Must try: Morinaga Sweet Sake (Ginger)

Amazake (甘酒, sweet sake) is a traditional sweet beverage made from rice that has been consumed by Japanese people since the Nara period. The manner of making varies depending on the area in various parts of the country. Commonly,  it’s made by mixing rice bran with rice and rice porridge, keeping it warm, and saccharifying rice starch and containing almost no alcohol which makes it very different from sake alone. It’s said to be a staple drink of the samurai during the Edo period for disease prevention.

After learning these facts, I didn’t have a tinge of regret that I tried one. Also, I’ve learned that Morinaga aims to contribute to the realization of a rich and safe diet for the world.

Morinaga’s sweet sake comes in a can or freeze-dried. This one is freeze-dried in shouga (生姜, ginger) flavor bought from a local supermarket.

INGREDIENTS:

Sugar, sake lees, rice bran, salt, powdered ginger/acidulant, ginger extract

To prepare, just dissolve it in a cup of hot water and stir. It’s ready in less than a minute. You can also enjoy it cold.

As soon as I held it close to my nose, I noticed the aroma that I thought was a bit funny. It wasn’t hard to get used to, though. At first sip, it gave me a strange taste but I could get the ginger flavor in a good way. Strangely, I gradually fell for it. The sweetness was just right to my liking. The taste of ginger wasn’t overpowering at all. I’ll have this again whenever the chance is given. It’s best consumed when your stomach isn’t empty.