Daiginjo Isn’t “Better”. It’s Just More Polished.

A customer recently told me her husband questioned why she didn’t pick a Junmai Daiginjo in her latest Sake Nami order. His logic? “Isn’t Junmai Daiginjo the best?” It’s a common belief that I’d like to unpack here.

Why is Junmai Daiginjo more expensive?

We can generalise it a bit and mention some factors that impact the price of the final product. Rice polishing rate is higher for Junmai Daiginjo, and that means it takes more time and money to polish the rice. You get less polished rice after polishing the rice, which reduces the mileage you get from the rice. So from a dollars-and-cents angle, Junmai Daiginjo is more expensive to make.

Now let’s think about some of the sake making craft involved. When rice is more polished, it’s softer and more delicate, so when you come to rice soaking and sake brewing, the sake makers need to pay more attention, at more frequent intervals. For sakes brewed using rice with higher polishing rates, the rice is managed by hand (as opposed to machines) because of how delicate the rice may be after polishing. This is extra work for the team, and in some cases, takes extra time as you use temperature adjustments and other skills to craft the sake.

So there are some reasons why sakes with higher polishing rates like Junmai Daiginjo are more expensive.

But is it always better?

Not necessarily. Junmai Daiginjo tends to be light, elegant, and aromatic, which pairs well with delicate dishes and chilled sipping. But it’s not ideal for everything.

For instance, we do not recommend using Junmai Daiginjo sake for warm/hot sake experiences. Now why is that?

When you warm up sake, what you’re actually doing is enhancing the umami flavours in the sake, based on the lactic acid in the sake. The sake will taste more umami, smell more fragrant but lose the delicate floral sweetness intended for Junmai Daiginjo sake. 

What about food pairing? When we choose sake for heavily seasoned izakaya dishes, we generally recommend clean, crisp and umami sake like Junmai and Honjozo. The umami and robust taste profile of the sake made with lower polishing rates generally complement heavier tasting foods better. Similarly, when you want to pair a Sake with dessert, we may recommend a Kijoshu to complement the richness/sweetness of some desserts.

So what’s the takeaway?

Don’t just chase a specific category or the high price tags. Instead, explore widely. Try Tokubetsu Junmai or Honjozo, dive into Namazake, and match different styles to the moment.

Contact us if you’d like to chat more about choosing the right sake for your occasion.