Yamada Nishiki is said to be the King of Sake Rice. It’s hard to argue with this phrase. Nearly half of all premium sake rice grown in Japan is Yamada Nishiki.
This special rice grain can be polished to a high level without breaking. This makes it ideal for making fruity ginjo-shu sake. It offers an elegant and complex profile, so it’s also used to make other types of sake, as well.
Yamada Nishiki rice is now being brewed in California’s Central Valley. This region has long been a hub of American rice farming. With this premium rice type taking root, it may soon become the center of an American sake brewing industry.