Drinks
Amazake
Amazake, another fine product made from the powerhouse Koji is non alcoholic and translates as ama(sweet)zake(sake) It is also made with sake kasu into a, usually, low alcoholic beverage and has a long history of over a thousand years. Although usually regarded as a winter drink it was popular during the Edo period as a […]
Continue Reading
Shochu
The mere utterance of the word conjures up heady romantic images and bittersweet nostalgia for a bygone era strewn with noble characters and a thick layer of folklore something akin to Scottish whisky. This revered elixir is made from the powerhouse fungus Aspergillus oryzae or to you and I, Koji. This mould is responsible for the production of […]
Continue Reading
Ume (Japanese plum)
Get your gums `round these plums! So we have European, American and Japanese varieties and none of the most common types are found in the wild pointing to our cultivation of these special fruits. The two most popular ways to consume the sour green Japanese variety are firstly umeboshi the ubiquitous pickled/salted version then umeshu. […]
Continue Reading