EFFECT OF PROPERTIES OF RICE ON SUITABILI TY FOR SAKE BREWING

We have investigated the suitability of different varieties of rice fo r sake brewing, and determined a ''value of suitability'' for each var iety. We have also recently reported on the effects of chemical and ph ysical properties of rice, e.g. the pore size distribution and protein body of the rice grain, on sake brewing. Here, we discuss the effects of these aspects of the properties of rice on the value of suitabilit y for sake brewing. The pore size distribution, dynamic viscoelasticit y, and retrogradation of steamed rice were found to influence the rate of rice utilization in the sake brewing process. Among protein bodies in the rice grain, protein body-II (PB-II) was digested well in the s ake moromi mash, indicating that the correlation coefficient between t he amino acidity in fresh sake and the PB-II content is highly signifi cant. In this investigation, two newly bred rice varieties (Gin'ohmi a nd Chiyohonami) were found to be highly suitable for sake brewing. The reasons for the high suitability of these two varieties are discussed with respect to their chemical and physical properties.