The Development of Sake

This month, through a variety of information, I would like to talk about the history of sake

The Day Human Beings Met Alcohol

The divergence between mankind and apes occurred about 7,000,000 to 5,000,000 years ago. The existence of human-like beings (homo sapiens, or new humans) then came into existence 200,000 years before the present day.

Produced as a by-product of the phenomenon known as the fermentation of microorganisms, alcohol has been in existence an incredibly long time – since more than 2 billion years ago. After a few million years of existence, humans beings finally came across alcohol. A mere  (compared to microorganisms) 10,000 years ago, wine, which started in Mesopotamia was passed on to Sumerians, Phoenicians, Greeks, and Romans who then spread it throughout all of Europe, whereas sake was created about 2000 years ago.

The Origins of Sake
In Japan before Christ, it is said that alcohol was made from a method known as “chewing in the mouth”  (literally, chewing grain to create enzymes in saliva whereby carbohydrates are converted into sugar) in which rice and other grains were converted into sugar, and fermentation occurred from the movement of microorganisms known  as yeast. It is not clear when producing sake from rice began, but it is thought that authentic rice cultivation was transmitted from the Chinese continent during the Yayoi Period (about 300 BC to 250 AD). An account of the clear existence of sake can be found in Japan’s oldest historical record, “The Kojiki,” written in the Eighth Century. Part of the Izumo myth is the legend of the Big Snake, Yamatano. It is recorded that when it came time to kill the snake, the deity Susanoonomikoto repeatedly made the snake drink heavy sake to make it drunk, and while it was sleeping exterminated it. It can be thought that “made the snake drink heavy alcohol” is a description that leads one to judge that at that time sake brewing was already pretty advanced. Entering the Nara Period (710 to 794 AD), a better quality of rice malt was brought from China, higher quality sake was made, and through the Heian (794 to 1185 AD), Kamakura (1185–1333), and Muromachi Periods (1338 to 1573), the technology of producing sake slowly developed. In the 19th Century, Pasteur discovered a method of microorganism sterilization at a low temperature that had already been used for the production of sake in the 15th Century during the Muromachi Period. Hundreds of years later when Western medical scientists came to Japan, they received quite a shock. 

The Accomplishments of Sake
After many years, the unstable Sengoku Period ended in the beginning of the 17th Century. After that, moving into the Tokugawa Edo Period, political power stabilized and unique things unseen in the rest of the world were created. Incidentally, during that time in the 18th Century, the populations of Paris and London did not reach 200,000, but the population of Edo surpassed one million; so it truly existed as the biggest commercial city in the world. Because of this heavy concentration of people, the culture received a variety of influences. Especially regarding food; in order to enjoy sake, things not seen outside of Edo developed. Multi-course food, or kaiseki cuisine, developed, and for the first time in the world, fast foods such as sushi were established (at that time the sushi eaten in outdoor stalls, or yatai, was not the more formal food it is today). As for sake, it is recorded that there were more than 20,000 sake breweries in existence, and the people of Edo enjoyed sake and reveled in human life. Surprisingly, in the beginning of the Edo Period when Japan was not yet closed to foreigners, by way of vermilion-seal certificate trade, sake was exported as high-grade alcohol to the kingdoms of the Asia (Thailand, Vietnam, Hong Kong, etc.).

Japan’s Advanced Sake Brewing Technology
Compared to wine, the history of sake is quite short, but during the middle of the Edo Period, Japanese brewing techniques reached a high level that had not been reached anywhere else in the world. When seen from today, techniques such as using long period fermentation at a low temperature (it is easier for the flavors of rice to come out with fermentation at a low temperature) and the adding of alcohol to stabilize the quality of the sake, are quite remarkable.  The advances made since the Muromachi Period, such as low temperature (60-65 degrees Centigrade) sterilization for stable sake quality, safe brewing methods (making sake in a way that prevents spoilage), and thorough water quality management are also great accomplishments.

Entering the modern era, these basic techniques have been combined with biotechnology, and sake has made great strides and has evolved. The creation of pure cultured yeast, advances in rice cleaning technology, and the production of more highly fragrant and full-bodied sake have all been attained. Moreover, it is possible to say that Japanese people can rightfully be proud that sake is an alcoholic beverage for the world that blends modern biotechnology with the traditional technology of Japan.

For seminars on Japanese sake or shochu, contact Yuji Matsumoto at 310-936-4649 or ymatsumoto001@gmail.com.



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