by
Satake
Our agriculture started with sake brewing. People offered harvested rice, sake and rice cake to the gods
Sake is part of everyday living and its development covers a long historical journey. Here we introduce the history of sake brewing, the people who contributed to rice milling and sake brewing technology, and modern sake brewing technology.
Start of rice cultivation
It is said that 7,000 – 10,000 years ago rice cultivation started in the mountains around Assam India and Yunnan province China. Rice cultivation came over to the Northern Kyushu area of Japan through the lower reach of Chang Jiang and the Korean Peninsula around 400 B.C. It reached Setouchi and Kinki areas in around 350 B.C. encompassing the entire area of East Japan by around 100 B.C.
History of sake brewing
It is believed that the methods of sake brewing were brought to Japan with rice cultivation. Priestesses chewed rice during which the effects of saliva hydrolyse polysaccharides such as cellulose or starch by dilute acid and enzymes and glycosylate it into sucrose or glucose.
This was simple sake making by spitting chewed rice into a pot and fermenting it by wild yeast. It was not liquid form and too perishable to generate large quantities. In the year 701, a government office named “Sakebe no tsukasa” (Control of making sake) was established and sake brewing managed by imperial court had started.
It led to the technique of sake brewing taking a step forward. Around the year 1000, it is said that there were about 10 kinds of brewing method and they were differentiated. For example, for low-level functionaries, people diluted the concentration of sake to increase its quantity.
By 1300, sake came to enjoy equal economic value to that of rice.
Around 1500, people brewing sake, added rice malt, steamed rice and water twice. They also applied lactate fermentation and prompted the neutralisation of acid in sake by wood ash.
Around 1580, the “3-step brewing method” was adopted. This method brews sake over three days, the quantity produced differing by the day. The fundamental sake brewing technique was established during this period.
Prior to this, malted rice was added to brown rice while the main constituent of sake was white rice (Katahaku). A newer method where all the ingredients including malted rice were made from white rice was also introduced (Morohaku) which improved the quality of sake even more.
During this period, a new tub containing 1,500kg of ingredients was developed and the brewage increased by a factor of four to five times that of previous. This made possible the large-scale production of sake.
Around the year 1600, wooden mortar replaced by the grindstone, which led to the efficient milling of rice. With increasing manpower, the ability to mill rice increased. Karausu, which was brought from China, transformed milling work. In addition to the 3-step brewing method, today’s many techniques of brewing sake were also developed.
Read the full article, HERE.
Our agriculture started with sake brewing. People offered harvested rice, sake and rice cake to the gods
Sake is part of everyday living and its development covers a long historical journey. Here we introduce the history of sake brewing, the people who contributed to rice milling and sake brewing technology, and modern sake brewing technology.
Start of rice cultivation
It is said that 7,000 – 10,000 years ago rice cultivation started in the mountains around Assam India and Yunnan province China. Rice cultivation came over to the Northern Kyushu area of Japan through the lower reach of Chang Jiang and the Korean Peninsula around 400 B.C. It reached Setouchi and Kinki areas in around 350 B.C. encompassing the entire area of East Japan by around 100 B.C.
It is believed that the methods of sake brewing were brought to Japan with rice cultivation. Priestesses chewed rice during which the effects of saliva hydrolyse polysaccharides such as cellulose or starch by dilute acid and enzymes and glycosylate it into sucrose or glucose.
This was simple sake making by spitting chewed rice into a pot and fermenting it by wild yeast. It was not liquid form and too perishable to generate large quantities. In the year 701, a government office named “Sakebe no tsukasa” (Control of making sake) was established and sake brewing managed by imperial court had started.
It led to the technique of sake brewing taking a step forward. Around the year 1000, it is said that there were about 10 kinds of brewing method and they were differentiated. For example, for low-level functionaries, people diluted the concentration of sake to increase its quantity.
By 1300, sake came to enjoy equal economic value to that of rice.
Around 1500, people brewing sake, added rice malt, steamed rice and water twice. They also applied lactate fermentation and prompted the neutralisation of acid in sake by wood ash.
Around 1580, the “3-step brewing method” was adopted. This method brews sake over three days, the quantity produced differing by the day. The fundamental sake brewing technique was established during this period.
Prior to this, malted rice was added to brown rice while the main constituent of sake was white rice (Katahaku). A newer method where all the ingredients including malted rice were made from white rice was also introduced (Morohaku) which improved the quality of sake even more.
During this period, a new tub containing 1,500kg of ingredients was developed and the brewage increased by a factor of four to five times that of previous. This made possible the large-scale production of sake.
Around the year 1600, wooden mortar replaced by the grindstone, which led to the efficient milling of rice. With increasing manpower, the ability to mill rice increased. Karausu, which was brought from China, transformed milling work. In addition to the 3-step brewing method, today’s many techniques of brewing sake were also developed.
Read the full article, HERE.
The Global Miller
This blog is maintained by The Global Miller staff and is supported by the magazine Milling and Grain
which is published by Perendale Publishers Limited.
For additional daily news from milling around the world: global-milling.com
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