Seimaibuai
(say-my-boo-eye):
The degree to which rice has been polished (milled) before brewing. A
value of 60%, for instance, means that the rice has been milled so only
60% of the rice kernel remains (40% of the kernel has been ground away).
Each saké grade has a specific seimaibuai value. For example, Junmai
saké must be made with a seimaibuai of at least 70% (no more than 70%
of the original size of the rice kernel remains). In general, the higher
the rate of milling, the cleaner, more refined and more fragrant the
flavor of the saké.
Nihonshu-do (knee-hohn-shoo-doe):
The specific gravity of a saké relative to water. A very general scale
of reference to the sweetness or dryness of the saké. The scale
generally runs from –6 to +10 with lower numbers indicating sweetness,
and higher numbers dryness. A value of +2 could be considered neutral,
although this is very subjective.
Acidity:
Makes its presence felt most noticeably at the beginning and end of each
sip, and in between it helps spread across the palate. Saké with higher
acidity often stands up better to oilier foods like tempura or fish (raw
or cooked). Rich-flavored or rather salty dishes may not need all that
acidity, and in fact will work better with a lower-acidity Saké. The
measure of acidity is usually a number between 0.8 to 1.7.
-Shu:
Simply another reading of the character meaning sake (which, in Japan,
can refer to any alcoholic beverage). While this suffix is officially a
part of all terms defining types of sake (e.g. junmai-shu, ginjo-shu),
it is often dropped in abbreviation.
Kanzake:
Heated saké. There are certainly sakes that taste good warmed,
particularly Honjozo. Boiling or overheating saké will usually dull the
aromas and flavors. Unfortunately, heating saké is most often a way to
mask the flavors of a poorly made, low-grade product.
Jizaké:
"Local" saké made by smaller brewers from a particular
region. Similar to the true sense of the beer term
"micro-brew".
Nigori:
Saké which is either partially unfiltered, or clear saké that has had
some of the lees of the fermented rice added back. It ranges from
slightly murky to chunky. While it lacks the refined character of clear
sakés, it does have its own unique charm.
Honjozo:
Saké to which a small and limited amount of distilled alcohol is added
at the end of fermentation, which has the effect of lightening the
flavor and bringing out the aroma. Must have a seimaibuai of at least
70%.
Nama:
Unpasteurized Saké. It must be kept refrigerated to prevent bacterial
spoilage, thus it also tends to be a bit more expensive, and one rarely
sees these in the U.S. The flavors tend to be fresher and more
aggressive than its pasteurized counterpart |
