Types of Rice Wine
Rice wine, a traditional Asian alcoholic beverage, differs from Western wine in that it is made from fermented rice starch rather than fruit. The process is similar to that for making beer. As well as being drunk, rice wine features prominently in Asian cooking. Rice wine can be used in cooking in place of sherry, white wine or Vermouth. Does this Spark an idea?
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Sake
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Sake is a Japanese rice wine, known in Japan as nihonshu. The five basic forms of sake each require a different percentage of rice milling and different brewing methods. Pure rice wine with no added distilled alcohol is called Junmai-shu. When at least 30 percent of the rice is milled away, and a little distilled alcohol is added, the result is known as Honjozo-shu. Wines with at least 40 percent and 50 percent of rice milled away are known as ginjo-shu and daiginjo-shu, respectively. Both ginjo-shu and daiginjo-shu may or may not have alcohol added to them. Unpasteurized sake is called namazake.
Sato
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Rice farmers in northeastern Thailand traditionally produce sato, or Thai rice wine, by fermenting sticky rice with water and yeast. Some locally made sato has a short shelf-life and quickly becomes moldy. Hardier commercially made sato includes brand names such as Gru Pli, River Kwai, Siam Sato, Chai Yo, Zato, Ruan Rak and Chao Praya.
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Gamju
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Koreans traditionally make their version of rice wine using rice fermented with yeast cake. Various forms of gamju, also known as dansul, are produced using methods such as fermenting the drink inside a rotten pine tree or in bamboo. Normally packaged in plastic bottles and cans, gamju is widely available in South Korea. Home-made ganju is usually served at the end of a meal in Korean restaurants.
Kulapo
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The Philippine rice wine is known as kulapo in the south of the country and tapuy in the north. Notable for its strong odor and reddish brown color, the drink is made using glutinous rice, a yeast-containing starch powder called bubod, water and banana leaves. Unlike most other Asian rice wines, kulapo is moderately sweet with a strong alcoholic flavour.
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