Japanese Food Tips

In Japan, there is a sweetened drink called ama-zake which is made from rice. Ama means sweet and zake means Japanese alcohol (sake). The drink has a very, very long history. I think that many Japanese probably do not know this. It is said that ama-zake originated sometime between the middle of the third century to the end of the seventh century. The common people began to drink ama-zake during the Edo period (1603-1868). There are two ways to make it: from sake-kasu (lees) plus sugar and water (low-alcohol type) and from kome-koji (malted rice) plus water (non-alcohol type). Because sake-kasu is white solids (lees) that remain when making sake, this ama-zake contains a little alcohol. Because ama-zake made from kome-koji has a natural sweetener, this ama-zake does not use sugar. Sake is also made from kome-koji, which is absolutely necessary to make ama-zake. The beneficial effects of ama-zake are beautiful skin, constipation improvement, weight loss, and lowering of cholesterol and blood pressure. Ama-zake also contains essential amino acids. Ama-zake has a good taste and is a healthy drink. So, if you have a chance, please try drinking it.