How to make easy amazake drinks to get you
through the summer

Amazake is a simple drink in terms of ingredients and how it’s made. You just make a gruel with rice and water, add rice kōji and allow it to ferment. Since it contains glucose, essential amino acids, vitamins and more, it has been loved by Japanese people as a nutritious summer drink since the Edo period (1603–1867).

In this issue, we introduce three easy amazake drinks made using Marukome’s Amazake that are just perfect for summer. Breaking down the starches in rice and rice kōji, Marukome’s straight amazake is naturally sweet with no added sugar and 0% alcohol. It’s delicious drunk just as it is, but with just a little extra effort, it becomes something completely different. It’s quite remarkable.

The recipes are provided by Takahashi Kayo-san, a fermented cookery researcher and the expert who popularized shōyu kōji (soy sauce kōji). She has come up with recipes that make the most of the smooth, easy-to-drink nature of Marukome’s Amazake.

Amazake transforms into various guises

“Rich in nutrients, amazake is something I like to drink just about every day through the scorching summer. It is a really convenient drink whose flavor can be changed in any number of ways, just by adding a little something.”

First, let’s mix it with catechin-rich matcha. Use one teaspoon of matcha powder per pack of Amazake (125 ml). If you dissolve the matcha powder in a little hot water first, it makes it harder for lumps to form, making the drink look as good as it tastes. It’s delicious chilled before serving, but the scent of the matcha is enhanced, I think, if you make it with warmed amazake. Served with some amazake karinto (a deep-fried sweet snack), it’s a delightfully Japanese-style summer refreshment. It’s a bit of a grown-up taste.

Second is a collaboration between milk and amazake that children will love.

“Marukome’s Amazake is smooth, without any rice lumps, so you can drink it through a straw. Combining it with calcium-rich milk increases its nutritiousness.”

The ratio is one part amazake to three parts milk. This way, the amazake and milk meld together beautifully and you can drink it without noticing anything strange from the very first sip. It transforms into your own original health drink. Serving it lightly chilled is recommended.

Finally, we have kinako amazake, which has a mild flavor. Use one teaspoon of kinako (roasted soybean flour) per pack of Amazake (125 ml). With a different flavor to the matcha amazake, this could be a snack on its own. It’s also fun to experiment with using more or less amazake to find your favorite taste.

“I research food in the belief that traditional Japanese fermented foods are best for the health—and beauty—of Japanese bodies. I’d love for you to enjoy amazake simply using these amazake recipes as a starting point.”

Another good idea is to freeze any of the three recipes to make them into slushies. Just adding a bit of this or that gives lots of fun flavor variations. The drinks provide natural relief from the heat of summer, too.