根知男山　酒蔵の日記

November 26. 2011 Saturday

Sake is mysterious alcoholic beverage from the country

of rice, Japan ---a place familiar because of its industrial

products but less so products based on its culture. Sake

was introduced to foreigners when Japan opened up to

Western civilization in the late 19th century. Sake practically

became a more familiar alcoholic beverage along with

Japanese food for ordinary foreigers after World War II in

1945. Nowadays Japanese food is being integrated into

Western diets for its exotic taste and healthy nature.

Sake is a must for authenticity of Japanese "food culture"

all over the would.

Sake is a naturally brewed alcoholic beverage like beer

or wine but is made from rice. Sake is often called rice

wine because of its similarity to wine in terms of

appearance and character. Its origins go back thousands

of years. Sake has undergone many innovations and the

current style of sake brewing started around a thousand

years ago. This brewing process is unique because rice

must be converted to fermentable sugar, which can be

fermented by yeast. While beer goes through two

separate processes, sake undergoes one combined

process for rice starch conversion and fermentation at

the same time. The unique simultaneous process results

in one of the highest alcohol contents for naturally brewed

alcoholic beverages.

Sake has a well-balanced sweet and complex taste

while beer and wine have strong, representative profiles

such as bitterness and fruity flavor-acid taste, respectively.

Sake can be consumed warm or cold and straight, or with

diversified foods because of its character. This is how sake

has contributed to the delicate Japanese food culture that

has been nurtured in an affluent nature with four distinct

seasons and by people with sophisticated taste buds.

November 19, 2011 Saturday

"Clean-smooth- gracious" Niigata Sake

A majority of sake tasted sweet until

about thirty years ago. It was so-

called rich-bodied, thick sake giving

great satisfaction to sake drinkers at

that time. As dietary life has become

affluent and diversified, however,

people tend to choose sake for pairing

with food. In order to cope with the

change in consumer taste, the Niigata

sake industry tried to identify new

sake characteristics. It has found that

sake with a clean aftertaste, so-called

" 'clean-smooth-gracious' Sake"

synergistically enhances the savory

taste of food in pairing. It has also

learned that climate, rice and water

in Niigata perfect brewing such a sake.

It has concluded that sake brewed

with favorable condition such as a

winter climate, a major sake rice vari-

ety like "Gohyakumangoku" and soft

water has an objective, "clean-

smooth-gracious" taste. Thus Niigata

sake is characterized by "clean-

smooth-gracious" taste, and without

any foreign, objectionable off-taste. It

was the birth of Niigata sake. Niigata

sake has become available in domes-

tic and overseas markets, and is

appreciated by sake lovers.

November 18, 2011 Friday

Soft Water in Niigata

Water dissolves various substances. Water can be classified

by the degree of hardness that is measured by the amount of

minerals dissolved, particulary calcium and magnesium. Water

with a higher hardness degree or higher mineral content is

called hard water while water with a lower hardness or lower

mineral content is soft water. Minerals in water exist as ions

like calcium ions or magnesium ions through electrolytic

dissociation.

Rain or snow is the downfall cluster of evaporated moisture

from the ground, which contains nothing but water (H2O) in

the begining. Rain and snow once fallen on or underground

dissolves various substances. When abundant amounts of

calcium or magnesium are present in some stratum or

ground layer, rain or melted snow water dissolves minerals

in passing through such a place or staying in such a place.

For example, river water or groundwater in limestone stratum

becomes hard water since limestone stratum contains plenty

of calcium. On the other hand, brook water or spring water

near the top of hills may be low in minerals. Since some

calcium or magnesium exists in most stratum, underground

water contains ions of calcium and magnesium to some

extent. The longer underground water stays or flows, the

higher its degree of hardness becomes. Most regions in

Japan have relatively high rainfall but most water does not

stay long in a river or on the ground due to short river lengths

and steep grades. There is high rainfall in areas along the

Sea of Japan like Niigata, river or groundwater in this area

tends to have a low hardness. Niigata does not have much

stratum with high calcium or magnesium except for limited

areas. Since river or underground water has low ion content

of calcium or magnesium, which constitutes soft water.

15 November 2011 Tuesday

Sake rice variety "Koshitanrei"

It was successfully cross-bred variety between "yamadanishiki"

(female) and "Gohyakumangoku" (male) in cooperation with the

Niigata Prefecture Agriculture Research Institute, the Niigata

Prefectural Sake Research Institute and the Niigata Sake Brewers

Association through a 15-year breeding project. It was named

by then Niigata Prefecture Gov. Ikuo Hirayama in 2004. It has

met the objectives of developing a drastic, new variety suitable

for growing in Niigata and readily brewing a specific class sake,

"Daiginjo." It has also satisfied other objectives for further

expanding demand for Niigata sake rice with 100 percent use

of Niigata sake rice and stabilizing the solid foundation of the

Niigata sake heartland.

Use of this new variety started in the 2006 sake brewing

season. This sake rice variety has characteristics of less

kernel crack-down in polishing, good steamed rice preperation

due to higher water absorption, anticipated good dissolving

in fermentation-mashing, clean aftertaste due to less protein

content, and producing an entirely rich-bodied sake taste.

A test brew with this variety was well appreciated for

representing the characters of "clean aftertaste" of

"Gohyakumangoku" and "rich body" of "Yamadanishiki."

Thus diversification of Niigata sake is anticipated through

the availability of this variety. The Niigata Sake Brewers

Association proudly presents this sake rice variety as

a premium sake rice along with "Gohyakumangoku."

14 November 2011 Monday

Sake rice variety "Gohyakumangoku"

This variety was developed at the Niigata Agriculture Research Institute

in 1957. It is one of the sake rice varieties representing Niigata today.

It was named after a bumper crop of more than 5 million "Koku" ( a

Japanese volume unit, equivalent to 180 liters ) in that year. It was

disignated as a premium variety to encourage it to be grown and brewed

in 1973. This variety has unique, superior characteristics such as easy

"Koji" preparing and adequate dissolving in the fermenting-mash, or

"Moromi." It yields sake with a not heavy, refreshing, clean and

smooth character, and a mellow taste even in dry sake.

Since 1975, a table rice variety "Koshihikari" has gained great popularity

among consumers as well as its farmers. As a result, farmers have lost

interest in a premium sake rice variety "Gohyakumangoku," causing

concerns in the sake industry over stable supplies of sake rice. Then

the Niigata Sake Brewers Association tried to assure sake rice supply

by agglomerating farmlands or providing subsidies secure supplies in

cooperation with the National Federation of Agricultural Cooperative

Associations. This variety is ranked the No.1 sake rice with more than

90 percent of sake rice planting in Niigata. It is also grown in other

areas such as Fukui, Toyama, Hyogo and Ishikawa prefectures,

representing the major sake rice along with another sake rice variety,

"Yamadanishiki."

14 November 2011 Monday

Niigata is famous nationwide for tasty table rice and is the land for

growing sake rice as well because environmental conditions are

favorable for farming rice for both uses. The Niigata Agriculture

Research Institute and the Niigata Prefectural Sake Research

Institute have been intensively working together to develop new sake

rice varieties since before World War II, yielding dozens of good new

varieties.

12,11,2011 Saturday

There are approximately 300 rice varieties cultivated throughout

Japan. Sake is made mostly from such domestic rice. Brown rice,

which is called "Sake Brewing Suitable Rice" or simply "Sake Rice,"

according to the Japanese Agriculture Commodity Standard, has

characteristics to suit sake brewing. Most sake rice has a larger

grain size than table rice, with a 1000-grain weight of more than 26

grams and a milky, non-transparent grain central portion of starch.

Sake rice is suitable for sake brewing because it is easier to prepare

the saccharification enzyme "Koji," dissolve in fermenting-mash and

achieve wellbalanced fermenting.

"Gohyakumangoku" and "Yamadanishiki" are among sake rice

varieties. In addition to the current ones, new varieties have been

developed or old sake rice varieties have been resumed. It can be

said the more sake rice varieties, the more diversfied sake taste.

Sake rice is farmed and supplied separately from table rice. Sake

brown rice is graded into five classes such as "Super Superior,"

"Superior," "The First Grade," The Second Grade," and "The Third

Grade." Inspection for grading sake rice is much stricter than for

table rice. For example, the "Third Grade" of sake rice is equivalent

to the "First Grade" of table rice. Accoding to the Standards for

Brewing Quality & Labeling, only brown rice with grades higher than

The Third Grade by the Agricutural Commodity Testing is used for

sake brewing.

　１１月８日火曜日午前

　　「TPP」って何だ、って感じですが、かなり重要で深刻な問題です。農業分野が

　注目されがちですが、医療や保険そして公共事業などでも随分影響がありそう

　です。

　　様々なメディアで報道が成されていますが、実のところ日本の国のためになるの

　かどうかわかりづらいのが本当です。

　　しかし、野田総理大臣が前向きのようですから、やりたいんでしょうね、政府は。

　私もずーっと関心を持って観て来ましたが、どうやらこの協定交渉には参加しない

　方がいいようです。

　　自由貿易体制を更に進めることに、日本全体としての国益はないように思います。

　加工品を輸出して、その外貨で原材料や食糧・エネルギーを輸入するというこの国

　の生き方・枠組みは、非常に高度に慎重に迅速に変えていかなければならない時

　期を迎えました。

　　私は農業分野で生きていますし、その窓から世の中を見ていますが、農業分野は

　農地や農家、その生産活動そのものが「公共財」だと思います。政府や経済界の

　人たちにはそうした見識がないので、この問題の論点をきちんと整理できないので

　しょう。

　　もっと勉強して下さい。東京のど真ん中の机の上で考えていても、現実は見えて

　来ません。最適な政治判断が成されることを祈ります。

　１０月２８日金曜日午後

1.Crispy Clean Underground Water

Since water composes more than 80 percent of sake, it is another

critical ingredient affecting sake quality. It is often said that different

water sources create the distinctive tastes at different sake breweries.

Hardness is an indicator of water quality. Hard water contains more

minerals, whereas soft water has less. Snow is a major source of

water, penetrating into the ground when melted and flowing underground

or in rivers like the Shinano. Almost all of the water sources are soft

water in Niigata, which is used mostly in sake brewing here. This

water is also used for occasionally conditioning alcohol contents.

2.Keen Interest in Brewing Water at Sake Breweries

Almost all sake breweries have their own water source such as a

well or spring. Needless to say, the quality as well as the quantity

of the water is a keen concern at each brewery. To make one portion

of sake requires approximately 30 to 40 times the amount of water.

A good water supply must be secured. Accordingly, every sake

brewery has taken every measure for maintaining good water

quality through the protection of water sources or environmental

conservation. At a 1993 general assembly meeting, the Niigata

Sake Brewers Association adopted a resolution called the

"Conservation of Sake Brewing Environment." The association

has showed keen interest in natural and water resource preservation

as a contribution to society as well as for its brewing water

needs. The Niigata Sake Study League, a group of sake brewing

technologists, also started a special water R&D project the same

year. The Niigata sake industry per se has paid serious attention

to water-resource preservation and water-quality improvement.

　１０月２６日水曜日午後

1.Sake Rice

A major ingredient of sake brewing is "Sake Brewing Suitable Rice"

or simply "Sake Rice." It is a different kind of rice from table rice.

There are many varieties of sake rice grown all around the country.

Niigata sake is mostly brewed from rice grown in its own region.

Much R&D effort, mostly under the auspices of the Niigata

Agricultural Research Institute and the Niigata Prefectural Sake

Research Institute, has been going into the development of new

varieties. Sake rice varieties like "Gohyakumangoku" or

"Koshitanrei" are among results of the projects.

2.Lushly Polished Rice

Sake rice is generally larger in grain size than table rice, with a

milky, white central portion of starch. All rice is polished or milled

before use. Only the surface layer is polished in table rice while

sake rice is polished to remove all substances like protein, which

may bring about a foreign, objectionable taste. Generally speaking,

a lower yield of polishing results in a higher quality of sake. The

averege yield of polishing, defined as "Polishing Ratio," of Niigata

sake rice is 59 percent, which was lower than the national average

in 2007. Thus lushly polished rice ensures the high quality of

Niigata sake.