Sake (Nihonshu)

A sweet alcoholic condiment (about 14% ABV) made from glutinous rice, rice koji, and shochu/distilled alcohol, saccharified and aged for about 60 days. Widely used as a seasoning in Japanese cuisine.

An unrefined, milky-white rice brew made without the pressing (filtration) step. Unlike clear sake, the entire mash (moromi) is consumed as-is.

A sweet drink made by mixing rice koji with rice (or rice porridge) and keeping it warm at 55-60°C for 8-10 hours to saccharify starch with koji enzymes. So nutritious it is called 'drinkable IV drip.' Contains no alcohol.

Steamed rice cultivated with koji mold (Aspergillus oryzae). The starting point for almost all Japanese fermented foods: sake, miso, soy sauce, vinegar, mirin, amazake, and more. Truly the 'mother of Japanese fermentation culture.'

The white solid remaining after pressing sake mash. Widely used in cooking (kasujiru soup, kasuzuke pickles), as amazake base, and in cosmetics. A nutritious food containing resistant protein (hard-to-digest protein).

An acidic seasoning made by first fermenting raw materials (rice, fruits, etc.) into alcohol, then converting to acetic acid through acetic acid bacteria. Includes rice vinegar, black vinegar, fruit vinegars, and more.

A Japanese distilled spirit made from rice, barley, sweet potato, brown sugar, or other ingredients, saccharified with koji mold before distillation. Typically 25-35% ABV.

Shochu distilled from re-fermented sake lees (kasu). Characterized by the elegant ginjo aroma inherited from sake lees, often produced by sake breweries as a byproduct.

Pickles made by repeatedly re-packing vegetables (white melon, cucumber, etc.) in fresh sake lees over extended fermentation and aging. Characterized by an amber color and distinctive rich flavor, containing alcohol.

Yeast-fermented bread arrived from Portugal in the 16th century. It evolved uniquely in Japan, producing unparalleled variety: shokupan (milk bread), anpan (red bean), curry bread, melon bread, and more. Natural yeast and sake-seed bread are also popular.

A Japanese distilled spirit made from rice, barley, sweet potato, brown sugar, or other ingredients, saccharified with koji mold before distillation. Typically 25-35% ABV.

A sweet alcoholic condiment (about 14% ABV) made from glutinous rice, rice koji, and shochu/distilled alcohol, saccharified and aged for about 60 days. Widely used as a seasoning in Japanese cuisine.

An unrefined, milky-white rice brew made without the pressing (filtration) step. Unlike clear sake, the entire mash (moromi) is consumed as-is.

Japanese craft beer spread nationwide following the 1994 liquor tax law revision that lowered minimum brewing volume requirements. Many unique brands use distinctively Japanese adjuncts such as yuzu, sansho pepper, and wasabi.

A fruit liqueur made by steeping green plums (ume) in shochu or white liquor with rock sugar, aged for several months to over a year. Characterized by refreshing acidity from citric acid and sweetness.

Japan's oldest distilled spirit, made in Okinawa. Brewed using Thai rice and black koji mold through all-koji fermentation, then pot-distilled. Aged 3+ years, it is called 'kusu' (aged awamori).