Amazake Milk: A Healthy Nutritious Beverage for Summer
When it comes to summer drinks, many adults will bring to mind icy chilled beer. But when you think of beverages ideal for the hot summertime, what comes to mind? As for me, that’s “Amazake Milk (甘酒ミルク)”.
Amazake (甘酒)
Have you ever heard of the traditional Japanese beverage “Amazake (甘酒)“? Amazake literally means “sweet sake” in Japanese, but containing only 1 percent or less alcohol, it is classified as a non-alcoholic drink in Japan.
Made by fermenting a mixture of rice and malted rice or made from sake lees, Amazake is a healthy drink packed with nutrients,
which include glucose, vitamin B1, vitamin B2, vitamin B6, dietary fibers, amino acids, oligosaccharides, and more than 100 kinds of enzymes.
Amazake is distinctively fragrant with a gentle, natural sweetness, and anyone from adults to children can enjoy it.
Amazake Milk (甘酒ミルク)
The non-alcoholic beverage, Amazake is usually served hot and typically enjoyed in the winter season, but it can also be served cold in the summer.
In fact, today I purchased a canned Amazake at a supermarket near my house which can be served chilled.
Yes, I picked up this can to make Amazake Milk, which is actually a simple mixture of Amazake and milk.
Amazake Milk is much easier to drink compared to Amazake itself, so the beverage is highly recommended to Amazake beginners.
Health Benefits
As I mentioned above, Amazake is a healthy, nutritious drink, and as you know, so is milk.
What is better, according to this Japanese site, Amazake and Milk can pair quite well mainly because of the following reasons.
- Amazake contains the amino acid GABA, while milk contains the amino acid Tryptophan, and both GABA and Tryptophan help to stabilize the mental condition. So with Amazake Milk, you can reduce mental stress well
- Amazake contains very little calcium, but milk is rich in calcium. In Amazake Milk, Amazake promotes decomposition of the milk sugar contained in milk and helps the body absorb calcium efficiently
- The enzymes in Amazake help the body absorb the protein contained in milk efficiently
Recipe
If you want to try Amazake Milk, the recommended mixing ratio of Amazake to milk is 1:2. Simply mix them well and enjoy. While chilled Amazake Milk is perfect for summer, in the winter you can enjoy a hot one with this easy recipe.
