Sato (rice wine)
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''Sato'' ( th, สาโท, , ) is a traditional northeastern Thailand (Isan)
beer style Beer styles differentiate and categorise beers by colour, flavour, strength, ingredients, production method, recipe, history, or origin. The modern concept of beer styles is largely based on the work of writer Michael Jackson in his 1977 book ...
that has been made for centuries from
starch Starch or amylum is a polymeric carbohydrate consisting of numerous glucose units joined by glycosidic bonds. This polysaccharide is produced by most green plants for energy storage. Worldwide, it is the most common carbohydrate in human diets ...
y glutinous or sticky rice by growers in that region. Just as other regional varieties made not from
grape A grape is a fruit, botanically a berry, of the deciduous woody vines of the flowering plant genus ''Vitis''. Grapes are a non- climacteric type of fruit, generally occurring in clusters. The cultivation of grapes began perhaps 8,000 years ago, ...
s but
cereal A cereal is any Poaceae, grass cultivated for the edible components of its grain (botanically, a type of fruit called a caryopsis), composed of the endosperm, Cereal germ, germ, and bran. Cereal Grain, grain crops are grown in greater quantit ...
are commonly called
wine Wine is an alcoholic drink typically made from fermented grapes. Yeast consumes the sugar in the grapes and converts it to ethanol and carbon dioxide, releasing heat in the process. Different varieties of grapes and strains of yeasts are m ...
rather than
beer Beer is one of the oldest and the most widely consumed type of alcoholic drink in the world, and the third most popular drink overall after water and tea. It is produced by the brewing and fermentation of starches, mainly derived from ce ...
, ''sato'' is commonly called Thai rice wine. When brewed in little brown jugs called (), it is called () or ().


History

Due to the internal migration of people from Isan throughout Thailand, ''sato'' (like many forms of northeastern Thai cuisine) has become increasingly familiar to the general
population Population typically refers to the number of people in a single area, whether it be a city or town, region, country, continent, or the world. Governments typically quantify the size of the resident population within their jurisdiction using a ...
, as well as expatriates and tourists. This plus the availability of commercially produced sato have increased its popularity. Under the Thai government's
One Tambon One Product One Tambon One Product (OTOP) is a local entrepreneurship stimulus program designed by Thailand's former Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra during his 2001-2006 Thai Rak Thai government. The program aimed to support locally made and marketed produ ...
program (a government sponsored economic development program abbreviated TP and pronounced OTOP), several
districts A district is a type of administrative division that, in some countries, is managed by the local government. Across the world, areas known as "districts" vary greatly in size, spanning regions or counties, several municipalities, subdivisions o ...
chose revenue-stamped sato as their OTOP product. Brewers today produce ''sato'' under such names as "Siam Sato", "Ruan Rak", "Gru Pli", among others.


() is ''sato'' brewed in
earthenware Earthenware is glazed or unglazed nonvitreous pottery that has normally been fired below . Basic earthenware, often called terracotta, absorbs liquids such as water. However, earthenware can be made impervious to liquids by coating it with a ce ...
jar A jar is a rigid, cylindrical or slightly conical container, typically made of glass, ceramic, or plastic, with a wide mouth or opening that can be closed with a lid, screw cap, lug cap, cork stopper, roll-on cap, crimp-on cap, press-on cap, ...
s or
jug A jug is a type of container commonly used to hold liquids. It has an opening, sometimes narrow, from which to pour or drink, and has a handle, and often a pouring lip. Jugs throughout history have been made of metal, and ceramic, or glass, and ...
s (.) It is also called ( alcohol fcradle) — is
alcohol Alcohol most commonly refers to: * Alcohol (chemistry), an organic compound in which a hydroxyl group is bound to a carbon atom * Alcohol (drug), an intoxicant found in alcoholic drinks Alcohol may also refer to: Chemicals * Ethanol, one of sev ...
as in ''
lao-Lao Lao-Lao () is a Lao people, Laotian rice whisky produced in Laos. Along with Beerlao, lao-Lao is a staple drink in Laos. Etymology The name ''lao-Lao'' is not the same word repeated twice, but two different words pronounced with different tones ...
'' ( alcohol f
Laos Laos (, ''Lāo'' )), officially the Lao People's Democratic Republic ( Lao: ສາທາລະນະລັດ ປະຊາທິປະໄຕ ປະຊາຊົນລາວ, French: République démocratique populaire lao), is a socialist ...
), is "cradle" in the sense of holding something under construction. Some, such as the Phu Thai of Renu, sell home brew sato kits in little brown jugs ( ) of various sizes. These also bear revenue stamps and, like the bottled variety, warnings that it is not to be served to those
under 18 ''Under Eighteen'' is a 1931 American pre-Code romantic drama film directed by Archie Mayo and starring Marian Marsh, Anita Page, Regis Toomey, and Warren William. It is based on the short story "Sky Life" by Frank Mitchell Dazey and Agnes Chri ...
. Typical ingredients include rice chaff, milled rice, and refined sugar, and these make a beer of not more than 6.4 percent alcohol.Jeff Cranmer, Steven Martin, Kirby Coxon,


Brewing

''Sato'' is brewed with
glutinous rice Glutinous rice (''Oryza sativa var. glutinosa''; also called sticky rice, sweet rice or waxy rice) is a type of rice grown mainly in Southeast and East Asia, and the northeastern regions of South Asia, which has opaque grains, very low amylose ...
() (also called sticky rice); a starter culture, a mixture including primarily sugar; yeast; and water. Traditionally, a starter culture known as ''luk paeng'' (, a small ball of
starch Starch or amylum is a polymeric carbohydrate consisting of numerous glucose units joined by glycosidic bonds. This polysaccharide is produced by most green plants for energy storage. Worldwide, it is the most common carbohydrate in human diets ...
, yeast, and mold) is used to assist in
fermentation Fermentation is a metabolic process that produces chemical changes in organic substrates through the action of enzymes. In biochemistry, it is narrowly defined as the extraction of energy from carbohydrates in the absence of oxygen. In food ...
. The steamed sticky rice is mixed with ''luk paeng'' and kept in a fermentation tank for three days, as the starch in the rice changes to
sugar Sugar is the generic name for sweet-tasting, soluble carbohydrates, many of which are used in food. Simple sugars, also called monosaccharides, include glucose, fructose, and galactose. Compound sugars, also called disaccharides or double ...
. Water is then added to the fermentation tank and the mixture is allowed to ferment for a further week. Following that, the fresh rice wine is pressed from the dregs, and filtered. is prepared by breaking the seal in the mouth of the jar and adding clean water, then immediately
drunk Alcohol intoxication, also known as alcohol poisoning, commonly described as drunkenness or inebriation, is the negative behavior and physical effects caused by a recent consumption of alcohol. In addition to the toxicity of ethanol, the main ps ...
. Owing to the simplicity of the process, the resultant beverage is often of variable quality and has a short shelf life. Some molds and yeasts produce mycotoxins.
Ergot Ergot ( ) or ergot fungi refers to a group of fungi of the genus ''Claviceps''. The most prominent member of this group is ''Claviceps purpurea'' ("rye ergot fungus"). This fungus grows on rye and related plants, and produces alkaloids that ca ...
, the common name of a fungus in the genus Claviceps that is parasitic on certain grains and grasses, also occurs in tropical regions, and may cause
ergotism Ergotism (pron. ) is the effect of long-term ergot poisoning, traditionally due to the ingestion of the alkaloids produced by the ''Claviceps purpurea'' fungus—from the Latin "club" or clavus "nail" and for "head", i.e. the purple club-head ...
.


Serving

''Sato'' is typically served at room temperature. In Isan, ''sato'' is usually served in a large bowl, into which individuals dip their glasses or cups. is sold with a pair of bamboo drinking straws, and labels recommend serving to
couple Couple or couples may refer to : Basic meaning *Couple (app), a mobile app which provides a mobile messaging service for two people *Couple (mechanics), a system of forces with a resultant moment but no resultant force *Couple (relationship), tw ...
s.


See also

*''
Rượu cần ''Rượu cần'' ( or 'straw liquor') is a fermented rice wine indigenous to several ethnic groups in Vietnam, in areas such as Tây Nguyên or Tây Bắc. It is made of fermented glutinous rice (''nếp'') mixed with several kinds of herbs (in ...
'', in Vietnam *''
Sra peang ''Sra peang'' ( km, ស្រាពាង, ) is a rice wine stored in earthen pots and indigenous to several ethnic groups in Cambodia, in areas such as Mondulkiri or Ratanakiri. It is made of fermented glutinous rice mixed with several kinds of ...
'', in Cambodia *''
Lao-Lao Lao-Lao () is a Lao people, Laotian rice whisky produced in Laos. Along with Beerlao, lao-Lao is a staple drink in Laos. Etymology The name ''lao-Lao'' is not the same word repeated twice, but two different words pronounced with different tones ...
''


References

{{Thai cuisine Rice wine Isan Thai culture Thai alcoholic drinks