Amazake is the Energy Drink of the Edo Period! Tips for Using It in the Reiwa Era

Hello.
Change the future through your daily life!
I am Junko Nakamura, a Home Economics Researcher.

Today's Mishima Lively College
“Let's Learn About Fermented Seasonings!” featured
Amakoji (Sweet Koji) ②andFruit Pickled in Amakoji.

First, based on the difficulty in conveying information in last year's class, I explained:
⚫︎ The benefits of using raw koji
⚫︎ “Kamosu Cooking” (Fermentation Cooking) that utilizes koji enzymes
following my ownhandout.... Next, I gave a demonstration on how to increase the volume of

Amakoji = concentrated amazake by addingcooked rice. Then, I demonstrated
Fruit Pickled in Amakoji

usingbanana andkiwifruit.

For tasting, we had
⚫︎ Homemade soy milk yogurt &
⚫︎Apple, watermelon, banana, and kiwifruit pickled in Amakoji
&
⚫︎ Watermelon cube ice

As a bonus, we also hadlightly pickled watermelon rind. If you peel off the green outer skin, watermelon rind becomes a vegetable similar to cucumber that can be lightly pickled. I also taught a method for eating kiwifruit without peeling the skin. Since the area near the skin has the most nutrients, it would be a waste to peel it off with a knife.

<Student feedback>


⚫︎ The kiwi skin became soft when pickled in Amakoji, so I didn't mind eating it. ⚫︎ The watermelon rind was crunchy and tasted like cucumber. ⚫︎ The ice was cold and refreshing. ⚫︎ I learned that if you turn the juice into ice, you can use it without waste. And so on. It seems everyone had new discoveries, and it was worth the effort to prepare everything. Amazake derived from koji is the “


amazake” of the


Edo period energy drink



! It is also a


summer seasonal word


. It has long been loved by Japanese people as a drink to regulate the body during the extreme heat when appetite tends to drop. I personally feel that since I started incorporating “Kamosu Cooking” using koji-derived seasonings, including amazake and Amakoji, into my daily life, I have become less susceptible to the summer heat. Even on days when I worked in the fields under the scorching sun or walked around Tokyo for long hours, I have been able to spend my time without any major health issues. Of course, there are individual differences, but I truly feel that the accumulation of daily meals leads to building a healthy body. Why don't you try incorporatingkoji into your daily dining table? Change the future through your daily life! Home Economics Researcher, Junko Nakamura

<Postscript ①>
The watermelon used in the lecture was used up completely, including the pulp, juice, and rind. I plan to introduce the details in tomorrow's article. Actually, the only part of a watermelon you have to throw away is the green outer skin! You can use the whole thing with home economics skills.

<Postscript ②>
This is unrelated to the main text, but when I went shopping on my way home, the total came to “

9,999 yen”!

I couldn't help but say “It's four nines!” and asked to take a commemorative photo (laughs). It was a strange feeling, like it was a pity to be just 1 yen short of 10,000 yen, but also like I got a little bargain. According to Chat-kun (ChatGPT),



9999 is sometimes introduced as an angel number that means “a milestone, completion, or a new start.”
(*This is one spiritual perspective.) Regardless of whether it's true or not, it made for a slightly happy end to my day.