Although it's often called "Japanese rice wine" by Westerners, many consider sake a beer because unlike wine, which is made from fruit, sake is made from grain (in the U.S., the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms categorizes sake as a wine produced from other agricultural products).

And just to muddy the waters even further, in Japan sake is actually the generic term for alcohol. Rice wines are called nihonshu.

But for discussion's sake, let's just stick with sake.

The primary ingredients of this 6800-year-old brew are steamed sake rice that's cultivated and used exclusively for brewing, water, and rice koji, a type of yeast made from either beans or grains that have been inoculated with the Aspergillus mold. The rice is fermented, heated and matured in caskets. The end result is a beverage made like beer but served like wine, with a relatively low alcohol content of 12 to 16 percent.

Sake is classified into two broad categories--sweet and dry. Within these categories are a myriad of sub-categories related to quality and alcohol content, plus four flavor types: aged, rich, light and smooth, and flavorful.

Between these categories and sub-categories lies a vast range of flavors, characteristics, variations and complexities. There are over 14,000 different sakes produced by 1800 sake breweries worldwide. In the U.S., there are about 200 different sakes produced by six sake breweries.

Sake's use in cooking isn't limited to Japanese food. It can be paired with cuisines from all over the world, and is especially appreciated by chefs for its ability to enhance the flavor of delicate fish or temper the stronger flavors of beef or shellfish.

Check back next week to learn the best way to drink and enjoy this quintessential Japanese drink and for some great sake recipes!