What is amazake?
Amazake (pronounced ah-muh-zah-kay) is Japanese for “sweet sake.” It is a creamy, non-alcoholic, fermented drink with an ambrosial, nectar-like natural sweetness.. The sweetness is brought about by enzymes in kome-koji (cultured rice inoculated with Aspergillus mold) which break down starch in cooked sweet rice into simple sugars. Commercial amazake in stores is likely pasteurised, which kills desirable probiotics. Homemade amazake is best and easy to make! While amazake is the first stage in the Japanese sake-making process, it is also regarded as an independent beverage.
Two-stages of fermentation in Amazake
In the first stage, steamed rice is inoculated with spores of Aspergillus oryzae mold, and incubated (typically in shallow wooden trays called morobuta) in a warm place (27-30°C or 78-86°F) with occasional stirring for 36-48 hours until the rice is covered in a fragrant white mycelium. The product, called kome-koji, serves as a rich source of enzymes in stage 2 – amazake fermentation. In Japan, it is sold in sake breweries or supermarkets and available in fresh or dried form. It is used as a starter for amazake, miso, soy sauce, mirin and vegetable pickles.
In the second stage, abundant enzymes in kome-koji, especially amylase, hydrolyse the starch in both koji and freshly cooked rice to simple sugars, which impart the surprisingly concentrated natural sweetness. When making amazake, you can determine how sweet the product will be by the amount of koji you use – the more koji, the sweeter the amazake.
How to make Amazake
The basic recipes calls for one part uncooked sweet rice (white or brown), two parts water, and one to one-half parts koji by weight, depending on the desired sweetness. For example, 200 g (1 cup) of rice is steamed until done, cooled to 60°C (140°F) or moderately hot to the touch, then mixed with 200 g (2 cups) of kome-koji. The mixture is transferred to a wide-mouth jar or crock, covered tightly and incubated at 60°C (140°F) for 10-14 hours with occasional stirring. An immersion circulator or thermos flask can be used to maintain the temperature. At 60°C (140°F), bacteria and mold will die, but enzymes in koji are active to convert starch to sugar. The fermentation is complete when the mixture has a rich, sweet fragrance and the individual grains are very soft.
Cheat Amazake from Sake Lees
Another way of making amazake is from residual sake lees. This does not require fermentation and contains added sugar. It is also known as amazake, which can be confusing. While sake lees still contain some active enzymes, the quantity, quality and benefits of the resulting drink is less than fermented amazake. The directions for this method are in the recipe card below.
How to enjoy Amazake
The traditional Japanese way of serving amazake is to combine 1 part of this base with 2 parts water in a saucepan and bring to the boil. Season lightly with rock salt, pour into cups, and top each portion with a dab of grated ginger root. I like to flavour my amazake with matcha, or use other types of tea/herbal tea as the base such as hojicha, mugicha, chai or coffee.
Health Benefits of Amazake
Amazake is packed with other nutrients, including vitamin B1, vitamin B2, vitamin B6, folic acid, ferulic acid, dietary fibre, glutamine, and a large amount of glucose.
- 200 g (1 cup) sweet brown or white rice (you can experiment with other grains such as millet)
- 480 g (2 cups) filtered water
- 200 g (1 packet) kome-koji
- 200 g (1 cup) sweet brown or white rice (you can experiment with other grains such as millet)
- 720 g (3 cups) filtered water
- 454 g (1 lb) sake lees
- 200 g (1 cup) black sugar
- 720 g (3 cups) filtered water
- 120 g (1/2 cup) amazake
- 240 g (1 cup) filtered water or beverage of choice (tea, herbal tea, coffee etc.)
- Grated ginger, to taste (optional)
- Cook rice with water in a saucepan or rice cooker. Allow the cooked rice to cool to 60°C (140°F) or moderately hot to the touch. Mix in kome-koji. Transfer the mixture to a wide-mouth jar, cover tightly and incubated at 60°C (140°F) for 10-14 hours with occasional stirring. An immersion circulator or thermos flask can be used to maintain the temperature. The fermentation is complete when the mixture has a rich, sweet fragrance and the individual grains are very soft.
- Cook rice in water until porridge (okayu) consistency. Allow the cooked rice to cool to 60°C (140°F) or moderately hot to the touch. Mix in sake lees. Wrap the pot with towels to maintain the temperature at 60°C (140°F) an incubate in a warm place for 2-3 hours. When the mixture becomes soft, add sugar and the remainder water, then bring to a simmer until sugar dissolves.
- Mix amazake with water or beverage of your choice. Enjoy hot or cold. Refrigerate leftovers in an airtight container.
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