Taiwan rice returns home as high-end Japanese sake

What happened: Three breweries in Japan's Niigata prefecture are using Taiwan-grown rice to brew premium sake for export back to Taiwan. Key numbers: Three breweries; rice variety is Tainan No. 21, a cross between a Japanese sake-rice variety and a Taiwanese table-rice variety, grown in Taiwan's Yilan county. Why it matters: The brewers are targeting affluent drinkers with local ingredients, positioning the Taiwan-grown rice as the basis for premium export sake.

Three breweries in Japan's Niigata prefecture are using Taiwan-grown rice to brew premium sake for export back to Taiwan.

The brewers are targeting affluent drinkers with local ingredients, positioning the Taiwan-grown rice as the basis for premium export sake.