Rice Preparation and Polishing
The first step in brewing sake is to prepare the rice. Special varieties of rice suitable for sake making, are used and milled to varying degrees to remove excess protein from the outer layer, which affects fermentation. Many (some say 100) varieties of rice can be used for Sake production. The most widely used Sake rice include Yamadanishiki, Gohyakumangoku and Miyamanishiki. These are deemed most suitable for making Sake due to the large percentage of starch in their core.
This process is known as “rice polishing” and in general, the more the rice is polished, the better grade and more expensive the sake.
Perhaps the most significant contribution to the style and flavour comes from the aims and techniques of the ‘Toji’, the master brewer.
