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Awamori is an alcoholic drink with a strength of 30-60 degrees (usually 35-45), produced by fermenting and distilling mash from long-grain Thai rice on the Japanese island of Okinawa. First of all, it is the pride of the archipelago and an exotic souvenir, popular among the guests of the Land of the Rising Sun. Awamori is remembered for its specific, difficult to convey taste and strong aroma. The older the variety, the more fragrant it is. For Western gourmets, the scent can be overpowering, with earthy, sweet, and even floral notes all at the same time, though none of these ingredients are included.
Historical information
The first written evidence of the existence of Awamori dates back to the 30th century, at that time it was the court drink of the Ryukyu state. The royal court was supplied by XNUMX families who received the hereditary right to “drive” and sell rice moonshine. Many of today’s producers are related to those distillers.
Between the 1879th and XNUMXth centuries, Awamori was part of the tiny island nation’s tribute to powerful neighbors China and Japan, which had little effect on the drink’s low popularity outside the archipelago. In XNUMX, Okinawa became part of the Land of the Rising Sun, but “island vodka” did not displace sake (rice wine) from the pedestal.
In 1945, US Army bombing raids destroyed the stockpile of the elite Awamori. The aging period of some bottles reached 200-300 years, and during the subsequent American occupation, the national drink gave way to Western alcohol on the local market, in particular whiskey. In 1983, the Okinawa government issued a decree regulating Awamori production technology. There was a clear boundary between this distillate and other types of rice vodka.
Today, Awamori is found in the United States, some Asian and European countries, but the centers of consumption are concentrated mainly in the Okinawan diasporas and in the archipelago itself.
Production features
Only long-grain rice imported from Thailand (“tai mai”) is suitable for real Awamori. Crushed grains are poured with warm water, then boiled in a steam bath, the local black mold fungus “koji” is added (sometimes this mold is mistakenly referred to as yeast), after which the resulting mass is sent for fermentation (fermentation). The breakdown of starch into sugar is done by mold rather than saccharification as in other grain distillates such as whisky.
After about half a month, the mash that has won back is subjected to a single distillation, after which the alcohol is ready for use. However, most often, young Awamori is poured into ceramic vessels and aged from 6 months to 30 years (although longer aging is also common). Today, not all producers strictly follow traditions, so sometimes Okinawan alcohol can age not in ceramic or earthenware jugs, but in ordinary oak barrels.
Types of Awamori
- Regular (aging up to 3 years).
- Flavored (with the addition of spices and fragrances). This type includes no more than 1-2 percent of the total production.
- Kusu (literal translation – “old liquid”, aging for 3 years). “Kusu” is the original Okinawan pronunciation, in other Japanese regions the same characters are read “koshu” and mean aged sake, which often causes confusion.
- Hanazake (strong 60% distillate from Yonaguni Island).
- Habushu (with a snake in a bottle).
Differences between Awamori and Shochu and Sake
Shochu is also a fairly well-known Japanese rice alcohol with a similar manufacturing technology, but there are still differences.
| Avamori | Shochu | |
| Raw | Thai long grain rice | Japanese short grain rice |
| Kodzi | the black | white |
| Distillation | single | single or multiple |
As for sake, you can’t confuse it with Awamori in any way: both drinks are made from rice, but the similarities end there. Awamori is a distillate, that is, technically belongs to the class of moonshine. Sake, on the other hand, does not go through the distillation stage, so it is more correct to call it rice beer or wine, the strength of which rarely exceeds 20 degrees.
How to drink Awamori
Awamori is an indispensable attribute of religious celebrations and family holidays, which is served before meals to improve appetite. Traditionally, the drink is poured into simple glass bottles up to 1 liter, but there are also decorative ceramic vessels on sale. In addition, in the 20th century, a tradition appeared in Okinawa: on the birthday of the baby, the family solemnly buys a beautiful bottle of Awamori, sticks a photograph of the child on it, and empties it XNUMX years later to celebrate the growing up of the heir.
It is correct to drink Awamori from small ceramic thimbles – “choku”, but today the distillate is often poured into ordinary glasses with ice or diluted with cold water in a 1:1 ratio. Previously, Awamori was served in a special clay jar “kara-kara”: a small clay ball was placed inside, making a characteristic sound “kara-kara”, informing the owner that the vessel was empty.
Several centuries ago, samurai drank Awamori hot: one part of rice distillate was diluted with 3 parts of boiling water and sipped in small sips, warming up on winter evenings.
Mixes of Okinawan alcohol with orange or lemon juice are popular among modern Japanese, and other, more complex cocktails are also possible:
- With tonic. 15 ml Awamori, tonic to taste and a lime quarter.
- Sakura. 40 ml Awamori, 10 ml apricot brandy and the same amount of lemon juice, a teaspoon of blackcurrant liqueur (Crème de cassis).
- Goya. 3 parts Awamori, 1 part each of white Curacao, lemon juice and any syrup to taste, 2-3 slices of goya (bitter gourd).
In Okinawan restaurants, national alcohol is invariably served with a bowl of ice or a carafe of water. Obviously, Awamori goes best with local cuisine, but the drink also makes good gastronomic pairs with Japanese, Chinese, Italian or French dishes.
Interesting Facts
The Okinawans themselves call their alcohol “island sake” (shima-sake) or simply and briefly – “shima”.
The price of Awamori is directly proportional to the exposure.
Sometimes kurigusu, an Okinawan hot sauce made from chili peppers, is added to the distillate.
The usual Awamori strength is between 30 and 43 degrees, but for export to “greater Japan” (outside the archipelago), a special weak variety is made, 25% alcohol, and some aged brands can contain up to 60% alcohol.
The name of the drink roughly translates as “full of foam” from the Japanese words “awa” – “foam” and “mori” – “to fill up”. Perhaps this is due to the fact that in the process of distillation, rice raw materials give a lot of foam. According to another version, “awa” means “millet”, from which the first Awamori was once made.
In Okinawa, Awamori is considered the elixir of friendship – people who have drunk a jug of “kara-kara” will never be strangers to each other. That is why “rice brandy” is often served at official ceremonies and government summits.