Nanshitsumai (soft rice)

Nanshitsumai (軟質米, "soft rice") refers to rice varieties whose starch is especially soft and is broken down readily by enzymes. For this reason, sake made from nanshitsumai tends to produce sugars efficiently through enzyme action during fermentation, which makes it possible to brew flavorful sake. Nanshitsumai is generally also used as table rice. When it is used as a raw material for sake, the resulting sake is typically mellower and has a soft, supple character.