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HOW TO MAKE AMAZAKE
Figure 1 Amazake in a cup Amazake contains no alcohol, and is a very sweet snack drink for both adults and children. It is rich in vitamins B1, B2, B6, vitamin H, numerous enzymes and amino acids. Therefore, it is a healthy drink and popular in Japan. Ingredients are koji and water only. White rice koji is most often used to make amazake, but yellow koji and black koji can be used as well. Koji can be made using a koji starter or bought. Koji and koji starter are both available at Etsy.com.
Amazake made with black koji has a unique flavor with slight acidity. In author’s family every one chooses the amazake made with black koji. Amazake can be used as an ingredient of pudding or smoothie. Amazake has many health benefits. It has 19 essential amino acids that cannot be produced in human body. Amazake enhances immune systems, helps recover from fatigue, is antiaging and helps skins to become smooth. It suppresses melanin that makes skin dark. Amazake has origosacchride and foodfiber that help digestion and resolves constipation. Amazake also helps lower high blood pressure. Because of its rich medicinal effects and glucose, do not drink more than one cup a day. Recipe of making amazake Materials 2 cup koji (white, yellow, or black) 2.5 cup water Procedures Place koji and water in a 1L (1 quart) Mason jar. Put the Mason jar in the water bath kept at 60 C (140 F) for 8 hours To keep the water bath at 60 C for 8 hours, use an electric pot controlled by a thermostat set at 60 C. If you prefer sweeter amazake, double or triple the time length to keep at 60 C. The sweetness will be doubled or tripled, respectively. Making amazake using a
rice cooker, a simpler way An alternative way is to use a rice cooker that is designed to have the capability of making amazake. The author found that any rice cookers with the “keep warm function” can make good amazake. The author tested two rice cookers to see if they are capable to make amazake. One is the rice cooker that works by induction heating as shown in the following figure. Figure 2 A aice cooker Two cups of dried koji and 2.5 cups of cold water were placed in the rice cooker. This rice cooker was set to “keep warm function”. Temperature was 68 C, but it worked fine. Amazake heated for eight hours at this temperature was as sweet as the amazake made at 60C for 16 hours.. Another rice cooker was purchased from Amazon.com for just $18 before tax.
Figure 3 Elite
Gourmet Elite Cuisine ERC006 Electric Rice Cooker For sweeter amazake Various drinks made with Amazake Lemon squash Amazake 1/2 cup, lemon juice squeezed from lemon 1Tbsp, Carbonated water ½ cup. Place amazake and lemon juice in a glass, and add carbonated water. Garnish with a lemon slice. Vinegar amazake squash Amazake 1/2 cup, apple cider vinegar 1Tbsp, carbonated water ½ cup. Garnish with a mint leaf. Amazake ginger ale Amazake 1/2 cup, a pich of grated ginger, carbonated water ½ cup. Garnish with a mint leaf. Amazake yogurt squash Amazake 1/2 cup, Plain yogurt 50g, carbonated water ½ cup. In a glass place amazake and yogurt, and mix well. Add carbonated water and ice on the top. Amazake strawberry smoothie Amazake ½ cup, strawberry 50 g, plain yogurt 50 g. Blend the above materials in a mixer. Transfer to a glass, and garnish with additional half strawberry. Green tea amazake Amazake ¾ cup, green tea powder 10 g. Mix ¼ cup amazake and the green tea powder in a glass. Add the remainder of amazake and mix again. Yuzu marmalade amazake Amazake ¾ cup, 1 Tbsp yuzu marmalade. Put marmalade in a glass first, and add amazake. Mix well. Amazake peach drink Amazake ½ cup, canned peach ½ cup. Blend both together in a mixer. Serve in a glass. Banana milk mazake drink Amazake ½ cup, milk ½ cup, 1 banana (80g) Add in a mixer in order of amazake, peeled banana and milk. Blend until smooth. A pinch of cinnamon may be added. Cocoa amazake milk drink Amazake ½ cup, cocoa powder 50 g, milk ½ cup. Blend and heat in microwave. Amazake zenzai Rice-powder 10 g, water ½ Tbsp, redbeans paste 50 g, water 50ml. First, make rice-powder ball: mix rice power with ½ Tbsp water. Make a few balls. Put in boiling water for 2 minutes. Remove the balls from the boiling water and cool in cold water for a few minutes. Warm the redbean paste and water in a small sauce pan. Transfer the content to a small bowl to serve the dessert. Add the rice balls and amazake on the top. |
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