#17 — Dishes (amazake)

Fresh amazake isn't just for drinking. Mix it with shio koji (salt koji) or soy sauce and you have the makings of an everyday side dish. Tofu steeped in the umami of fresh amazake and shio koji tastes rich, almost like cheese, and goes well with wine. To make the shio koji, see How to make shio koji.

Quick pickles

A light pickle with the crisp bite of bell pepper. It's ready after a short soak, and it's also good in a bento.

Ingredients (2 servings) 1/4 red bell pepper; 1/4 yellow bell pepper; 1/4 carrot; pickling liquid A (2 Tbsp fresh amazake, 2 Tbsp vinegar, 1 tsp shio koji)

Directions

1. Cut the bell peppers into thin strips about 4 cm long. Peel the carrot and cut it into strips about the same size.
2. Combine the pickling liquid in a plastic bag, add the vegetables, and pickle for anywhere from 10 minutes to about overnight.

Amazake-marinated tofu and tomato caprese

Tofu steeped in the umami of fresh amazake and shio koji tastes rich, almost like cheese.

Ingredients (2 servings) 1/2 tomato; 1/2 block firm tofu; A (2 Tbsp fresh amazake, 2 Tbsp shio koji); B (1 Tbsp olive oil, 1/6 tsp anchovy paste); herbs such as mint or basil, as needed

Directions

1. Drain the tofu, wrap it in paper towels, and spread A all over it. Put it in a zip-top bag and refrigerate for 3 hours to about overnight.
2. Slice the tomato thinly.
3. Thinly slice the tofu and arrange it on a plate, alternating with the tomato. Mix B and drizzle it over the top, then scatter with the herbs.

Soy sauce pickles

Young ginger

Ingredients (2 servings) 100 g young ginger, 1 Tbsp fresh amazake, 1/2 Tbsp dark soy sauce

Directions Peel the young ginger. Mix the fresh amazake and soy sauce in a storage bag, add the ginger, and pickle for about 3 days. Slice as thick as you like and serve.

Nagaimo

Mild nagaimo (Chinese yam) turns into a subtly flavorful dish. Eat it sliced, or chop it up and cook with it.

Ingredients (2 servings) 100 g nagaimo, 1 Tbsp fresh amazake, 1/2 Tbsp dark soy sauce, a little wasabi

Directions Peel the nagaimo. Mix the fresh amazake and soy sauce in a storage bag, add the nagaimo, and pickle for 1 to 3 days. Cut into fine strips, plate, and top with the wasabi.

Tuna

Enjoy the dense, silky texture and rich flavor.

Ingredients (2 servings) 1 block sashimi-grade tuna (about 100 g); 1 Tbsp fresh amazake; A (1/2 Tbsp dark soy sauce, 3 drops canola oil, a little doubanjiang, or chili bean paste)

Directions Mix the fresh amazake with A in a storage bag, add the tuna, and marinate for about 30 minutes. Cut into 1 cm cubes and serve.

Shio koji pickles

Cherry tomatoes

Blanch and peel the tomatoes before pickling and they'll take on the flavor faster.

Ingredients (2 servings) 6 cherry tomatoes, 1 Tbsp fresh amazake, 1 Tbsp shio koji

Directions Stem the cherry tomatoes and pickle them overnight in a mixture of the fresh amazake and shio koji. Cut in half and serve.

Quick bettara

A quick take on bettara-zuke, a sweet daikon pickle. Grated ginger or yuzu zest is also good in it.

Ingredients (2 servings) 60 g daikon, 1 Tbsp fresh amazake, 1 tsp shio koji

Directions Cut the daikon into quarter-rounds 5 mm thick, massage with the shio koji, and squeeze out the liquid. Toss with the fresh amazake, massage lightly, and let sit for about 10 minutes.

Hiyayakko (chilled tofu), four ways

Cut 1 block of silken tofu in half and put each half on a plate. Serves 2.

Ginger. A touch of sweetness from fresh amazake gives ginger soy sauce a whole new flavor. Sauce: 1 1/2 Tbsp fresh amazake, 1 1/2 Tbsp soy sauce, and 1 tsp grated ginger. Toppings: a little scallion and a little bonito flakes. Mix the sauce well, pour it over the tofu, and top with the scallions and bonito flakes.

Chirimen-jako (dried baby sardines). Light, refreshing tofu topped with dried baby sardines, and it looks cool on the plate, too. Sesame oil is also good in place of the olive oil. Jako sauce: 1 Tbsp dried baby sardines, 1 tsp fresh amazake, 2 tsp olive oil, and 2 tsp shio koji, plus 10 g daikon sprouts. Cut the daikon sprouts into short lengths, mix them well with the rest of the sauce ingredients, and spoon over the tofu.

Sesame. A creamy sesame sauce you'll want to make again. It also works as a salad dressing. Sauce: 2 Tbsp fresh amazake, 2 Tbsp sesame paste, 1 Tbsp soy sauce, 1 Tbsp vinegar, 1 tsp white sesame seeds, and 1 tsp grated ginger. Toppings: shiso and myoga (Japanese ginger), as needed. Cut the shiso into fine strips and slice the myoga into thin rounds. Mix the sauce well, pour it over the tofu, and top with the shiso and myoga.

Scallion. A little fresh amazake brings out the umami of the scallions. Sauce: 1/4 stalk scallion (minced), 2 tsp sesame oil, 2 tsp shio koji, and 2 tsp fresh amazake. Topping: shredded nori, as needed. Mix the minced scallion well with the rest of the sauce ingredients, pour over the tofu, and top with the shredded nori.

Fresh amazake carrot rapée

A simple salad full of carrot sweetness. The walnuts add texture, and the flavor soaks in gradually.

Ingredients (2 servings) 1/2 carrot; 6 walnuts, coarsely crushed; 1 Tbsp fresh amazake; A (1 Tbsp shio koji, 1/2 Tbsp olive oil, 1/2 Tbsp white vinegar); chervil as needed

Directions

1. Peel the carrot and cut it into fine strips.
2. Mix the fresh amazake with all of A, add the carrot, and massage well.
3. Plate, scatter with the walnuts, and garnish with chervil if you have it.

Cabbage and sakura shrimp tossed with fresh amazake

Eat it as is, or stir-fry it. Let it sit a while and it becomes a light pickle.

Ingredients (2 servings) 100 g cabbage, 10 g dried sakura shrimp, 1 Tbsp fresh amazake, 1 Tbsp shio koji

Directions Cut the cabbage into fine strips. Put it in a plastic bag, add the other ingredients, and massage well through the bag.

Sticky vegetables tossed with fresh amazake

A fresh, fragrant dish that tastes like summer. It's also good spooned over barley rice or soba.

Ingredients (2 servings) 1/2 eggplant; 1/2 cucumber; 20 g nagaimo; A (2 shiso leaves, 2 tsp fresh amazake, 2 tsp shio koji); a sprinkle of white sesame seeds

Directions Peel the nagaimo. Cut the eggplant, cucumber, and nagaimo into 1 cm cubes, and cut the shiso into fine strips. Mix the vegetables with the rest of A and finish with the white sesame seeds.

Seafood salad with fresh amazake dressing

Add fresh amazake to a plain dressing of vinegar, oil, and shio koji, and the tartness mellows. The seafood soaks up the flavor nicely.

Ingredients (2 servings) 60 g seafood mix; 1 bunch mizuna; dressing A (1 Tbsp fresh amazake, 1/2 Tbsp shio koji, 1/2 Tbsp olive oil, 1 tsp vinegar)

Directions Cut the mizuna into 4 cm lengths, toss with the boiled seafood, and plate. Mix the dressing well and pour it over the top.

Scallop and spinach carpaccio

An easy starter for a party. Leftover sauce is also good tossed with cold pasta.

Ingredients (2 servings) 4 sashimi-grade scallops; sauce A (25 g boiled spinach, 1/4 clove garlic, 1 Tbsp olive oil, 1 tsp fresh amazake, 1 tsp shio koji, 1/2 tsp lemon juice); a few pine nuts; a few pink peppercorns

Directions Slice the scallops thinly and arrange them on a plate. Blend the sauce ingredients and pour the sauce over the scallops. Scatter with the pine nuts and pink peppercorns.

Cappellini with octopus and smoked salmon

The octopus and salmon are marinated until they're full of flavor, and fresh amazake keeps the taste mild.

Ingredients (2 servings) 60 g boiled octopus; 4 slices smoked salmon; 4 basil leaves; A (1 Tbsp anchovy paste, 1 tsp grated garlic, 3 Tbsp olive oil, 1 Tbsp fresh amazake, 1 tsp shio koji); 120 g cappellini; a little black pepper

Directions

1. Cut the octopus and smoked salmon into bite-size pieces. Tear the basil by hand.
2. Mix all of A, add the octopus, salmon, and basil, and marinate in the refrigerator for about 30 minutes.
3. Cook the cappellini according to the package directions. Transfer it to cold water, rinse well, drain, and toss with the marinated seafood. Plate and finish with black pepper.

Chilled ramen with bean sprouts and pork shabu

A summer classic. Fresh amazake in the sesame sauce and the aroma of shiso make this bowl of chilled ramen especially appetizing.

Ingredients (2 servings) 60 g sliced pork belly; 80 g bean sprouts; 10 shiso leaves; 1 cherry tomato; sesame sauce A (1 Tbsp fresh amazake, 1 Tbsp sesame paste, 1 Tbsp soy sauce, 1 Tbsp vinegar, 1/2 Tbsp sesame oil, 1/2 tsp grated ginger); 2 bundles Chinese wheat noodles

Directions

1. Blanch the pork and the bean sprouts. Cut the shiso into fine strips and cut the cherry tomato into bite-size pieces.
2. Mix the sesame sauce ingredients well.
3. Cook the noodles according to the package directions. Transfer them to cold water, rinse well, drain, and plate.
4. Spoon the sesame sauce over the noodles and top with the pork, bean sprouts, shiso, and cherry tomato.

This article offers general information about everyday eating. It is not meant to diagnose, treat, or prevent any condition. If you have a medical condition or a food allergy, talk with a doctor or a registered dietitian.