Sake rice explained: Yamada Nishiki, Gohyakumangoku, and more

Sake is made from rice, but not just any rice. Many of the best-known sakes are brewed from special varieties grown for one purpose: to become sake. Knowing a few of their names is an easy way to read a label and guess what's in the glass.

What makes sake rice different

Japanese brewing rice is called sakamai (or shuzo kotekimai, "rice suited to sake brewing"). It's a different crop from the short-grain rice you'd eat with dinner. Compared with table rice, sake rice usually has:

• Bigger grains. Larger grains hold up better when they're polished down.
• A large shinpaku. This is the opaque, starchy white heart of the grain. It's what koji and yeast work on.
• Less protein and fat. These sit mostly in the outer layers and can add heavier or rougher flavors, so less of them means a more refined sake.
• Soft, absorbent starch. The center takes on water well, which helps during soaking and steaming and gives koji mold room to grow.

Sake rice tends to be taller and harder to grow than table rice, and it's often grown in smaller amounts, so it usually costs brewers more.

Why polishing matters

Brewers polish rice to remove the outer layers and get closer to the starchy core. The polishing ratio (seimai buai) tells you how much of the grain is left. Rice polished to 60%, for example, has lost 40% of its weight.

Big grains with a large shinpaku are easier to polish deeply without cracking, which is one reason sake rice is so valued for premium grades like Ginjo and Daiginjo. See what 60% looks like in our polishing ratio guide, and how polishing defines the grades in the types of sake.

The famous varieties

There are many registered sake rice varieties in Japan. These are the names you're most likely to see.

Variety	Main home	Typical style
Yamada Nishiki	Hyogo	Rich, rounded, elegant, aromatic
Gohyakumangoku	Niigata	Light, crisp, dry, clean
Omachi	Okayama	Earthy, deep, full of character
Miyama Nishiki	Nagano	Crisp, light, refreshing
Dewasansan	Yamagata	Soft, gentle, fragrant
Hattan Nishiki	Hiroshima	Smooth, balanced

These are tendencies, not rules. The brewer, the water, the yeast, and the polishing ratio all change the final taste.

Yamada Nishiki

Often called the "king of sake rice," Yamada Nishiki was developed in Hyogo prefecture in the early 20th century and is now the most widely grown sake rice. It has large grains and a big, central shinpaku, so it polishes beautifully. Sakes made from it are often described as full, balanced, and aromatic, with a long, elegant finish. Much of the best Yamada Nishiki is grown in Hyogo, the home of the Nada brewing district around Kobe.

Gohyakumangoku

Gohyakumangoku comes from Niigata, Japan's snowy northwest coast. It ripens early, which suits Niigata's short growing season, and for decades it was the most planted sake rice in Japan. It tends to give light, crisp, dry sake, a big part of the style known as tanrei karakuchi ("light and dry") that Niigata is famous for.

Omachi

Omachi is one of the oldest sake rice varieties still grown, and many other varieties descend from it. It's harder to grow and harder to brew with, which is part of its appeal. Omachi sakes are often earthy and full bodied, with a deep, layered flavor.

Miyama Nishiki

Miyama Nishiki handles cold weather well, so it's popular in Nagano and northern Japan. It's known for crisp, light, refreshing sake.

Can sake be made from table rice?

Yes. Plenty of good sake is brewed from table rice or from regional varieties outside the famous list. Grade rules focus on polishing ratio and whether alcohol is added, not on the variety, so a label may or may not name the rice at all. When it does, it's a helpful hint about style. Find out more about how ingredients come together in what is sake made from.

From rice to sake

Once the rice is polished, it's washed, soaked, and steamed. Some of the steamed rice becomes koji, the mold-grown rice that turns starch into sugar. The rest goes into the starter and the main mash, where yeast turns that sugar into alcohol over several weeks. Every step is in how sake is made.

The rice in WESAKE

WESAKE has two Junmai Ginjos, made from two different rices, in two different places.

The can is brewed by Kaganoi Shuzo in Itoigawa, Niigata, from Gohyakumangoku rice polished to 60%. True to its rice and its region, it's dry and light, with soft umami and a crisp, clean finish. Meet the can.

The Sakura bottle is brewed in Kobe, Hyogo, from Yamada Nishiki rice polished to 60%. It's elegantly dry, with a soft floral aroma and notes of white peach and pear. Meet the bottle.

Two rices, two styles. Try them side by side and the difference is easy to taste.