Amazake is a sweet and nutritious Japanese drink made by fermenting rice with Aspergillus oryzae. It can be used as a milk alternative and in various dishes. Amazake has a slightly fermented taste and is available in a thick or diluted form with added flavors.
Amazake is a traditional Japanese drink made by fermenting rice to produce a sweet and nutritious beverage. The fermented drink is available in many specialty stores and can be found in health food stores because it has a high nutritional value. For people who suffer from lactose intolerance, amazake is a great alternative to milk and can be used in a variety of dishes as well as being eaten plain.
Making Amazake
To make amazake, rice is saturated with Aspergillus oryzae, a type of fungus. The mushroom is also known as koji and is a crucial ingredient in Japanese fermented foods such as sake, soy sauce and mirin. After the mushroom has been taken, the rice is mixed with freshly cooked rice and allowed to incubate at a temperature of about 130 degrees Fahrenheit (55 degrees Celsius) for about 14 hours. The koji breaks down the starches in the rice into sugars and the incubation is stopped before the sugars can convert to alcohol. The mixture resembles porridge at this point and is usually pureed before sale.
After blending, amazake is extremely thick and resembles a pudding. It is sometimes available in this form and is also sold diluted as a fermented liquid. Some companies add flavors like vanilla or chocolate, especially for markets outside Japan. Without stabilizers, amazake is very perishable, so it needs to be refrigerated and used quickly.
Slightly fermented flavour
In Japan, amazake is often served hot with a pinch of grated ginger. It can also be used in desserts, added to smoothies, or used as a milk alternative in other dishes. The drink has a sweet, slightly fermented taste that reminds many people of sake. The similarity in flavor isn’t surprising, because amazake is closely related to sake. In fact, some sake companies distill the leftovers from their brewing process to create a type of amazake, which is an efficient use of all their ingredients.
People sometimes compare amazake to rice milk or other grain-based lattes. The process of making cereal milk is similar, but as a general rule, amazake is fermented and cereal milk is not. Both can be made at home, although making amazake is a bit more involved because cooks should avoid the promotion of unwanted bacteria. Koji is available from several companies, often in the form of rice flour inoculated with the mushroom. Brown or white rice can be used to make amazake and cooks should first wash the rice thoroughly.
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