← Nouns Cooking · Japanese

Ingredients

• 150 g Japanese short-grain rice
• 600 ml water, for the porridge
• 200 ml cold water, for cooling
• 200 g Rice koji
• 1 pinch Salt
• 1 tsp Ginger, finely grated, to serve (optional)

Method

1. Rinse the rice, then simmer it with 600 ml water, partly covered and stirring now and then, for 15–20 min, until it becomes a soft, thick porridge.
2. Stir in the cold water to bring the temperature down to about 60°C (140°F). It should feel hot, but not scalding.
3. Crumble the koji into the porridge and stir well.
4. Keep the mixture at 55–60°C (130–140°F) for 8 hours, for example in a rice cooker on its keep-warm setting with the lid open and a tea towel over the top, or in a yogurt maker. Stir now and then and check with a thermometer: above 65°C the koji stops working.
5. It is ready when it tastes very sweet and the grains are soft. Add the salt and blend until smooth if you like.
6. Serve hot with a little ginger, or chilled and thinned with water or milk. Keep in the fridge and use within a week.

Tips

• Koji-style amazake contains no alcohol, unlike the version made from sake lees.
• Most rice koji is gluten-free, but some brands share equipment with barley koji, so check the label if it matters.

Sources

Written in our own words after cross-checking these recipes:

Just One Cookbook Chopstick Chronicles