast in order to ferment a good sake. The general alcohol content of Japanese sakes is about 15 percent and sometimes even as high as 17 percent.
There are no clear records as to when the Japanese people started fermenting rice to make sake. But a lot of Japanese people believe that sake was invented during the period when rice agriculture became popular in Japan. There are many other stories about how it came to be.
Back in the 500 B.C. ancient China, the Chinese people chewed up rice and nuts and then spit the contents of their mouths into a giant tub. Then the covered saliva with added ingredients would become a fermented sake in time.
Going back to Japan, during the Nara period in 710-794 koji was discovered. This discovery greatly contributed to how sake is fermented. It only needs to be added in order to ferment the rice. Koji is being used to this date.
The production and manufacture of sake was originally the responsibility of the Japanese government. Soon after, the Japanese temples and shrines started making their own sakes. Then in the late 1800s, everyone was allowed to make sake. This increased the number of people producing and selling sake in Japan. But due to the huge taxes implemented for the production of sake, only a few people succeeded in making a profit from it. Nowadays, homebrewing of sake is illegal without a license. In addition, since Japanese people ate rice each day, they started to add alcohol to their sake.
You can find different types of sake and brands being sold today. It really depends on the type of taste you are aiming for. You can start by tasting the top-ranked sake brands in Japan. You can find many sakes being sold online and at liquor shops.
Do you have any idea whether you can use sake when cooking? Yes, you can use sake for any dishes just like any wine.
Sake is extremely perfect as a drink during appetizer. It can also be paired with other parts of the meal. This is especially applicable in Japan considering that it is a ceremonial or formal drink.
Finally, you pour sake properly from its bottle and directly to a shot glass looking cup. You use both hands to drink it. You can enjoy both hot and cold sake.