Senryūjū

【English】

Thousand- kernel weight (thousand grains weight)

【Japanese】

千粒重

In a sake-making context, the “thousand-kernel weight” refers to the total weight of 1,000 whole grains of rice (restricted to those only with suitable shape and fullness). The larger this figure is, the bigger and fuller the individual grains. Varieties with a thousand-kernel weight of over 26g are called “large-grained”, while those from 22-26g are “medium-grained”, and those under 22g are called “small-grained”. When measuring thousand-kernel weight, it takes time to count the grains, and there is a danger that moisture content might change in that period. For that reason, 20-30g is weighed out first before the grains are counted and the weight calculated.