The different varieties of rice
When we enter the world of sake and the rice essential for its production, we can broadly divide this rice into 2 categories: sake rice, intended to make sake, and table rice, intended to be eaten.
Some questions then arise spontaneously: can we eat sake rice? Can you still make sake with table rice? How are they fundamentally different?
It is precisely these questions that we are going to answer, and much more!
What is the basic difference between sake rice and table rice?
It is above all a question of grain structure: for the manufacture of sake, you know that we polish the rice grain to remove proteins, vitamins and fat (which tend to produce parasitic tastes) from the layers. superficial and thus update the starch core (called shimpaku in Japanese, literally “the white heart”) which will be used for fermentation.
Well, that's the problem with table rice: unlike sake rice where the starch is concentrated in the center of the grain and the proteins, vitamins and fats on the periphery, in table rice everything is distributed somewhat randomly. throughout the grain. We therefore understand that if the polishing of sake rice makes it possible to eliminate precisely what we do not want in order to keep only what we want, in table rice it is 50-50, and we are never really sure of what we take out and what we keep.
Where does sake rice come from?
Originally, sake rice simply came from a few wild varieties that were used to make sake, since their natural characteristics made them suitable rice. Obviously, we didn't just stop there, and while some natural varieties are still used or have even been resurrected, most varieties of sake rice in use are the result of crossbreeding and genetic engineering in order to to obtain more efficient rice. For example, with a larger starch core, more resistant to polishing, containing less protein, etc.
Can you eat sake rice?
Yes. Is it a good idea ? Not necessarily. Sake rice has unappealing characteristics for tasting: the exterior is harder and the rice is less nutritious. Sake rice is also twice as expensive as table rice, since it is produced in much smaller quantities. Some restaurants (generally specializing in sake) have started to serve it, in onigiri for example, but these are exceptions.
Can you make sake with table rice?
Perfectly. You can even make Daiginjo sake with a seimaibuai of less than 50%! It's all a question of taste and know-how: this is where the experience of the master brewers makes the difference and allows you to obtain good sake from table rice.
What are the most common varieties of rice?
In table rice, we will present 2:
– the omnipresent Koshihikari , developed in Niigata and now cultivated throughout the country, since this rice represents the largest national rice production. With its rich taste and good elasticity, it is a hit on tables. Special mention to the beef, the pairing of the two is absolutely fantastic!
- rice Hitomebore developed in Miyagi Prefecture is a sub-variety of Koshihikari found throughout the country, but especially in the Tohoku region. It has larger grains than Koshihikari and is stickier and lighter, so it easily accompanies all kinds of Japanese dishes.
For sake rice, there are the tried and tested essentials, but regions often want to have their own variety of rice, so we have seen new varieties gaining reputation for some time now. Developing a new variety of sake rice can take decades, so perhaps right now there is a new variety in the works that will take everyone by surprise in a while... There are more than a hundred varieties of sake rice, but we will only present here some of the most used:
Yamada nishiki rice
Created in Hyogo Prefecture in 1923, this rice represents the largest production of sake rice, although it cannot be cultivated on flat land due to the height of its stem and its large grains which make it very vulnerable to wind. With a starch core representing 75% of the grain, very good resistance to polishing and great ease in controlling the development of its flavors during the sake making process, this rice obviously has everything a master brewer asks for. 'a sake rice! We make fragrant Ginjo and Daiginjo sakes, with a fruity, elegant and complex taste.
Gohyakumangoku rice
Second in terms of national production, this rice produced in Niigata and registered under this name in 1957 took around twenty years to find a place, but its characteristics could only appeal to brewers: medium-sized grains with an enormous heart well-centered starch. Gohyakumangoku rice-based sakes are typically light and clean, symbolic of Niigata's "refreshing" style.
Omachi rice
This is a wild variety discovered in 1859 and whose genetic lineage represents 2/3 of sake rice, including Yamada nishiki and Gohyakumangoku. Difficult to cultivate because it is very sensitive to bad weather and wind, it is not really widespread outside its native prefecture of Okayama, which has an ideal climate for growing this strain. A wild variety, this rice has a distinct flavor which shines through beyond the work carried out by the master brewers, something quite rare in the field of sake and which assimilates it to the notion of terroir that we know in wine.
Miyama nishiki rice
The third most used sake rice in Japan today, this variety officially registered in 1978 is distinguished by large grains with an opaque starch core. Mainly grown in Nagano Prefecture, this rice is also very present in the northern regions of Japan due to its resistance to cold. Its early harvest and ability to give the brewer greater taste leeway during the sake-making process make it a highly prized rice. It generally produces well-balanced, light and refreshing sakes.
Koshitanrei rice
The latest addition to Niigata Prefecture, Koshitanrei rice is an example of rice developed by a region to meet a specific need: brewers wanted local rice to brew Ginjo and Daiginjo sake. In fact, the larger the starch core, the more fragile it is and the risk of breaking with polishing greater than 50%. This is one of the weaknesses of the prefecture's Gohyakumangoku rice, and the alternative was therefore the import of Yamada nishiki, a rice that is not very compatible with cultivation in cold regions. Never mind: a crossing of the two varieties in 1989 gave Koshitanrei rice, registered… 18 years later, in 2007!
The result is a high-yielding rice, resisting polishing even better than Yamada nishiki and yielding elegantly fragrant sakes, with a light body and soft texture, producing exotic fruit aromas and rice umami flavors.