Amazake Recipe (Japanese Fermented Rice Drink)

5 from 3 votes

Amazake is a traditional Japanese fermented drink. It’s sweet, healthy, nutrient-rich, and boosts your energy level. How to make it is so simple and easy. Let’s learn how!

Looking for easy drink recipes? Try my Amazake Smoothies or Iced Matcha Latte!

I’ll walk you through the ingredients and step-by-step instructions. I hope you enjoy it!

Why You Will Love This Recipe

You will enjoy the natural sweetness of amazake as a healthier alternative to sugary drinks.
Easy to make with simple ingredients and straightforward preparation steps.
Amazake offers a healthy boost to your diet.

What is Amazake?

Amazake in a bowl, with comments about amazake

Amazake is a traditional Japanese rice drink that means sweet sake (ama: sweet, zake: alcohol) in Japanese. This healthy beverage contains lots of nutrition and benefits. It’s sweet and refreshing and can be enjoyed as-is or used for cooking and making desserts.

While traditionally served on special occasions like Hina Matsuri (Doll Festival) and Oshogatsu (New Year), the popularity of amazake has increased in recent years, and people enjoy it for its health benefits all year round.

Type of Amazake

There are two types of amazake: koji rice amazake and sake kasu amazake. Both are sweet drinks, but they’re made differently and have different levels of sweetness.

Sake Kasu Amazake (Sake Lees)

Sake kasu amazake is prepared by simmering sake lees, water, and sugar in a pot. Since sake kasu isn’t sweet on its own, sugar is added to enhance its sweetness. This sweet beverage has a high nutritional value but may contain a small amount of alcohol.

*Sake kasu, also known as sake lees, is a pulp leftover from the sake-making process. It typically contains 8% alcohol and has a soft, play-dough-like texture.

Koji Rice Amazake

Kojir rice amazake is made by fermenting a blend of koji rice and water. While it’s simple to prepare, fermentation does require some time. It’s a healthy beverage with its naturally mild sweetness.

*Koji rice is created through the fermentation of rice using a fungus known as koji mold. It’s an essential Japanese ingredient used in traditional seasonings like miso, mirin, and sake.

Sake Kasu Amazake vs Kojir Rice Amazake

Let’s compare the differences between two types of amazake.

Sake Kasu Amazake

Alcohol: May contain up to 5% alcohol
Flavor: Sweetness from sugar and has the smell of sake
How to make: Heat the ingredients in a pot for 10 to 15 minutes

koji rice amazake

Alcohol: Non-alcohol
Flavor: Mild sweetness from koji rice
How to make: Ferment the ingredients for 6 hours

Which one would you like to try? My recommendation is a non-alcoholic koji rice amazake, perfect for anyone who wants to enjoy a nutritious beverage, including children and expectant mothers, and offers a wide range of recipe possibilities. In the following section, I will dive into koji rice amazake in more detail.

Koji Rice Amazake Benefits

These nutritional elements are almost equal to what you would receive from an IV drip, so that’s why it’s often referred to as a “Drinkable IV Drip.”
Amazake contains vitamin B, dietary fiber, glucose, enzymes, essential amino acids, and good bacteria.
These components help maintain healthy skin, relieve fatigue, and improve your digestive system.

You can drink this highly nutritional drink every day (I like to drink it in the morning) as it gives you great energy. However, drinking too much may raise your blood sugar levels. Stick to 100ml per day to stay within recommended limits.

Homemade Amazake

We can easily find Amazake here in Japan at convenience stores and grocery stores. However, store-bought one is usually sterilized by heating to keep them long and kill all the goodness in Amazake like the enzymes, vitamins, etc.

Since the enzyme stops activity when the temperature exceeds 60C (140F), buying the one without heat treatment is best, but it’s hard to find it. Don’t worry. If you make it at home, sterilization is unnecessary, so you can take all the great benefits.

Recipe Ingredients

You’ll need the following ingredients to make this Amazake Recipe:

Koji Rice is made by fermenting rice using a fungus called koji mold. It has a dry texture and is easy to take apart. Iseso Miyako Koji is a well-known brand.
Water

Where to Buy Koji Rice

If you live in Japan, you can easily find this Miyako koji in grocery stores or online stores like Amazon. If you live in the US, you can find it here; if you live in Canada, you can find it here. Please let me know if you have trouble finding koji rice or deciding which one to choose. I would love to help you.

Equipment

You’ll need the following equipment to make this Amazake Recipe:

Yogurt maker, thermometer and a small pot

Yogurt Maker: I use this TANICA Yogurutia as it covers a wide range of temperatures from 25 to 65 deg and can run continuously for up to 48 hours.
Thermometer for checking the temperature of the water.
Small pot for boiling water

Yogurt Maker Recommended

For homemade amazake, you’ll need tools to maintain the temperature for a specific period. The commonly used tools are a rice cooker, a food jar, and a yogurt maker.

I recommend using a yogurt maker, which can set the temperature and time easily. You can also use Instant Pot, as it has the feature of a custom temperature setting. You can make amazake with a rice cooker and food jar, but it’s hard to control the temperature since there is no setting.

More Ways to Use Yogurt Maker

Yogurt makers have versatile uses beyond amazake. They can be used for making yogurt, instant miso, natto, bread dough, and more. If you’re a fan of fermented foods, you’ll find plenty of ways to make the most of your yogurt maker.

How To Make Koji Rice Amazake: STEP BY STEP

Here are some quick visual instructions! For the video and all the detailed ingredients and instructions, go to the printable recipe card below.

Step 1

Boil water to 65C (149F).

Step 2

Separate rice grains of koji rice

Step 3

Mix water and koji rice

Step 4

Fermentation for 60C (140F) for 6 hours

Step 5

Once done, taste the amazake to see if it’s sweet

Step 6

Transfer to a glass jar and keep it in the fridge

If you have a yogurt maker, preparing it is a breeze – simply set it and forget it! It tastes delicious whether served cold or warm. I will show you various ways to enjoy amazake below.

Recipe Tips

When mixing koji rice and water, be sure to thoroughly combine them to ensure even fermentation.
The best temperature for making amazake is between 55°C-60°C (131°F-140°F). Lower temperatures, such as 50°C (122°F), do not enhance sweetness, while higher temperatures, like 70°C (158°F), may contribute to sourness instead.
If your amazake is not sweet enough, you can incorporate it into soups, blend it into smoothies, or use it to make teriyaki sauce.
When amazake turns sour, it can be used in dressings, as a light pickling seasoning, in yogurt, smoothies, and more. Even if it doesn’t turn out as expected, don’t discard it – there are still plenty of ways to utilize it!

Storage

Transfer the amazake into a glass jar and keep it in the fridge. Fermentation will continue even in the fridge, and if you leave it for a while, it will get sour, so I recommend drinking it within 7 days to 10 days.

Also, if you don’t consume it right away, you can freeze it too. It will last up to one month or more in the freezer. When you freeze it, an ice cube tray is handy. Once frozen, please transfer the cubes to a freezer bag and warm them up when you drink.

How to Enjoy Amazake

Amazake milk

This Amazake milk is my favorite drink. Blend amazake in a blender and mix with soy milk or your favorite milk (like oat milk and almond milk). It’s smooth, creamy, tasty, and you can enjoy both cold and hot.

Amazake Smoothie

How about amazake smoothie with fruits and vegetables? The smooth, refreshing sweetness of this homemade treat is unlike anything you can find in store-bought smoothies.

Amazake Miso

You can also make amazake miso by mixing miso paste. This flavorful paste would suit a vegetable dip, salad dressing, and marinated tofu.

Amazake Dressing

Mix amazake with rice vinegar, olive oil, and salt and pepper to make a delicious amazake dressing.

Your Questions Answered

What does Amazake taste like?

Amazake is sweet. Koji rice Amazake: Natural mild sweetness from rice, Sakekasu Amazake: sweetness from added sugar.

Can I use Amazake for smoothies?

Yes, it is good for a green smoothie or any other drink. It’s one of my favorite ways to enjoy it.

Is Amazake Vegan?

Yes, it’s vegan. Ingredients are only koji rice and water.

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