Beverage

Sake

Sake (nihonshu) is brewed, not merely fermented juice: steamed rice, koji mould, yeast, and water go through multiple parallel fermentation so starch becomes sugar and alcohol in the same tank. Junmai is rice-only; honjozo takes a little distilled alcohol; ginjo and daiginjo are defined by how far the rice is polished and by a cooler, more aromatic ferment. The glass can be crisp and umami, or floral and fruity. Culinary sake seasons nimono, marinades, and steamed fish; supermarket "cooking sake" is often salted so you will not drink it. Warm only the sturdier, less aromatic bottles; a good ginjo is better chilled. For broths and delicate simmering, use a drinking junmai you would put on the table—salted cooking sake will season the pot twice. Sake is not Shaoxing wine, not mirin, and not a neutral vodka substitute. Once opened it fades in days, not weeks.

Also known as: Nihonshu