Sake. The divine and the earthly in one bottle

Name of Japanese sake, vodka is the expression sakaemidzu - "drink prosperity" and is considered Japan's special product. In the ritual of ascension to the throne of the new emperor of Japan makes an offering of sake and rice deities. Originally intended for the sake vodka deities to appease him and thereby ensure the crops for the period of rice cultivation. Deities associated with the rice wine, the subject of several churches in the Japanese cities of Nara and Kyoto.
Apparently, the orientation of the ritual beverage related to the fact that they use it in very small portions of 30-40 ml. Sake is poured into the tiny wooden square pile of wood cryptomerias or thin porcelain cups. Our traditional hundred grams of courage to pull here is just a triple dose.

It turns out the Japanese vodka not only rule the country and helps to harvest, it also allows you to quickly and comfortably navigate. One of the famous Japanese automakers, the company is Mazda, has developed an environmentally friendly engineering plastic of Japanese sake, vodka! The new material derived from the Asian vodka has turned lighter and three times stronger than usual, and, moreover, does not burn. The content of mineral oils in its composition does not exceed 12%, so it is non-toxic to everything else. Energy used to produce new plastics is 30% lower than that of propylene.

But despite the benefits delivered by the Japanese car industry vodka, sake in Japan is a popular food item. What is predstvlyaet sake? This alcoholic beverage strength 16-21 degrees. Many people find the taste of sake fruity notes: grapes, apples and bananas. In the most expensive varieties of common taste aged cheeses, soy sauce and fresh mushrooms. Someone calls sake rice vodka, some rice wine. It is clear that the raw material for the production of sake is rice. Previously it is well steamed, add fresh spring water and koji - a special culture of the fungus. Initially, the right to manufacture of sake had only members of the royal family, is the ability to later adopted by Buddhist monks.

A method of producing the drink in ancient times was a brilliantly simple, but how shall I say, .... not hygienic. Rice grains chewed and spat in wooden containers, which took place under the influence of saliva fermentation. "Civilize" the production of sake, only in the XII century. The industry began to drink the same scale to produce the XVII century. It is believed that the best time to make the drink - January and February, when it is not so hot and easier to follow the process of fermentation, so the first time it is produced in these months. Duration of fermentation is 20-30 days at 15 degrees. The resulting alcohol mixture strength of about 20-21 degrees is subjected to filtration. To remove the yellow drink is purified with activated charcoal. To increase the shelf life of pasteurized sake at a temperature of 60 degrees. Sake is aged in wooden casks for a year. Unlike Russian vodka, which they drink cold drink sake hot. Before serving vodka sake warmed to 37-38 ° C in a water bath. For this sake is poured into a special ceramic vessel. There are certain rules that must be followed in the use of sake: - Drink necessary, straightening his back, and having good posture. - To end the state of intoxication to straighten his back and sing a long song. - During and after the adoption must have a sweet sake.

It is interesting that in the West an interest in sake is growing rapidly in Japan is significantly reduced. Now the Japanese drink it half as much as 25 years ago. Since 1978 in Japan celebrate October 1 as the Day of sake.
This is due to the fact that in early October in Japan, rice new crop matures, and set about making sakedely of his sake.