Sake Glossary
Amasake / Amazake
Sweet sake with little or no alcohol content.
Doburoku
Opaque sake brewed at home or in shinto temples.
Genshu
Pure sake, no additional alcohol added after brewing process.
Ginjo
Sake in which the rice was milled to less than 60% of it’s original mass.
Jisake / Jizake
“Local sake,” drank slightly chilled.
Junmai sake
Pure sake, containing only rice, water, yeast, and rice.
Kasu
The lees, or dregs of rice left after brewing sake. Kasu is often used to pickle vegetables and is a tasty fish marinade.
Koji
Rice inoculated with koji-kin.
Koji-kin
Aspergillus Oryzae, a fungus that converts starches to sugars.
Momori
Fermenting mixture from which sake is produced.
Namasake / Namazake
“Fresh” sake which is unauthorized.
Nigori sake / zake
Unfiltered sake.