Amazake is one of the easiest application of your newly made batch of koji. It’s a mildly sweet porridge-drink made by mixing koji with cooked grains and water and letting it ferment for a few hours. Simple as that. The result is a delightful drink with a pinch of umami and a nice sweetness to round it out. You can drink it straight from the fridge (That’s how I consume it mostly) or use it in smoothies, or in place of some of the liquid in baking. Another possible application is to just cook it down to thicken into a sweet porridge.
This post and recipe is for sweet Amazake. Making a sour version is also common and equally easy but I have not actually tried it. I will post once I do.
Amazake (Sweet)
Servings: varies depending how much you make
Scale this up or down as needed as long as you keep the ratio of koji to grain to water of 1:1:2 the same.
- 200 gr Koji
- 200 gr Cooked grains (barley is most common, but rice, wheat, some oats are all good and a combination of several is nice too)
- 400 gr Water
Blend everything together. I like to keep it pretty coarse usually. Place in a jar and incubate at about 131 F to 140 F for 10 – 12 hours. I use a circulator (sous vide) controlled water bath for the incubation, but wrapping the jar in a blanket and leaving in an oven with the light on could work. Place in the fridge and enjoy. It should last a good week or longer.
Oven Dried Tomatoes 