Amasake or Amazake is a traditional Japanese sweet drink often used as a sweetening ingredient.
It is a liquid obtained from the fermentation of rice by the same mycotic strain used in miso, soy sauce and sake ( Aspergillus oryzae ).
Amazake dates back to the Kofun period and is mentioned in the Nihon Shoki (writings related to the period prior to the eighth century).
Some amasake recipes are hundreds of years old. Broadly speaking, it is necessary to add Koji (yeast) to cooked and cooled brown rice to allow the fungal enzymes to hydrolyse complex carbohydrates; with this system, the sweetening power is obtained in a completely natural way. Another popular recipe, on the other hand, suggests mixing lees derived from the fermentation of sake with water, but it is often also necessary to add sugar (in addition to a little grated ginger); this version is still widespread at the level of itinerant fast-food.
Amazake can be consumed as a dessert, as a snack, as a sweetener, as a baby food (questionable), as a salad dressing and as an ingredient for smoothies. From the last century, some "instant" versions are available. Many believe that amazake is quite nutritious; in Japan, it is still said to be a formidable cure for hangover symptoms. It is also available in Europe and America, but it is a product that can be found especially in the winter months and mainly in ethnic or naturist food stores.
Some similar drinks include the Chinese Juniang, the Korean Sikhye and the C? Mr ?? u Vietnamese. The western versions of the amazake are: the Sicilian mustard, the sugali (similar to the previous one), or even better the must only initially fermented.
