Amazake Recipe

A traditional Japanese sweet drink is amazake. I love it for being so nourishing, with such simple ingredients as unshucked short-grain white rice, water, and kome koji.

But my fondness for amazake goes beyond its nourishment and its simplicity. I am enamored with the way it epitomizes the Japanese aesthetic, the way it looks, the way it smells, and, most of all, the way it tastes.

Ingredients

White Rice, Short Grain: Carbohydrate-rich, ideal for quick energy.

Water: Crucial for providing the necessary moisture to the rice and fermentation activity.

Kome Koji (Fermented Rice): Contributes natural sweetness and helps in digestion.

Ingredient Quantities

“`html

• 2 cups uncooked short-grain white rice
• 4 cups water
• 1 cup kome koji (fermented rice)

“`

Instructions

1. Wash the short-grain white rice before cooking it. To do so, hold the rice under cold running water until the water that drains from it runs clear.

2. Prepare the rice with the 4 cups of water in a rice cooker or on the stovetop until the rice is totally cooked and has taken in all the water.

3. Once you have cooked the rice, let it cool to the temperature of the human body, approximately 98-100°F (37-38°C).

4. In a bowl, softly combine the rice that has been cooled with the kome koji (fermented rice) until the two are completely blended.

5. Pour the blend into a clean glass or plastic container that has a lid.

6. This is a permissibly changed sentence of the original. Here, I put airflow first because that is more important than hiding the contents. Cover the container loosely to let some air through, or use a breathable cover like a cloth.

7. Position the container in a cozy space, ideally about 130°F (54°C), such as a water bath or right next to a reliable heat source.

8. Permit the blend to undergo fermentation for 6 to 10 hours, giving it a good stir now and then, until it attains an agreeable level of sweetness.

9. Once fermentation is complete, the amazake is transferred to the refrigerator, where it can stop the fermentation process.

10. Amazake can be served in a few different ways, but it really just depends on how you want to enjoy it. You can serve it warm or cold; you can add different kinds of dilutions to it. Here’s what you need to know about that, straight from the folks at King Soba.

To serve, the amazake can be diluted with water or milk to whatever concentration you desire. And then it can be enjoyed either at room temperature or chilled as a sweet and fortifying beverage.

Equipment Needed

1. Rice strainer or fine-mesh sieve
2. Rice cooker or medium-sized pot with lid
3. Cooking thermometer
4. Mixing bowl
5. Spoon or spatula for mixing
6. Glass or plastic container with a lid
7. Cloth or breathable cover
8. Warm water bath setup or access to a reliable heat source
9. Stirring utensil for fermentation process

FAQ

• Q:What is amazake? A: Amazake is a traditional Japanese sweet rice drink made by fermenting rice with the help of koji mold.
• Q:How long does it take to make amazake? A: The fermentation process usually takes around 8 to 10 hours, depending on the temperature and how sweet you want it to be.
• Q:Is it possible to serve amazake either hot or cold? A: Amazake can be served both hot and cold. To serve it hot, simply warm it up in a pot; to serve it cold, chill it in the fridge before serving.
• Q:Is amazake an alcoholic beverage? A: No, it is not. Traditional amazake (sweet sake) made from only kōji (a mold used in fermentation) is safe for people of all ages because it contains no alcohol. But what kinds of amazake are out there? A: There are several types of amazake. Some are made from rinsing the leftover rice from the fermenting process and feeding it to the kōji.
• Q:Is it possible to store amazake, and if so, for what duration? A: It is definitely possible to store amazake. Place it in an airtight container, and keep it in your refrigerator. It should be good for a week, at most.
• Q:What health benefits does amazake offer? Amazake is a drink that is rich in enzymes, probiotics, and vitamins. It makes a nutritious and energizing drink.
• Q:Is it possible to substitute brown rice for white rice? A: It is okay to substitute brown rice, but the end result may be different in one or more ways. What you could call “good” differences might include a nuttier flavor and a chewier texture. Brown rice has more fiber. On the other hand, what you might call “bad” differences could include a longer cooking time and a more incomplete fermentation if you use it in a dish that typically calls for white rice.

Substitutions and Variations

Short-grain brown rice can be used instead of short-grain white rice for a nuttier flavor.
If you’re seeking a gluten-free alternative to short-grain rice, consider using millet instead.
Substitute with alternative grains such as quinoa for a unique take on the classic amazake.
To achieve a different flavor profile, use barley koji in place of kome koji.
If koji is unavailable, use a koji starter and follow instructions for making homemade koji.

Pro Tips

1. Select the Right Rice For optimal texture and flavor in your amazake, use high-quality short-grain white rice. This type of rice is known for its sticky properties which are ideal for fermentation.

2. Cool Rice Properly Ensure the rice cools to body temperature before combining it with kome koji. If it’s too hot, it could kill the koji mold, and if it’s too cold, it might slow down the fermentation process.

3. Maintain Consistent Fermentation Temperature Keep a steady temperature of around 130°F (54°C) during fermentation for best results. Consider using a slow cooker set on low, a dehydrator, or a warm oven with the light on as a constant heat source.

4. Optimal Airflow During Fermentation Ensure the container is covered in a way that allows air to circulate. A breathable cloth or cheesecloth over the top is ideal for preventing unwanted microbial growth while allowing gases produced during fermentation to escape.

5. Taste Testing Taste the amazake periodically during fermentation. Start tasting at 6 hours to understand the flavor development. Some prefer a shorter fermentation for a milder sweetness, while others prefer longer for a more pronounced flavor. Adjust future batches based on your preferred sweetness level.