精米(せいまい)

せいまい
noun; suru verb
rice polishing; polished rice
1. rice polishing; rice milling
The process of removing the outer layers (bran) from brown rice to produce white rice.
玄米(げんまい)を精米(せいまい)して白米(はくまい)にする。
Polish brown rice to make white rice.
精米(せいまい)歩合(ぶあい)50%の日本酒(にほんしゅ)は高級(こうきゅう)だ。
Sake with a 50% rice polishing ratio is high-grade.
スーパーに精米(せいまい)コーナーがある。
There's a rice polishing station at the supermarket.
2. polished rice; white rice
Rice that has undergone the polishing process.

RICE TYPES:

  • 玄米(げんまい) (brown rice - unpolished)
  • 白米(はくまい) (white rice - polished)
  • 胚芽(はいが)米(まい) (germ rice - partially polished)

IN SAKE PRODUCTION:

  • 精米(せいまい)歩合(ぶあい) (rice polishing ratio) - percentage of rice remaining after polishing
  • Lower percentage = more polished = higher grade sake
  • 大吟醸(だいぎんじょう) requires ≤50% polishing ratio

RELATED TERMS:

  • 精米(せいまい)機(き) (rice polishing machine)
  • 精米(せいまい)所(じょ) (rice mill)
  • 糠(ぬか) (rice bran - the byproduct)

Many Japanese supermarkets have self-service 精米(せいまい)機(き) where customers can polish their own rice.

Related Words

Related: 脱穀(だっこく) (preceding step)
general
Added 2026.1.18 10:15 · Revised 2026.1.19 21:17
06500/06615_seimai