Junmai ginjo is the second-highest grade of sake, the rice-based alcoholic beverage that has become a strong symbol of Japanese culture. To qualify for this prestigious title a sake must be made with rice polished (to remove bran and improve taste) to below 60 percent of its original weight, and must not be fortified with distilled alcohol.
Approximately 75 percent of sake produced today is futsu, the everyday sake. If futsu sake is to Japan what blended Scotch is to Scotland, junmai ginjo equates to a fine single malt.
The rice used to produce all special-designation sakes must be polished to a legally defined degree. At least 15 percent of the rice used in these sakes must also be affected by koji-kin, a filamental fungus which helps to break down starches into sugar. Koji (Aspergillus oryzae) is also used in the production of other fermented food products, including soy sauce, mirin and miso paste (the base ingredient of miso soup).
