Creamy with a natural mild sweetness, Amazake or sweet sake is a lovely drink enjoyed during Japanese New Year and Hinamatsuri (Girl‘s Day). I‘ll show you how to make this traditional beverage two ways: Alcohol-free with rice koji or low-alcohol with sake lees.
When I was younger, I always associated amazake (甘酒) with the taste of alcoholic sake. It was that distinct aroma of sake in the drink that gave me the impression that it would be too strong, so I would always pass on the drink when someone offered it. I didn’t know there was a non-alcoholic version then.
What is Amazake?
Amazake (pronounced ah-mah-ZAH-kay) is a traditional Japanese drink made of fermented rice. Literally means “sweet” (甘) “sake” (酒), it has a creamy, thick consistency with a sweet flavor, served either chilled or warm/hot. Although it is commonly called sweet sake, Amazake can be made either with low-alcohol or non-alcohol.
The history of amazake goes back to the Kofun period (250 to 538 AD), mentioned in The Nihon Shoki (日本書紀) or The Chronicles of Japan – the second-oldest book of classical Japanese history.
There are 2 Types of Amazake. Alcoholic amazake made with sake lee (the one I didn’t like growing up), and the non-alcoholic amazake made with rice koji. I now enjoy both types of amazake and they have been my favorite winter comfort drink for many years.
By the way, if you are familiar with the Korean sweet rice drink (sikhye) that is served complimentary at the end of a meal at a Korean restaurant, you may think amazake is the same drink. It is not. Amazake is made with rice, water, and sake lees (酒粕) or rice koji (米麹), while sikhye is made of malted barley flour, rice, sugar, and water.
Non-Alcoholic Amazake Made with Rice Koji
- Non-alcoholic; can be enjoyed by everyone including small children and pregnant ladies
- Made with rice, rice koji, and water
- Can be time-consuming to make
- Temperature control is very important
Rice koji (kome koji 米麹) is rice that is covered with kōji mold (Aspergillus oryzae). As you may already know, kōji mold is used in making many Japanese fermented foods such as miso, soy sauce, mirin, and sake. It helps create some of the most important Japanese ingredients, and maybe one of the contributing reasons to Japanese longevity!
You can buy rice koji (including one above from Cold Mountain) at Japanese grocery stores (refrigerated section near miso), or Amazon.
To make amazake, ferment the rice with rice koji at 125-140 ºF (50-60 ºC) for 8 to 10 hours. This particular temperature range is the most suitable temperature for the enzyme to break down the starch into glucose/sugar.
Low-Alcohol Amazake Made with Sake Lees
- Alcoholic (8%)
- Made with sake lees, sugar, and water
- Easy method
Amazake made with lees left from sake production (sakekasu 酒粕) is a low-alcoholic drink (8% alcohol). Sake lees are dissolved in hot water and sugar is added to sweeten the lees.
Benefits of Drinking Amazake Made with Rice Koji
Amazake made with rice koji has more nutritional value than the one made with sake lees, and it’s called the “IV drip to drink”「飲む点滴」in Japan.
This fermented rice drink is packed with nutrients, including vitamin B1, vitamin B2, vitamin B6, folic acid, ferulic acid, dietary fiber, glutamine, and a large amount of glucose – which are almost the same components as an IV drip, hence the catchy nickname for amazake.
Benefits of drinking amazake:
- anti-aging
- improved skin (prevent spots and freckles, skin lightening, moisturizing)
- increased metabolism
- fatigue recovery
- improved digestion
- strengthened immune system
Even though amazake is good for you, it is important to enjoy the sweet drink in moderation, especially if you’re diabetic. Just one cup (200-250 ml) of amazake in a day is enough to provide you with these health benefits.
Tips to Make Amazake at Home
Amazake with Rice Koji
- Temperature control is the key! You need to maintain the rice and rice koji mixture between 125 and 140 ºF (50-60 ºC) at all times (8 to 10 hours).
- If the temperature is too high, the enzyme of koji does not work sufficiently and won’t become sweet. Conversely, if the temperature is too low, the fermentation of lactic acid progresses too much and the bacteria propagate, causing the drink to become too sour.
- Use whatever device you like (a rice cooker, yogurt maker, thermos pot/jar, etc). To me, the rice cooker is the easiest option. Instant Pot Ultra has a “custom” temperature setting in the yogurt function so you can set the temperature to 125-140 ºF (50-60 ºC) throughout.
Amazake with Sake Lees
- Let the sake lees soften first and dissolved completely.
- Adjust the amount of sugar according to your preference.
- Get sake lees at Japanese grocery stores or sale manufacturers (usually they give it for free!).
Drinking Amazake in Japan
If you have traveled to Japan before, you might have had a chance to try complimentary amazake at your ryokan, or even some souvenir shops. It is a popular drink served during New Year’s in Japan as well. Many temples and shrines provide it free of charge to worshippers on New Year’s Day and sell it for visitors to bring home.
Amazake is also served during Hina Matsuri (Doll Festival) held on March 3rd every year, as a non-alcoholic option to shirozake (白酒) – a sweet white sake with less alcohol, which is traditionally served on this day.
Amazake is the perfect winter drink. It’s healthy, comforting, sweet & creamy! Just what you need to keep warm and cozy until springtime.
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Amazake
Ingredients
For the Non-Alcohol Amazake with Rice Koji
- ¾ cup uncooked Japanese short-grain white rice (1 rice cooker cup, 180 ml)
- water (for cooking the rice porridge)
- 1 cup water (for cooling the porridge; you may need more or less)
- 1 cup rice koji
For the Low-Alcohol Amazake with Sake Lees
- 4 cups water
- ½ cup sake lees (sake kasu) (packed tightly)
- ¼–⅓ cup sugar (start with less sugar, taste, and add more as needed)
- 1 pinch Diamond Crystal kosher salt (to taste)
Instructions
★ To Cook Amazake with Rice Koji
- Gather all the ingredients. Rinse and drain ¾ cup uncooked Japanese short-grain white rice and add to the inner pot of a rice cooker. Add water up to the 1 cup porridge water line. If there is no porridge water line, add water to the regular white rice 4 cup line. Select the Porridge menu on your rice cooker and press Start, or cook the porridge according to your rice cooker’s instructions.
- Once the porridge is cooked, the temperature is around 175ºF (79ºC). Take out the inner pot with the porridge from the rice cooker.
- Gradually add 1 cup water, ⅛ cup at a time, to the porridge, stirring thoroughly after each addition. Measure the temperature of the porridge with an instant-read thermometer. The temperature must cool down to 140ºF (60ºC) as koji mold cannot live above that temperature.
- Once the porridge reaches 140ºF (60ºC), crumble and add 1 cup rice koji. Stir thoroughly to incorporate. Make sure there is enough water to cover the porridge and rice koji so they are sufficiently soaked. If not, add warm water so it maintains 140ºF (60ºC).
- Put the inner pot back into the rice cooker. Turn the rice cooker on to the Keep Warm (or Extended Keep Warm) setting and cover the opening with a cloth towel. Leave the rice cooker lid fully open so it does not get too hot. Allow the mixture to cook for 8–10 hours, stirring occasionally and checking the temperature every hour for the first 2–3 hours. Make sure it stays between 125ºF and 140ºF (50–60ºC) at ALL TIMES.
- Toward the end of 8 hours, the mixture will start to release a sweet fragrance. Once it’s done cooking, the mixture should smell sweet. Turn off the rice cooker and transfer the inner pot in a large bowl of ice water to let cool and stop the cooking. When cooled, transfer the Amazake to a large sterilized container.
To Serve
- Take out the portion you need, dilute with either hot or iced water to your preferred consistency (I like mine thicker and undiluted), and serve chilled or warm (reheated). If you heat the Amazake above 140ºF (60ºC), the koji enzyme will die, so reheat it to lukewarm to retain the live enzyme. You can add grated ginger, if you‘d like. My kids love smoothies made with amazake, banana, and soymilk.
★ To Make Amazake with Sake Lees (Sake Kasu)
- Gather all the ingredients. Tear ½ cup sake lees (sake kasu) into small pieces.
- Bring 4 cups water to a boil in a large pot. Using a mesh sieve, dissolve the sake lees into the water. This step may take some time, but it‘s best to soften the lees first in the water so they will dissolve more easily. You don‘t want any chunks left in your amazake.
- Once dissolved, add ¼–⅓ cup sugar and 1 pinch Diamond Crystal kosher salt. Let it cook and reduce to your preferred consistency. I like a slightly thicker consistency, so I cook and reduce the amazake for 15 minutes or so. Serve hot/warm and enjoy!
To Store
- You can keep in the refrigerator up to one week, or in the freezer for up to a month.
Nutrition
Other Japanese Drinks You May Enjoy
- Plum Wine (Umeshu)
- Buckwheat Tea (Sobacha)
- Japanese Cream Soda
- How to Make Matcha (Japanese Green Tea)
- Japanese Iced Coffee
Editor’s Note: This post was originally published on January 8, 2018. The post has been edited in February 2020.
Hey! The recipe was absolutely delicious, though I did play around with my manual (and very cheap) slow cooker, since I own a very small and basic rice cooker. I initially made the porridge using the stove, and brought the temperature down to 140 after it finished cooking. I then transferred it to my slow cooker with the keel warm setting, and kept it in there for like 8 hours. The final temperature was about 150, and I turned it off and let it sit for 2 hours. It was saccharine sweet when it came it!
Hi Brunilda! WONDERFUL!! I’m so so happy to hear you made it work with what you have! Thank you for sharing your tip – I’m sure others would appreciate your info. 🙂 I have been wanting to make some too, and you just inspired me to do it this weekend!!
I made the Amazake in a freezer bag and sous vide at 135°F.
I have decided to ferment some with yeast for alcohol and then to vinegar.
Thank you for the recipe and the nice website.
Hi Chris! That is AWESOME!!! I forgot that I can do it with my sous vide too. Thanks so much for your comment and kind feedback. 🙂
hello, thank you for the recipe. can you please help? i’d like to make sake, if i leave amazake out on the counter for a few days will it turn to sake? thank you
Hi Dana! No, it won’t. I don’t know exact science to make sake but it’s way more complicated than… that’s for sure i know….
Hi Nami! Looking forward to trying this soon, but I actually only have Jasmine rice and sweet rice (mochi gome) at home. Would either of these work as a substitute do you think?
Hi Tiffany! Hmmm… I had never tried this recipe with jasmine rice or mochigome… I am not sure… I feel that it will work but it may not taste the same as I know jasmine rice has strong smell once it’s cooked (at least to me). Maybe give it a go and find out?
Hi Nami! I ended up trying this out with the Jasmine rice and is worked out great! It’s nice and sweet and looks just the picture! with the Jasmine rice though it only took 5 hours and a half, so perhaps the taste is a little different when using Japanese rice. After I figure out how well it keeps, I plan to make more. Thank you very much for the recipe C:
Hi Tiffany! AWESOME!!! Thank you so much for coming back with your feedback. I’m sure other JOC readers appreciate your trial. Thank you for letting us know the details. I’m happy you enjoyed it. 🙂
How can I make this in Instapot?
Hi Sandy! I mentioned in the blog post – Instant Pot’s “keep warm” temperature is too high, so no, you can’t use it unfortunately…
Hi, Nami-san. I made my first Amazake. It came out so good. Last time I had Amazake was like 20 years ago when I went to Hatsumoude in Japan. Thank you.
Hi Junchan! Yaaaaay! I’m so happy to hear that your amazake came out well! Thank you for your kind feedback! I have to make another batch soon. SO good!
Hi, Nami-san. I love Amazake but only kome-koji version. Anyways do you think I could ferment this in Instant Pot with yogurt setting? Thank you.
Hi Junchan! I mentioned in the blog post that IP doesn’t work due to the temperature for yogurt setting. 🙂
Hi, Nami san!
I got a question for you. The last time I went to Japan was mid February of last year. There were plenty of Amazake sold in the supermarket. Some were used to marinade fish. They were selling the liquid kind and the dried kind. If I were to go to Japan again to buy them, which kind will you recommend?
Rice Koji is not available where I live. I will look for them when I go to Japan again next February.
Thanks
Hi Ima! Buy dry one that does not required refrigeration. 🙂
https://www.marukome.co.jp/product/detail/koji_044/
I got this Marukome brand as a gift and it worked very well!
You can get this in an “instant” type version? I’ll have to check Hatoya next time I go!
Hi Amy! Are you referring to the link I listed in my previous comment? It’s not an instant version, as you have to cook. It’s just that dried rice koji is packaged into 2 bags (measured), so you just need to cook it.
This may sound really odd, but is it possible to do this in an oven? I have cats, so leaving something covered with only a towel is just an invitation to disaster. 😉 If an oven’s settings go low enough, would it work to set it to 130 or 135? (Not actually sure if mine even goes that low, but wanted to ask.) That would allow for slight variation as the temp adjusts itself. I’ve got a small casserole dish that would work. Really interested in trying this for the B vitamins and metabolic benefits.
Hi Amy! Haha, yes I can imagine the disaster scenario. 😀 Make sure to check the temperature for amazake and it is consistent. 🙂
I REALLY want to make this, but my little rice cooker does not have a porridge setting. It has a setting for white rice, brown rice, flash rice, keep warm and steam. The instructions also don’t have any specific guidance for porridge or quick oats. What’s your suggestion for this..?
Hi Lindsay! Then don’t worry, you can add water to the regular white rice 4 cup line and cook regularly. Hope you enjoy!
where do I get Koji?Thank you
Hi Kumiko! I’m not sure where you are…. but if you’re in the US, you can try Japanese grocery stores (definitely have it), or buy Cold Mountains here (http://www.pacificeastwest.com/072546382100.html) or amazon (http://amzn.to/2CQoR1F),
I can’t wait to try this! I love to make Mexican fermented drinks, one with masa and one with pineapple, and this will be great to add to the list!
Hi Alex! Hope you enjoy this recipe! 🙂
Nice to see an amazake recipe on JOC. I make it at home with kasu from my homebrew rice wine, but it is nice to have a recipe for people who don’t drink alcohol or just don’t have rice wine lees lying around.
Thank you Matt! I’m one of those who can’t drink alcohol much. xD How wonderful to hear you make homebrew rice wine!!!!
Hi, Nami:
My rice cooker is an older model and has no “keep warm” setting. Would it be all right to scoop the rice out into a small slow cooker (1.5 qts) and put it on the warm setting?
Hi Jess! The important part to find out is the temperature of the warm setting in your slow cooker. Like I mentioned in the post, it’s SUPER important that the warm setting stays between 125 and 140 ºF (50-60 ºC) for 8 to 10 hours. If it’s higher or lower than that, it won’t succeed (don’t take risk and waste your ingredients). So… find the temperature in your manual or put the water inside and see what your thermometer says. Realistically, if you can somehow set the liquid temperature between 125 and 140 ºF (50-60 ºC) for 8 to 10 hours CONTINUOUSLY, you can do this process in the pot over stovetop… but you know it’s not easy to control temp that way for such a long hours… Hope this helps?
Hi, Nami:
It does, thanks! My parents are from Taiwan and my mom likes to make jiu niang (which seems similar to amazake), and I know keeping it warm enough is key. My mom likes to keep it in the oven on a very low temp, but it doesn’t always work!
I’ll get a thermometer first and test it out with water! I’d love to do it on the stove on low, but I don’t think I have the time to constantly fiddle about on it! Thank you for the help.
Hope you can figure it out to make this delicious amazake. 🙂
Hi Nami,
I sent my payment by Pay Pal a while back but never received my Cookbook.
I have the receipt here I can send to you but need your e-mail address please.
Thank you,
Miles Ueda
Hi Miles! I do have a receipt of your payment made on 11/7/17. The ebook is always sent automatically upon receiving payment. Most of the time when people don’t get it, it’s in the spam folder.
I just resent the download link. Please check your spam folder if you don’t see any email. FYI my email address is hello @ just one cookbook . com (no space).
I apologize for the inconvenience. Let me know if I can help you with anything. If this doesn’t work, I can figure out another way to send the file.