Amazake — sweet and comforting rice drink
A thick, naturally sweet drink made by fermenting rice with kōji (rice inoculated with mold). Non-alcoholic, rich in natural sugars and energy, it is drunk hot in winter, cold in summer. An ancient sweetness that owes nothing to refined sugar.
A thick, naturally sweet drink made by fermenting rice with kōji (rice inoculated with mold). Non-alcoholic, rich in natural sugars and energy, it is drunk hot in winter, cold in summer. An ancient sweetness that owes nothing to refined sugar.
Before going on stage in winter, nothing beats a bowl of hot amazake between my hands—it's sweet, sweet all by itself without adding anything, and it sets you right. The rice does all the work, it transforms and becomes sweet like magic; grandmothers call it the drinkable IV drip. I close my eyes, take a sip, and my voice warms up before the lights.
- •Cooked rice (or rice porridge) — one bowl (sweet base)
- •Kōji (fermented rice) — equal part (ferment, sweet signature)
- •Hot water — to texture (dilution)
- •Ginger — a little (optional aromatic)
Amazake — sweet and comforting rice drink
A thick, naturally sweet drink made by fermenting rice with kōji (rice inoculated with mold). Non-alcoholic, rich in natural sugars and energy, it is drunk hot in winter, cold in summer. An ancient sweetness that owes nothing to refined sugar.
Why this dish? For an artist who takes care of her voice and energy on stage, amazake—a non-alcoholic fermented rice drink, nicknamed 'drinkable IV drip' in Japan—is the ideal comfort: sweet, energizing, traditional. A Japanese treat that ends the meal or warms up before a winter concert.
Before going on stage in winter, nothing beats a bowl of hot amazake between my hands—it's sweet, sweet all by itself without adding anything, and it sets you right. The rice does all the work, it transforms and becomes sweet like magic; grandmothers call it the drinkable IV drip. I close my eyes, take a sip, and my voice warms up before the lights.
Ingredients (period version)
- Cooked rice (or rice porridge) — one bowl (sweet base)
- Kōji (fermented rice) — equal part (ferment, sweet signature)
- Hot water — to texture (dilution)
- Ginger — a little (optional aromatic)
Ingredients
- Cooked short-grain rice — 200 g (base)
- Rice kōji (rice koji) — 200 g (sweetening ferment)
- Water — 400 ml (dilution)
- Fresh grated ginger — 1 tsp (optional aromatic)
Method
- Mix the warm cooked rice (around 55-60 °C) with kōji and hot water.
- Keep the mixture at about 55-60 °C for 6 to 10 hours (yogurt maker, rice cooker on 'keep warm' with lid ajar, or thermos): the rice becomes gently sweet.
- Blend for a smooth texture if desired, or leave as is.
- Serve hot with a little grated ginger in winter, or chilled and diluted with ice water in summer.
- Keeps for a few days in the fridge; stir well before serving.
How it was made : Amazake dates back to the Kofun/Nara period and is mentioned in early chronicles. Kōji (Aspergillus oryzae), a fermentation mold, converts rice starch into sugars: the drink becomes sweet without any addition. Traditionally drunk at festivals (especially New Year at shrines) and reputed to be fortifying, it is nicknamed 'drinkable IV drip'.
The contemporary twist : Serve as a contemporary latte, lengthened with hot soy milk and dusted with matcha—the amazake revisited by Tokyo cafés.
Ayumi Hamasaki · Charactorium
