Vegan🌱Homemade Fermented Brown Rice Milk "Amazake"

【Vegan🌱Homemade Fermented Brown Rice Milk】

Vegan Homemade Brown Rice Amazake by piggyinkitchen

Have you ever heard of fermented rice milk before?
If it's something new to you, you are so lucky!
Fermented rice milk aka Amazake is a traditional Japanese rice milk that has a long history in it. "Ama" means sweet and "zake" means alcohol. Although it's called sake, it's actually not. The reason why we call it sake is because it can taste a bit sour after fermenting rice milk, just like other fermented foods such as sauerkraut and kombucha.
Back in Japan, every new year's eve, I went to a shrine with my family to thank our god for the year to be wonderful, challenging and lovely. After that, we always got a cup of amazake from the organizers. It was so tasty and heartwarming! Amazake does remind me of that sweet and warm moment that I spent with my family.

What's Amazake made of?
Amazake is fermented by koji bacteria from koji rice.
All you need is:

Koji rice
Cooked brown rice
Water

What does Amazake do for our body?
Amazake has a lot of positive effects on our body when consumed on a daily basis, from anti-inflammation and boosting immune system and healing skin issues to promoting digestive system (especially great for people with constipation). It may also boost your energy levels.

First, process cooked brown rice and water in a blender until smooth.
Water should be equal or more to the amount of rice.

Transfer to a pot and add koji rice to cook.

Heat up to 50℃ over medium heat.
Turn to low heat to keep 60-60℃.
Simmer until koji rice is cooked and soft.

By the way I don't use any thermometers to check the temperature.
What I do to see how hot it is is:

Use a pinky finger.

◎Temperature◎
50°：You can keep your finger into the rice milk.
60°：You can keep your finger into the rice milk, but it's hot.
70°：You can no longer put your finger in more than 3 seconds.

※Koji bacteria can be destroyed when the temperature reaches to 70℃. Keep 60-65℃.

When koji rice softened, put the pot into a separate pot with hot water (60℃).
Leave it like the photo for 2-3 hours until fermented.

◎When is Rice Milk Fermented?◎

Thickened.
Sweetened.
A bit sour.

Vegan Homemade White rice Amazake by piggyinkitchen

For those who don't like the rice texture, process in a blender until smooth AFTER fermentation. If you smoothen it BEFORE fermentation, it could kill koji bacteria due to the high temperature that the blender produces and it results in failure of fermentation.

After amazake is done, please let it cool first and store in fridge.
You can reheat amazake if you prefer hot, but you can also enjoy cold amazake for coming summer!

Alright,
Here is the recipe card!
I hope you like it!

Vegan🌱Homemade Fermented Brown Rice Milk "Amazake"

INGREDIENTS (1.5 L)
3 bowls of cooked brown rice
200g koji rice
7 cups water

INSTRUCTIONS

In a blender, put cooked brown rice and water, and process until smooth.
Transfer the rice milk to a pot and add koji rice.
Cook over medium heat.
When the temperature reaches to 50℃, remove from heat.
In a separate pot, heat some water until 60℃.
Place the pot with rice milk onto the other pot with hot water.
Turn heat to low.
Process fermentation for 2-3 hours until sweetened, thickened and it becomes a bit sour.
Remove from heat.
Let is cool.
Transfer into a clean jar.
Store in fridge.