Sake is a Japanese fermented beverage made from rice. In England we may refer to it as rice wine, though its brewing process more closely resembles that of beer than wine. Shuzo kotekimai (sake rice) is used to make Sake, and the grains are larger then the standard rice eaten in Japan. The starch is in the middle of the grain, so the rice may be polished to remove the bran in a bid to create superior flavours. Various designations of Sake exist, and they are defined by the levels of polishing the rice undergoes, as well as the percentages of different types of rice.