Some people describe Sake’s taste as that of Madeira or sherry. In cooking, you can use either of them if the recipe calls for Japanese or Chinese sake. Ask anyone what they know about Japanese Sakė and the answer will promptly be that ‘it is a type of a rice wine’. Due to different brands of ingredients having different nutritional values, the values I provide here may be different from your preparation. But if you don’t have one, you can use a rice cooker to cook the rice (but not the best). Makgeolli is a traditional Korean rice wine (or brew) that has been made by Koreans for generations. Most consider an ideal point when it’s just slightly sour, sweet but has a good amount of alcohol content. Chinese sake yeast is always the best choice but you can also use champagne or wine yeast. I have an Ultimate Guide to Makgeolli post that talks about this drink, its history, how it tastes and how to buy the best commercial one. You can soak longer (even up to 3 days) but change water after 8 hrs or so. Cool for 2 hrs or so until it's not warm to touch. You can drink it from any vessel of your choice, although a traditional Japanese cup called ochoko is used for drinking sake in Japan. Many people use Sake not only for drinking but for cooking as well. This should come with a lid and airlock. It is more than OK to drink hot or warm sake (at about 122°F). Remember, Sakė has a very delicate flavour and it takes 45 to 60 days to develop authentic sake. As a result, hangovers and headaches are not very common if you happen to consume too much of it. Traditional Makgeolli (Korean Rice Wine) recipe that you can successfully brew at home with no special equipment. These machines are not much different from the water dispensers we see in offices. Being lower in acidity and higher in flavour, sake is a versatile drink that goes well not just with Japanese food but with many Western foods as well. Hi! Cleanliness and temperature control are key as is the water you use for cooking the rice. Sake or rice wine is easy to make at home, and if you love homemade wines, you should definitely give the above recipe a try. Just completely remove any excess water. Also with the newly found interest in fermented foods, it has become more popular than ever. I love seeing what you’ve made! Break up the yeast ball in a small bowl using a spoon. Rice wine is famous in Nepal, as it is easy to make and cheap to buy. Some people like to drink their sake very hot. Place a wooden grating or folded towel at the bottom of a large cooking pot. Disclosure: This post may contain affiliate links. But the best-known ones are located at Nada in Kobe, at the foot of the Rokko Mountains. Place the lid of the bucket and add an airlock. With your hands, gently mix everything so that they are evenly mixed and there are no big chunks of nuruk left. Nuruk contains yeasts, lactic acid bacteria and many enzymes (produced from molds) which determines the flavor of your fermented drink. When the rice is cooked, loosen and spread to let it cool down completely. It is then transferred to a third tub so that the white residue settles at the bottom. Required fields are marked *, Hey, Gigi here. How to Second Ferment and Flavor Milk Kefir, How to Make Vegan Yogurt [Non Dairy Yogurt Recipe], Brine Calculator – Brine Salt to Water Ratio. You can buy sweet rice for Sake from Asian stores. Reserve a bit of the yeast. This choice works like a charm, particularly if you can buy pale dry … With clean hands, squeeze the strainer or cheesecloth properly to get milky white liquid in the utensil. Consume this heated sake immediately. A fermentation nerd passionate about healthy food and great diet. Because the longer you mix, things get warmed up allowing the yeast and enzymes to get activated. How to Make Sake [Fermented Rice Wine] | My Fermented Foods Use a fine linen cloth or mesh filter bag to filter the liquid. In this picture (held up by my very helpful husband ), you can see how the rice sediments have settled at the bottom. Read More…. Sprinkle the Chinese yeast powder all over the rice. It is made from the fermentation of rice starch. Once the rice have absorbed water after an hour, drain the remaining water through a strainer Sweet cooking sakes like this one are readily available on popular retail sites. The paint strainer will ease this process although a cheese cloth will work just as fine. We will add it later to the rice when we add it in the paint strainer over the plastic fermentation bucket. Sake does not contain preservatives or sulfites, unlike many wines. On the 1st day, it won't be easy to mix as there's very little liquid. DAY 1 – 3: keep the lid loose (as it needs oxygen), mix 2 times a day with a wooden spoon or plastic spatula. Initially, you should not see any extra liquid. My recommendation is to use a bamboo steamer. I receive a small commission at no cost to you when you make a purchase using my link. Fill the jug the rest of the way with … Happy Holidays! Dry Sherry. Both rice wine and rice vinegar are widely used in Asian cooking, but they’re two very distinct products. After a few days, the white sediment will settle to the bottom of the carboy. This commission comes at no charge to you. Soak rice in water for 2 hours for sweet rice, 3 hrs for short-grain rice and overnight for brown rice. Depending on the brewing technique and the type of rice that goes into it; you have five types of Sakė: the Junmai-shu, Honjozo-shu, Ginjo-shu, Daiginjo-shu, and Namazake. The sweetness will diminish and sugars will turn into alcohol while the sour taste will increase at the same time. It's best to leave each rice grain as whole as possible but do try to mix it all well. Hope you can enjoy them with your friends and family! Since I started, I have taken 2 Makgeolli making classes (if you are ever in Seoul, I recommend the Sool Company’s class – very knowledgeable and passionate people) and made several brews. Clean tray or plate to cool the cooked rice on. Let the rice ferment for 21-30 days. In a mortar and pastel, pound the wine starter into powder. Once the fermented red glutinous rice wine 红糟 is ready, it can be stored in the fridge for a year and used to cook the famous Red Glutinous Rice Wine Chicken 红糟鸡 (hong zao ji). DAY 4 to Day 10 to 14, DO NOT MIX and keep the lid completely closed. So please read all of my tips and directions carefully because with fermentation, there are so many factors that may seem unimportant but can affect the outcome greatly. But check on the change. Make sure you sterilize the siphoning and racking equipment thoroughly with the sterilizing solution before use. You can also buy Sakė of comparable quality from Hiroshima, Akita, and Nagano prefectures. But that's how it should be. Whereas most wine is made from fermented fruit, rice wine is made from fermented glutinous rice, where the sugars are transformed into alcohol by yeast. Crush the Chinese yeast balls into a powder. From about 7 days on, taste to see how you like it. Add more yeast over the top of the rice. Having said that – sake, like all alcoholic beverages, should always be drunk in moderation. Rice cooker – large enough to cook 5 cups of rice. Make Dry Rice (Godubap 고두밥) – Wash rice a few times in cool water until the water runs pretty clear. Subscribe to my blog and download my free BBQ cookbook or check my, Make Ice Cream (no machine needed)! It helps to overturn the rice couple times to help the cooling and drying. Join to get my FREE cookbook + monthly newsletters + recipe updates! The way Makgeolli came about clearly shows the history of the Korean class culture during the Joseon Dynasty era where there was Yangban 양반 (the ruling class) and Sangmin 상민 (the lower class of servants and commoners). It is hung to dry slowly while still fermenting. 2. over a clean utensil. Then it is left in a warm room with hay to promote the growth of molds. Use this wild, natural yeast instead of packaged, commercial yeast. If a recipe calls for rice wine, which is not easily available in your area, go for its substitutes. Here at MyFermentedFoods.com I blog about my journey and share my knowledge with you. Gigi Mitts Put a jar with water and a thermometer in the center of the cooking pot. Rice wine (also known as mijiu) is a must-have ingredient in Chinese cooking, possibly coming second only to soy sauce in importance. To make rice wine, cook the rice according to package directions, making sure it is sticky when done. If you have heated the sake, use it up within 30 minutes. Good luck and happy sake making! And I remember it was a drink mostly enjoyed by construction workers and farmers back then. You can soak longer (even up to 3 days) but change water after 8 hrs. Sake, if left opened at room temperature, can go stale and its flavour can weaken considerably. Spread out steamed rice on a tray so it can cool. MyFermentedFoods.com is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon.com. Granted, you need a large quantity of rice to produce a 1-liter bottle of wine -- 6 cups of uncooked rice yields about 1 cup of rice wine -- and homemade rice wine is a bit cloudy, but it's essentially the same product. There are other nuruks made from mungbeans and barley. Hot sake tends to boil over rather quickly, so do ensure there is a bit of room on the top of the sake pot for expansion. Rice wine is an alcoholic beverage fermented and distilled from rice, traditionally consumed in East Asia, Southeast Asia and Northeast India.Rice wine is made by the fermentation of rice starch that has been converted to sugars. Try not to smush or break the rice grains. The traditional one is a round disc typically made from wheat or rice. If you make a purchase after clicking a link, we may receive a commission. There are roughly about 3300 sake breweries in Japan. Commercially, authentic Sake is made in breweries with carefully selected rice, fresh drinking water, and good quality yeast. Sake is even considered the national drink of Japan and there are more than 3000 sake breweries in the country. Place the second strainer (sterilized of course!) As stated before, do not let heated sake cool down completely as its alcohol content would dissipate. Various factors affect the brewing speed so it’s best to look for signs to see if the brew is ready instead of just blindly counting the days. Makgeolli is a traditional Korean alcoholic drink that is made by fermenting rice and a fermentation starter called Nuruk 누룩. 6. Sakė from different parts of Japan can either be crystal clear to light gold in colour. Steaming – I use a bamboo steamer and line it with a non-stick silicone mesh (or a steam liner) and lay the rice flat as possible then steam for 40 minutes or until the amount of steam coming up through the steamer is no longer really visible. Drain rice in a colander for 30 – 45 min. , As it’s Christmas next week, I thought it would be fun for everyone to enjoy making this wonderful simple home-brewed drink at home for the Holidays. Place it in hot water for 5 minutes. Try mixing Jigaemi with some honey and use as a face mask – it’s supposed to get rid of impurities in your skin. You can buy a large bottle and keep it at room temperature for several months; it will be cheaper than buying smaller bottles. Your email address will not be published. Do you know what sets them apart, and when to use each one? Or it can burst!! Authentic Japanese restaurants serve hot Sakė. So wash 4-5 times until the water is pretty clear. However, boiling sake too much can impact its taste. The sediments that were filtered (called Jjigaemi 지게미) out to make Cheongju were left to be thrown away but the servants or farmers took them, added water, and strained it – which was called Makgeolli. Berries like blueberries (optional) – for flavor. After 3-4 weeks, strain the crumbled rice. Believe it or not, this project has taken me more than 2 years (on and off, of course). If you have homemade rice vinegar that hasn’t been filtered, you can scoop the Mother off the … The alcohol content is about 20% at this point. 7. So stir or shake the plastic bucket once every 5 days. Arrange the sterilized paint strainer over the mouth of the plastic bucket. Ingredients 2.5 pounds rice (husked or raw) 1/2 pint grape concentrate or 1 pound of light raisins 7 pints hot water 2.5 pounds corn sugar or honey 3 … I’m here to spread that message, bring back the benefits of ancient nutrition to modern life, and show you all the latest cool ways to ferment and preserve food at home. Traditionally, Makgeolli was made with 100% rice but everything changed in 1965 (after the Korean war) when Korea had a food shortage throughout the country. Spread the cooked rice on a clean, sterilized tray or plate to cool down to room temperature. Makgeolli is best when served cold. When cool and Simply pour the required quantity in a small sake pot and prepare a hot water bath in a saucepan. Normally, you will see sediments at the bottom of the bottle and you can mix it before serving for a milky texture or you can just choose to drink the clearer Cheongju on top (which we kind of like to do – also less calories). Breweries also started making flavored Makgeolli such as with peach and chestnuts. The government ordered the breweries to stop using rice but use wheat flour instead. Pour just the top clearer liquid to enjoy Cheongju 청주 or shake + mix well to enjoy as Wonju 원주 (original). This is a traditional Fuzhou 福州 seasoning made using glutinous rice, yeast, red rice and rose wine fermented over a period of more than a month. Known as ‘Japan’s national drink’, Sakė differs in taste and colour depending on the ingredients used in brewing. One of my favorite brewer (복순도가 Boksundoga) makes a very fizzy one which is one of my favorite. In its early days, Sakė was not the clear alcoholic beverage (with 15-17% alcohol content) that is produced today. Where to BUY Nuruk – Korean grocery stores or my Amazon store. I hope you enjoy reading it. Sweet Fermented Rice, or jiu niang (酒酿), also called Sweet Rice Wine, 甜米酒 (tian mi jiu) has numerous other Chinese names depending on what part of China you are from: 醪糟 (lao zao) ,米酒 (mi jiu), 甜酒 (tian jiu), 糯米酒 (nuo mi jiu), 江米酒 (jiang mi jiu), and 酒糟 (jiu zao). Nuruk 누룩 is the traditional fermentation starter used in this recipe. It is mostly consumed in southeastern Asia. Your email address will not be published. The description may be partly true because Sakė itself means a combination of alcohol and rice wine known as Nihonshu. Here’s my. It will also have a bit of a zing but it will also decrease as it starts to sour. Clean plastic bucket for fermentation. Use a bit less water, 1:0.9 rice to water ratio. The mixture is then siphoned off to another tub, and more steamed rice and water are added, then the mixture is allowed to ferment for another 30 days. Wonderful with Korean BBQ meats. Instead, it was a thick, milky, or yellowish drink reserved for the priests and nobles. Ready in 10 to 14 days. Pour hot water into the sauce pan until all rice is fully covered with it. To heat sake, make a hot water bath and place the bottle or your cup in the bath. 5. Here’s how it looks close up when it’s cooled and a little dried. DAY 4+, up to 10 to 14 days, don't mix and keep the lid completely closed. It is very easy to do and it tastes delicious. Published March 31, 2020 By Gigi Mitts 3 Comments. China is the grandfather of rice wine or sake, although the world believes that Sake is a Japanese creation. The moderate alcohol content of sake (about 15% abv) and its clean flavour, make it an ideal partner for many different cuisines. Beyond that, they too begin to go stale and their flavours weaken considerably. Pour the milky-white liquid into a sterilized glass carboy for further fermentation. Rice wine originated in Southeast Asia, where it is available in different types that vary in color and flavor. Serve this sake within 30 minutes of heating. Rather than just depend simply on the the time, you should closely watch for signs that it is ready and also do a taste test to see when you want to bottle it. Do not discard the white sediment. Of course, you can adjust this recipe according to your past wine making experiences. Delicate sake varieties tend to oxidize rapidly and lose their flavour, so, once opened; they need to be refrigerated and consumed within a week. How to Make Rice Wine Sake (Asian Rice Wine) - Wine On My Time At higher temps close to 75℉, it may be ready even before 10 days. Do not microwave sake since it does not get heated evenly and this method of heating sake can even harm its delicate flavour. The process of making Japanese Sakė is quite intriguing and that is what adds to the magical allure of this drink. But check on the change. Spread out steamed rice on a tray – while taking care not to break the rice grains. Unopened Sake keeps well in the pantry and no refrigeration is necessary. Giving your mash a great start! Mix the rice and the yeast well. – Gluten Free recipe assumes you are using gluten free soy sauce (since many soy sauces contain gluten or wheat). This is added after the fermentation period, before bottling the sake. Here’s a closeup of my latest rice brew that’s still quite fizzy. Use pestle and mortar to pound wine cakes and the red yeast rice and pour the resulting pink powder into a big bowl You want to find the point where it tastes the best to you. Makgeolli (Korean Rice Wine) After two weeks, the clear liquid is siphoned, racked, and bottled for sale. Cover the container loosely with the lid and put it in a cool dry dark place for 10-14 days. Wheat-based versions were less sweet and more sour than the traditional one made with all rice. Sake is ideally stirred frequently in open vats. The steamed rice, yeast, and water are placed in a tub and left to ferment for 30 days. Sake contains much less alcohol than most spirits but still enough to get you drunk. Guys, you can make Nepali homemade rice wine by watching the video […] Rice wine is somewhat clear and sweet and is used in marinades to tenderize meat and seafood, as well as to impart flavor to food. Microbes are the source of the enzymes that convert the starches to sugar.. Rice wine typically has an alcohol content of 18–25% ABV. 5 hrs BEFORE – Make Dry Rice (Godubap 고두밥) – Measure and wash sweet rice a few times in cool water until the water runs pretty clear. If the sake is cooled too much after it has been heated, the alcohol in it will dissipate and it is no longer fit for drinking. In the 90’s, with the abundance of rice in Korea, people started to make 100% rice makgeollli again. You can use such sake for cooking instead. I'm JinJoo! Leftover heated sake can taste bad if left outside for a long time. ** To learn about the old history of this Korean drink and how to buy the best quality wines you can read more in my Ultimate Guide to Makgeolli. Make sure you use non-chlorinated water only. While Sake is a Japanese rice wine, Huangjiu and Choujiu are produced in China. Place the Sakė pot in the boiling water in the middle of the saucepan. The word comes from the phrase “막 걸러 Mak-geolleo” which means it was “just freshly strained”. Use it up within a week and make sure you refrigerate it upon opening. You can also make your own yeast by soaking ¼ cup of raisins in hot water and letting it sit for a while. However, microwaving does not allow for even heating of the sake as the neck of the sake pots tend to get very hot while the bottom part remains cool. Wine yeast rice wine doesn’t require pasteurization—just put it away for storing. The climate, water, and temperature in this region are best suited for Sakė brewing. Let the rice soak hot water for at least one hour. Let it cool for 1- 2 hours or so until it doesn’t feel warm to touch. And during weddings, brides and grooms exchange Sakė to symbolize the ‘sealing’ of the marriage. In step 7, when you arrange the sterilized paint strainer in the mouth of the bucket, is the rice supposed to be immersed in the water, partially immersed or suspended above it? Rice is fermented to produce a lovely creamy drink that’s just so delicious – a hint of sweet, tang and a zing that’s just fantastic with any Korean foods. Rather than just depend on the number of days, you should closely watch for signs that it is ready and also do a taste test to see when you want to bottle it. The rice wine you make at home doesn't differ much from traditional Shaoxing. It has all the ingredients needed to break down the starches, produce alcohol while providing an environment that ensures a healthy and safe fermented drink. With sweet taste, low alcoholicity, and rich nutrients, it has been popular among all ages in China for thousands of years. The brew is ready to drink immediately but I like to store in the refrigerator for a few days so it can age a little and mellow out even further. And I had some fun taking photos of my Makgeolli and some Fish Jeon in holiday style.. While both products are made from fermented rice, the difference is in the manner in which each one is produced, as well as how they’re used. Combine the yeast, sugar and juice concentrate in a gallon jug. I think I wash about 5 times or so. If you bottled your Makgeolli early while it’s still quite actively bubbling, remember to release the gas every couple of days or use a fermentation topper that allows gas to escape. All you need is . It’s made with sweet rice (AKA sticky rice, or glutinous rice… Nutritional Facts in my recipe cards are provided as an estimate and may not be accurate. Such sake is only useful for cooking. Hi! You want to dry it so the outside feels dry and a bit hard but the rice is still soft and squishy inside. If you have a large party for dinner, you can heat an entire (1.8 litre) sake bottle in a hot water bath. Pasteurize all of the filled sake bottles in a hot water bath at 145°F for 30 minutes. Kulapo is a reddish rice wine from the Philippines, whereas Makgeolli from Korea has a milky consistency. You need at least 3-5 gallon size. Tag me on Instagram at, Korean Purple Rice or Black Rice (Heukmi Bap), 8 Korean Rice Bowl Recipes for Every Diet, Multigrain Rice Instant Pot Recipe (Japgokbap), Mini Kimbap (Mayak Kimbap) with Carrot or Cucumber, Easy Chicken Bulgogi (Dak Bulgogi) for BBQ, Hotteok (호떡)- Korean Sweet Dessert Pancake. Good sake is available in most wine shops and you can also check out deliveries online. Place the rice in the strainer. Sake connoisseurs are often divided on whether to drink it hot or chilled. Typically, Honjozo sake with 15% alcohol will contain about 100 calories per 100 ml. You can also cook your rice in a pressure cooker or in a saucepan with a lid like you normally do. Glutinous rice is most suitable for making wine. In the old classic Korean cookbooks, it says to wash 100 times but I’m sure the rice was also not as clean as now. Sakė is both a drink and the window into Japan’s rich culture. These days they are usually sold in packages like this one. You can open it every now and then, just don’t leave it open. You can drink rice wine directly, after being heated or stored in refrigerator. In my recipe cards are provided as an estimate and may not accurate... Different regions in Korea but the rice using a dehydrator for an hour, drain the water! Using my link water in the utensil result until now probably the popular! Thoroughly with the result until now me more than 2 years ( and. Drink somewhat lost its popularity through the 60 ’ s done but change after! 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