Handcrafted koji since 1689- Spanning 8 generations

recipe

1. Wash the mochi rice and put into a rice cooker. Add water to the 5-cup line (900 cc). Cook.
2. Crumble the rice koji.
3. Transfer the cooked rice into another bowl and stir the rice with a rice paddle until it reaches 70˚C (160˚ F). Add the koji and continue to stir.
4. Once the rice and koji are mixed well and cooled to about 60˚C (140˚ F), transfer the mixture back to the rice cooker and cover with a cloth and leave the top of the rice cooker open. Set the rice cooker setting to "Keep Warm".
   
5. In an hour or two, stir well. (this improves the consistency and makes it sweeter).
   *Koji should be about 50-60˚C (125˚ - 140˚ F) to become sweet. If the temperature is too high, stir; if it is too low, close the rice cooker lid until the heat rises.
6. After 5 or 6 hours, stir well again. Taste. It should taste sweet and have a rich, sweet aroma.
7. After 10 hours, the amazaké base will be completed. Put it into a sterilized container. Once it has cooled to room temperature, store in the refrigerator. It will keep for about 10 days. Store in the freezer up to 6 months.
8. To drink as amazaké, dilute it with an equal amount of water.

Ama-koji

1. Follow the instructions above through Step 7.
2. Put this mixture into a pan and simmer gently on low heat for about 30 minutes. Check the temperature with a food thermometer. Do not let the temperature rise above 70 degrees C (155 degrees F).
3. Put it into a sterilized container. Once it has cooled to room temperature, store in the refrigerator. It will keep for about 10 days. Store in the freezer up to 6 months.

Notes:

• If you use brown mochi rice, use 1500 cc of water.
• Run through a blender for a smoother consistency.
• Freeze in small batches for single use.
• When using ama-koji in place of amazaké, dilute it with an equal amount of water.