It’s made primarily from rice and water interacting with microbes known as koji and sake yeast.

More precisely, only highly polished rice is used. The use of highly polished rice has a significant effect on the quality of the sake.

Japanese rice can be roughly classified into two varieties. The first, the ordinary table rice commonly used for eating, encompasses a number of sub-varieties, depending on the manner of cultivation and the region in whichit is grown. The second variety, Sakamai, is used exclusively for sake production.

Ordinary table rice can also be used to make sake, but, in general, sake made from Sakamai has a higher reputation for quality.

Sakamai not only features larger, softer grains than ordinary table rice, but it’s also more expensive, since it grows only in certain areas and requires more complex cultivation techniques.

Yes, the water quality is extremely important, because the mineral content of the water affects the taste of sake.

Semi-hard water is most suitable for sake production due to its lower iron and manganese content.

Japan has a large amount of precipitation (approximately 1,500 mm/year) and ample high-quality ground water throughout the country. As a result, excellent sake can be produced in nearly every region.

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