Flower yeast (Hana kobo)

Hana kobo (flower yeast) is yeast isolated from flowers found in nature, and it is regarded as having particularly desirable characteristics for sake brewing. Because this yeast can bring out rich, aromatic flavors, it is used to brew sake with floral aromas and a fruit-wine-like taste. Professor Kubo of Tokyo University of Agriculture (Tokyo Nogyo Daigaku) contributed to the research and development of flower yeast, and thanks to his work, several types of flower yeast are now used in sake brewing. This has brought a fresh breeze to traditional sake making and made it possible to produce sake with a diverse range of flavors and aromas.