Sake lore

Sake is deeply ingrained into the annals of Japanese history but its humble beginnings were the result of some rather grotesque fermentation methods.

The story of sake can be divided into two parts. If we consider sake to be fermented rice (and many a connoisseur will argue that the finest sake is that and nothing more) then we must begin its history with a rather unsavory anecdote. In days gone by, in Japan, rice was partly chewed, then spat out and allowed to rest for some time. The result was a kind of alcoholic snack called kuchikami no sake. The procedure was an early Shinto ritual. Even given the fact that, in some shrines, only virgin girls were allowed to do the chewing, this may not be the most aesthetic bit of gastronomic lore, but understanding why it works is the key to the story of Japan’s unique libation.

Rice is simply the seeds of certain species of grass. When plants make seeds, they generally store in them enough nutrients to give the embryo a head start in life. What plants need to grow is sugar, but in most seeds, sugar molecules are chained together to form the long molecules we call starch. Because humans use sugar for energy too, our saliva contains chemicals (enzymes) that break apart those chains, making them into sugar again.

Now we come to the lucky coincidence. Yeasts like sugar, too. When the chewed rice was resting, yeast in the air would find this little bonanza of free converted sugar, begin to consume it and multiply. When yeast eats sugar, it leaves behind alcohol and carbon-dioxide. How that equation fits into the greater scheme of things, I have no idea, but I, for one, am grateful.
The first part of sake’s history, then, is the discovery that made it possible to reproduce this process on a larger scale, and fortunately, without the spit.

What brought sake into the secular world was a fungus. Its botanical name is Aspergillus Oryaze, and it is one of the most common micro-organisms on this planet. It will grow on cooked rice, and when allowed to do so, it releases enzymes that break down starch into sugars. During the Nara Period, in the eighth century, a brewing department was created within the Imperial Palace to provide the royal family with sake.
It would be Japan’s next eras, the Heian and Fujiwara Periods, which lasted from the early eighth to the late 12th century when sake would find its place from the highest to the lowest social ranks.

During the Heian Period there were around 180 breweries in Kyoto, the capital city, and with diversity came both competition and variety. What the peasantry consumed was still a kind of alcoholic rice mash. Its legacy can still be found in a modern-day variety called nigarizake whose consistency may range from that of a milky liquid to chunks large enough to eat with a fork. The samurai and imperial family could compare brews of different sweetness, acidity, strength, and color. There were at least 15 different kinds of sake being used for seasonal festival, ceremonies, and religious rites.

When power shifted again, at the end of the 12th century, into the hands of the samurai, the homes of the brewing industry shifted as well. Many temples had an adequate supply of rice, cheap labor from their population of monks, and a certain degree of protection. What became more crucial than ever, was the quality of the water being used to produce the sake. All of these elements came together in the city of Fushimi, which became a major brewing center in the Kamakura Period and remains so even today. A tour of the Gekkeikan Brewery there reveals the inventions it has contributed over the centuries.

Around the turn of the 17th century, two developments brought the process of making sake into its modern form. The first was the discovery that heating the sake briefly in the final stages of production made it retain its clarity and flavor longer. The other was that polishing away the outer portion of the rice grains had an effect on the quality of finished product. From then till now, sake brewers have followed the three stage practice of polishing rice, adding Aspergillus mold to turn it into sugar, then adding yeast and water to make it into sake which is then pasteurized before bottling.

This is where the second part of the story begins. In 1871 the emperor did away with licensing and allowed anyone with the requisite knowledge and wherewithal to brew sake for commercial distribution. Thousands of breweries sprang up, nearly overnight. Since then many, more or less minor, changes have been made to the brewing process. Just how important some of these have been depends on whose palate you are relying on. Others, however, have made the difference between ordinary table sake and award-winning beverages.

Until around the 20th century, sake was brewed in open tanks and natural yeasts were relied on for fermentation. A sake research institute was established in 1904, and as the action of yeasts became better understood, the institute bred and maintained standard samples that it makes available to brewers nationwide. At the same time, some brewers bred their own strains which contribute inimitable flavors and aromas to their products.

It was also discovered that the addition of the yeast-friendly chemical, lactic acid, at the beginning of the fermentation phase could speed up the process by protecting the fragile yeast from other micro-organisms that are present in abundance and compete with the yeast at that stage. You can still find some varieties for which fermentation has been carried out in the traditional manner, but most modern brewers prefer the faster method.

During the Second World War, rice was strictly rationed and methods of sake production were introduced that reduced the amount of rice needed for a given yield of sake. These involved the addition of other chemicals. One extreme was ‘chemical sake’ that employed no rice at all!

One of the most recent changes to the profile of the sake market in Japan has come about due to a change in consumer preference. Recently, sales of sake have seen a rapid decline, largely from competition from wines, beers, and whiskeys. It has long been known that an extra polishing of the rice will balance the proportions of starch and the proteins, minerals, and fats in the outer part of the rice grain. Along with meticulous care in selection of the Aspergillus fungus, yeast, and in every stage of production, this can produce a sake with refined elegance. Such artisanal sake, however, was not considered economically viable, and until about 60 years ago, it was difficult to find. Sales figures now show that the modern sake drinker is becoming more sophisticated. While sales of sake in general are still headed downward, the market for finely crafted sake is expanding. The shelves of Japanese liquor stores now hold a wide variety of painstakingly produced sensual experiences waiting to be discovered.

Text & photos: Alan Wiren