By Chef Michael Pataran, For The Guardian

Saké! What is it? Ask the question and nine out of 10 times you'll get the response — Japanese rice wine! Yeah, I guess so, but not technically!

I don't think you would hear anyone explain wine as only crushed grapes, well ... would you? Probably not. The thing is that as third or fourth generation Canadians most of our heritage is connected to Europe hence the connection to wine. Think about it. When was the last time you had a cup (ochoko) of saké in Tuscany, Burgundy or Mosel? Probably never.

The history of Japanese saké dates back to 300 B.C. Though its origins can be traced to 3000 B. C China, saké never really took off as a popular beverage until it hit Japan. The basic process of making saké involves polishing or "milling" (seimaibuai) rice. Not table rice but a special type of brown rice (there are about 60 kinds) used for saké production only. The rice is then cooked in clean water and made into a mash. This was originally done in days of yore by having young female "virgins" chew on rice and nuts and then spit the mixture into a large open vat. This saké was called "kuchikami" for "chewing the mouth", with the whole point of the enzymes in the saliva causing the necessary fermentation to make the finished product.

Luckily this practice was discontinued when it was found out that koji (a mold enzyme on rice) and yeast could be added to the rice to start fermentation.

In the 1300s saké became Japan's most popular drink due to mass production. In later years the production was improved and sake breweries (kura or sakagura) began producing better quality saké. All of the saké that was produced in the early years was cloudy or coarsely filtered (Nigori).

As legend goes it was a lone unknown kura (brewery) worker who thought to use ashes to purify and filter the sake, producing the clear saké of today. Even later in the 1900s during Japan's industrial revolution, special machinery was designed to polish the saké rice kernel without breaking it open and releasing all the fats and protein. You see, it's the starch at the center of the grain that makes pure, clean tasting saké and that's what the brewmaster (toji) is after. During World War II, rice shortage was a problem so pure alcohol and glucose were added to the mash to increase production. This process is still continued today but the best quality is made with rice, water, yeast and koji — that's it. This makes saké the purest form of alcohol in the world, which is why you can drink a lot and never get hangovers. (We will have to experiment with this).

The super clean refined saké of today produces amazingly rich, intense and powerful aromas as well as soft, delicate and feather-light flavors on the palate. Tropical fruits like banana, pineapple and guava are common as are vanilla, coconut and bubble gum. It is said that wine has 1,000 characteristics whereas saké has 2,000. The differences don't stop there. Saké also differs from wine in that wine is made by the single fermentation of fruits (grapes) and generally not grain. Saké is made from special rice by a process called "multiple parallel fermentation". During this process the rice mold (koji) converts rice starch to sugar and yeast in turn converts the sugar into alcohol.

Another key point is that saké is meant to be consumed young — when it is lively and fruity. Don't let it sit more than 18 months as its flavors and aroma can become cloying, dank and off-putting. All high-quality sake is to be enjoyed chilled or at 58ºF, if you heat it up you will destroy its beautiful properties. So why do almost all sushi bars serve it hot? It seems that there are two main reason. During World War II in the Pacific, many of the US soldiers were cut off from supply lines, and needing alcohol to make warring and living easier to cope with, saké was the only beverage available. At that time, all rice-growing land was used for eating rice (not saké rice) but sake was still being made. The methods were crude and the ingredients inferior, so local villagers would tell the soldiers to heat it up in order to mask its harsh properties. That belief came home after the war with the U.S. soldiers and the rest as they say — is history.

The second reason is that some saké producing areas in Japan are in cold, mountainous regions; with these regions slightly heating the sakes in winter months to provide a "warm-body vibe" if you will. This was a great example of an occasional instance becoming a mainstream norm.

So head out on the town and make it a "saké night". There are some restaurants in Nassau that offer some premier samples for you to explore the wonderful world of sake!

Michael Pataran, executive chef at Shogun Revolver is also a sommelier and sake master.

There are also many different types of saké produced, but all stem from the four main categories of saké production.

Ginjo-Shu: Saké where the rice has been polished to at least 60 percent of its original grain size and is fermented at colder temperatures for longer periods of time making it light, fruity and refined.

Dai-Ginjo-Shu: Super premium saké that is polished to at least 50 percent its original grain size. The best dai-ginjo is polished up to 70 percent. They are light, super clean, complex and very fragrant.

Honjozu-Shu: Made with rice, water, koji and brewers alcohol to help mime bouquet and flavor, easy quaffing on its own — nice and light.

Junmai-Shu: Shu, which means saké, is made with only rice, water and koji mold. The rice must be polished to at least 70 percent original grain size. Full forward flavor with big body yet clean and poised

Some more popular sub-classifications include the following — all of course that are worth a look:

Nigori: "Cloudy saké or unfiltered saké, which has not been pressed fully from the rice solids (kasu). Nigori is sweeter in style with a creamy texture that is cloyed by the kasu, making it a non-serious saké lover's choice.

Genshu: Genshu is saké that is undiluted where all other saké has a bit of distilled water to them to curb the alcohol content. This is becoming popular as it makes sweeter, richer flavored sake with an alcohol content between 18-25 percent as opposed to the 12-16 percent of the others listed above.