Difference Between Sake and Soju
Sake vs Soju
What is Soju?
Soju is a colorless distilled drink with the Korean origin. This clear beverage is usually consumed neat. The alcohol content varies from 16.8% – 53% alcohol. Most of the soju brands are made in South Korea and made from wheat, barley or rice in content. But sometimes modern producers may replace rice with other starch filled products such as tapioca, potatoes and sweet potatoes.
What is Sake?
Sake is a Japanese drink and referred as a Japanese rice wine. Sake is made through fermenting rice after removing the bran. While wine contains alcohol content (ethanol) produced during the process of fermenting sugar such as fruits (grapes), sake is produced by a brewing process more like beer. During this process starch is converted into sugars then it will ferment into alcohol.
The word “sake” means “liquor” in Japanese and it is pronounced shu. Sake is the national beverage and it is often served in special ceremonies.
What are the differences between Sake and Soju?
Sake and Soju are beverages that are native to Japan and South Korea. Sake, which is commonly known as “rice wine,” is a brewed beverage that has been distilled from rice. It is made like wine or beer and is fermented and aged. Soju is mainly a Korean drink that is considered to be just like Vodka or whiskey.
Soju has a unique production method which is quite different from Sake. The production of Soju has two stages. The first stage is the conversion of starch to sugar, and the next stage is the conversion from sugar to alcohol. After this, the mixture is then aged, usually for ten long years.
There is difference in the production of Soju and Sake. While Sake is brewed, Soju is distilled. One can also see a difference in the environment in which the two beverages are made. While Soju has a better production in warm climates, Sake has a better production in cool climates.
When Sake is just made from rice, Soju is made from rice, barley, and sweet potatoes. As the two beverages are made from different things, they come with different aromas. A Sake beverage generally has a mild and soft aroma when compared to Soju which has a distinct aroma of the base materials used. Unlike Sake, Soju is clear in color.
One can also see that there is considerable differences in the alcohol content. Soju has a higher alcohol content than Sake. When Sake has about 15 to 17 per cent alcohol, Soju has about 15 to 46 per cent of alcohol in it.
As said earlier, Sake is more related to wine. On the other hand, Soju has a likeness to whisky or Vodka.
Summary:
1.Sake (Japanese Origin), which is commonly known as “rice wine,” is made like wine or beer and is fermented and aged. Soju is mainly a Korean drink that is considered to be just like Vodka or whiskey.
2. Soju has a higher alcohol content than Sake. When Sake has about 15 to 17 per cent alcohol, Soju has about 15 to 46 per cent of alcohol in it.
3.When Sake is just made from rice, Soju is made from rice, barley, and sweet potatoes.
4. A Sake beverage generally has a mild and soft aroma when compared to Soju which has a distinct aroma of the base materials used.
5.While Sake is brewed, Soju is distilled.
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[0]Image Credit: By L. W. Yang (originally posted to Flickr as Shik Do Rak) [CC BY 2.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0)], via Wikimedia Commons
The country of origin for Soju is NOT correct!!!!! Soju is from South Korea, not Japan!!!!
SOJU IS KOREAN, NOT JAPANESE. THIS IS A TRAVESTY!!!
GET YOUR FACTS STRAIGHT PLZ
GOD BLESS
That is what they said
The article clearly states that Sony is Korean.
Soju* Auto corrected to sony???
Funniest comments ever :-D.
Soju is from South Korea. False articles like this with false facts is a problem. It misleads people. People need to do there homework enforce ranting on the net.
I can’t believe this article got the MAIN difference between sake and soju confused! Sake is from Japan, and soju is from South Korea. Considering this, the rest of this article is probably wrong…
Simmer down…..
It appears that it was only in error that the author said Soju was Japanese in the first paragraph, since in the previous line the author wrote the correct countries of or530….
There’s a second error at the end. The author states that soju is a Japanese drink.
Sake is just the Japanese word for Alcohol, all types even western are referred to as ‘sake’ in Japan. I believe the same is true for Shoju in Korea. Of course in western countries, we just go with whatever name they tell us, and since we don’t realize they are just calling it ‘alcohol’, the meaning changes slightly in the translation.
I can’t speak on behalf of the Japanese if “sake” is just the word for all types of alcohol, but “soju” is literally the name of soju. lol. Soju is a type; just like how we call some things vodka, gin, whiskey, etc… soju is just soju. “Sool”, on the other hand, is the Korean word for “alcohol”. Just wanted to clear that up.
This is true! For anyone wondering, what we refer to as “sake” is called “nihonshu” in Japanese.
I like the name SAKE!
Soju is never more than about 20%. Most is about 14-16%. Totally different taste than Sake. Mix Soju one part with beer two parts, call it SoMek (Korean word for beer is Mekju) and very popular in Korea. No hangover and very easy to drink with meals. EVERY restaurant in South Korea has makings for SoMek.
Please proofread your entries before posting such things. I clicked on a link that lead me to this page to genuinely learn the difference between soju and sake (mainly in taste, how it’s made, etc…), but was utterly disappointed and very much annoyed by the fact that one of the most-clicked and top links when googling “soju vs sake” informs its readers that soju is a Japanese alcohol. I’m sure it was just a mistake/confusion on the writer’s part, but please make sure to actually check your posts before submitting it. A lot of people have probably depended on this post to learn about the two drinks and were misinformed of the origins of soju and sake. Given the political and historic battles going on between the two countries, even more so these days, it’s very upsetting to see something like this. Soju is a KOREAN alcoholic drink while sake is a Japanese alcoholic drink!
Not correct guys, first you need to look at time frame and the (then) considered borders of Japan, south and north Korea! Soju and saki could be said we’re Japanese drinks due to the considered borders at the time! When in fact Japan had covered much of that part of southern and parts of northern aisa soju and saki were part of Japan guys!! Do your history!!
Wait?
So just because Japan invaded Korea/China/SE Asia in the 1900’s or 1600’s, automatically makes those countries alcohol (soju, baijiu, etc) Japanese in origin? Alcohol in China can be traced to earlier than 10,000bc when Japan wasn’t the Japan we know today (the asian Yayoi people haven’t even migrated there yet). So, Japan wasn’t Japan yet, and still they can take credit for older nation’s alcohol?
Your comment is just as I’ll informed as this article.. Sake = aged wine, and soju = vodka. That’s the craziest thing I’ve heard
Im so confused here. You all are saying they were wrong and that Soju Is Korean and Sake is Japanese. But that is exa tly what theh said. Unless they edited it idk but that is def what they said.
I dont mean to point at anyone in specific, but it clearly says that sake is japanese and soju south korean…
You guys are the ones reading it wrong!!
Lol
The main differences areç
1) origin (sake= Japan)
2) allowable sources of fermentable sugars (ie. Sake=only rice. Soju=sweet potato, rice, others etc.)
3) whether the fermented beverage is distilled (soju) or left as is (junmai style sake) or fortified (honjozo sake)
Also a note: in Japan, “sake” simply means an alcoholic beverage. “Nihonshu” is what the Japanese specifically call what most Americans think of as Sake.