I want to incorporate things that are good for my body as much as possible on a daily basis. How wonderful would it be if you could celebrate your special day with something delicious and good for your body?
Chami, who teaches fermentation and dim sum cooking classes at her home, will teach you various seasonal recipes with the theme of ``fermentation x celebration.'' This time, I learned an amazake recipe that is perfect for the Doll's Festival. Since it is made with raw koji, even small children can enjoy it.

Break up any clumps of raw koji with clean hands. What's interesting is that the resident bacteria on your hands attach to the koji, so the taste changes depending on the person. The koji power makes the area you touch smooth ◎

Add water to hot rice and mix. Mix while incorporating air and cool to about 60 degrees.
[Note] If the temperature is high, the power of the koji will weaken or disappear, so make sure it does not exceed 60 degrees.

When the temperature drops, add raw koji and mix.

Place in a yogurt maker and heat at 55 degrees for at least 12 hours. (The temperature of the yogurt maker at Chami's house is a little low, so it seems to be set at 57 degrees.)
Stir everything every 1-2 hours. It will be difficult to mix at first, so you can take it out into a clean large bowl and mix it. It will become easier to mix over time. The purpose of mixing is to even out the temperature of the amazake in the container.

At first, keep it warm with the lid on. After 4-6 hours, remove the lid and cover with a clean cloth to keep warm. This is because we want to remove moisture and concentrate the sweetness. After that, mix everything every 1-2 hours if possible. You can leave it as is, but the surface will be too dry, so mix it several times until it's done. After 12 hours, taste it and if it tastes good, it's done.

When you eat it freshly made, you can feel the slight sweetness of the rice and it has a very gentle sweetness.
The sweetness of amazake made from koji comes from the ``enzyme (amylase) that breaks down starch'' in koji that breaks down the starch in the rice.
You can not only drink it as is, but also mix it with yogurt or use it in cooking instead of sugar.The texture of the rice is also fun, but if you want it to be smooth, you can also make it into a paste with a blender. is not it. Both adults and children can enjoy a delicious and healthy Hinamatsuri celebration.

◆ Arrangement recipe ◆

You can easily make a refreshing dessert using amazake made with rice.
If you have frozen fruit, just mix it up and it turns into a smoothie. You can also make gelato by freezing it. With just fruits and amazake, you can easily create a dessert with a gentle sweetness that you won't believe is made without sugar.

This is a mixture of equal amounts of amazake made from frozen mango and rice. Blend it in a blender and freeze it to make gelato.

When mixed with strawberries, it turns a slightly pink color, perfect for the Doll's Festival. Even if you don't use special sweet strawberries, you can make a healthy dessert with the sweetness of amazake.

◆ Amazake is drunk as an intravenous drip! ◆

Amazake contains rich nutritional components similar to those found in intravenous drips, such as vitamin B1, vitamin B2, oligosaccharides, dietary fiber, amino acids, and glucose. It can be expected to improve the intestinal environment, have beauty effects, and recover from fatigue. This time, it's amazake made with raw koji, so even pregnant women and small children can safely incorporate it into their meals.

Ms. Chami, who gave me the recipe, said that by eating a spoonful of amazake every morning, she was able to relieve her constipation and get her stiff heels softer within a few weeks. Furthermore, her husband's dermatitis, which had not been cured even after using steroids, has completely healed.

The power of koji is amazing! Being able to celebrate your special day with your family while incorporating foods that are good for your body. It feels very rich.

Next time, I will introduce an easy marinade recipe using amazake made with rice. Look forward to it♪

◆ PROFILE ◆

Chami

I teach fermentation and dim sum cooking classes at my home in Okayama Prefecture.
Easy and delicious using fermented koji seasoning,
We offer dishes that soothe your intestines and mind.
Instagram: @botibotiiko