Sake

High school (ages 12+)
Food & Cooking

Name:

Date:

Step 1 · Read the article

Open the article and read it at the level above. Then answer the questions below in your own words.

https://smallwhale.org/articles/sake

Write what each word means, using the article.

Do not copy the article. Write two things you learned, the way you would explain them to a friend.

Answers below are taken from the article’s stored facts, so they match what the student read.

1. What is the scientific name of koji mold?Aspergillus oryzae
2. What is the primary fermentation method?Multiple parallel fermentation
3. What is sake and how is it made from rice?Sake is a Japanese drink made from rice, water, and a special mold. The rice is polished, steamed, and mixed with koji mold and yeast, which turns the rice starch into sugar and then into alcohol.
4. Why is the mold called koji important in making sake?Koji mold produces enzymes that break rice starch into sugars. These sugars are then used by yeast to make alcohol, all in the same pot.

Seimai-buai: The rice polishing ratio, indicating the percentage of the original rice grain remaining after milling.
Toji: The master brewer responsible for overseeing the entire sake production process.
Saccharification: The enzymatic process where starches are converted into fermentable sugars, facilitated by koji mold.