Wine & Spirit Education Trust (WSET) Level 1 Award in Sake Practice Exam 2025 – Your All-in-One Guide to Mastering Sake Certification!

The usual spelling of Nama sake is presented as "Nama-zake." This spelling reflects the Japanese language's structure and the way in which terms are often broken down, using a hyphen to indicate that "nama" is a descriptive prefix meaning "raw" or "fresh." This term is specifically used to describe sake that has not undergone pasteurization, which is a key characteristic of this type of sake.

In contrast, other spellings do not accurately conform to the standard conventions used in the sake industry. The choice "Namazake" is commonly used, but the hyphenated version emphasizes the separate meanings of the components. Similarly, "Namazakeh" and "Nama-sake" include extraneous elements that are not part of the traditional nomenclature in Japanese sake terminology. Thus, "Nama-zake" captures the essence of what this sake is in a format that aligns appropriately with established conventions in sake terminology.