Wanted to know this for a long time!

[evanvine]

I am told:-

American whisky is made from corn
Vodka is made from potatoes
Sake is made from rice

How is the starch converted into sugar???
Am I being my normal thick self :shock:

Edit: spelling correction thanks to richc

 

[richc]

From what I know both whisky and vodka use a proportion of malt to provide the enzymes for converting starches into sugars. Sake on the other hand is weird and uses a mould to do the conversion.

 

[evanvine]

Thanks for that Rich!
So malt is not unique.
I wonder if the Chinese do a similar thing to the Soya bean as the Japanese do to the Rice?
What about the many peoples who ferment milk?

 

[greencheapsk8]

(As far as I can understand)

The starch brews need some sort of enzyme/microscopic critter to change the starch into sugar.
Malt has this critter, and that bacteria for sake does, and i think some other grains have it too.

So the critter does its work, and then the sugar is fermented :hmm: