Have you heard about Amazake? Amazake is a traditional, sweet, low to non-alcoholic Japanese drink made from fermented rice and contains so many nutrients.
AMAZAKE Contains both probiotics and prebiotics which contribute healthy gut. As you might already know the healthy gut is the key to stronger immune system
which is super important during this nasty pandemic!
Most people in Japan consider amazake a winter drink because people usually drink amazake in winter, temples and shrines offer or sell hot amazake during New Year praying periods. It is also served on the 3rd of March at the girl’s festival but in ancient times. Amazake was popular during summer for an energy boost.
Warm amazake – temples and shrines often sell hot amazake during New Year praying period
Amazake history
It looks like a sweet rice porridge or pudding and is used as the base of a delicious and nutritious drink that has been enjoyed in Japan for centuries. The Amazake-drinking culture dates from the late third century to the early seventh century and is mentioned in the “Nihon Shoki”– the second oldest book of classical Japanese history. Amazake is the summer kigo in Haiku, the Japanese poems. A kigo is a word or phrase in a haiku that indicates the season, which shows how popular amazake was in summer while most people in Japan thinks amazake is a winter drink.
Why amazake is great for summer
Japanese summer is very humid and it is very common to lose appetite – especially they didn’t have a luxury to have an aircon back then. It is used as an energy booster for people as it gives you rich nourishment and an immediate jolt of energy This is because amazake is a fermented food – so nutritious and very easy to absorb its nutrients. I am sure that Amazake was also popular for samurai’s to take before going to battle for a boost of energy or to combat fatigue in the summer time. So amazake was like a ‘Red Bull’.
Samurai
Why amazake is amazing natural energy drink ?
- Due to its fermentation process, nutrients in amazake are pre-digested – meaning help you better absorb the nutrients quickly and easily
- Due to its fermentation process, amazake contains about 400 health components – super nutritious
- Rich in B vitamins, which help the body to convert macronutrients into energy
All of this combined supplies the body with a continuous release of fuel over an extended period of time, rather than a large dose all at once, which makes it amazake an excellent energy drink or instant nourishment for those who don’t have much appetite due to illness.
The good news is that traditional amazake is available in the West!
Amazake concentrate – you can buy large health food stores
Two types of amazake
Amazake has become more popular in recent times due to trends of eating fermented food for gut health and celebrities drinking it for health and beauty but you need to be aware that there are two different types of amazake, rice koji type and sake kasu type. Each of them have of course different tastes, but importantly a variation in the health benefits. I personally prefer the rice koji type which is a traditional amazake that have been enjoyed from ancient time,
I use it in a lot of my cooking, because I enjoy the taste but also for an energy boost as well as numerous health components!
Looking for an amazake recipe or want to learn more about amazake ? Check out my Japanese Superfoods Cookbook!
DO YOU NEED HEALTHY VEGAN COOKING INSPIRATIONS?
Do you know I run a cooking school in Sydney?
You don’t live in Sydney?
Don’t worry, there are two ways to learn Japanese cooking with me.
NEW Japanese online cooking classes coming soon! More information to come, subscribe HERE so you don’t miss out!
ALSO twice per year I run an online Japanese 30 Day Challenge Course!! Focusing on weight loss and improving your health! Drop your email address HERE and we’ll notify you about the next challenge!
Plant Based Cookbooks
If you want to cook more easy and tasty Japanese vegan meals using Japanese superfoods – real key for Japanese health, please grab my vegan cookbook “Japanese Superfoods” or “Top 3 Japanese Superfoods for Natural Weightloss” or even better, you can have “Japanese Superfoods combo deal” to master Japanese Superfoods.
