16-09-06 About Sake
Shinpaku (center white) is the opaque part of the rice situated at the center of the grain. It consists of starch so the structure is very fragile and water absorbant. These characteristics are essential for both saccharification and koji growth but this fragility creates a crumbling texture when cooked, making it unsuitable for eating. For this reason, table rice has negligible or no shinpaku.