Awamori
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Awamori (Template:Langx; Template:Langx, Template:Transliteration) is an alcoholic beverage indigenous and unique to the Ryukyuan cuisine of Okinawa Prefecture, Japan. It is made from long grain indica rice,<ref>Template:Cite book</ref> and is not a direct product of brewing (like sake) but of distillation (like shōchū). The majority of Template:Transliteration made today uses indica rice imported from Thailand, as the local production is largely insufficient to meet domestic demand, which has risen considerably in recent years.
Awamori is typically 60–86 proof (30–43% alcohol), although "export" brands (including brands shipped to mainland Japan) are increasingly 50 proof (25% alcohol).<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Some styles (notably Template:Transliteration) are 120 proof (60%) and are flammable. Template:Transliteration is aged in traditional clay pots to improve its flavor and mellowness.
The most popular way to drink Template:Transliteration is with water and ice.<ref>Template:Cite book</ref> When served in a restaurant in Okinawa, it will nearly always be accompanied by a container of ice and carafe of water. Template:Transliteration can also be drunk straight, on the rocks, and in cocktails. Traditionally, Template:Transliteration was served in a kara-kara, a small earthen vessel with a small clay marble inside. The marble would make a distinctive "kara-kara" sound to let people know the vessel was empty. These vessels are still found in Okinawa, but the clay marbles are often absent.
Another name for awamori used in Okinawa is Template:Transliteration (Template:Langx), or shima for short.
In general, the price of awamori increases with the beverage's age.
Kōrēgusu (Template:Langx) is a type of hot sauce made of chillis infused in awamori and is a popular condiment to Okinawan dishes such as suba.
In December 2024, UNESCO added knowledge and traditional techniques used for making sake, aamui and shochu to its Intangible Cultural Heritage list.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
Awamori is the oldest distilled alcoholic drink in Japan, it is believed to predate sochu.<ref name=":2">Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
History
Awamori owes its existence to Okinawa's trading history. It originates from the Thai drink lao khao.<ref name=Nakasone>Template:Cite book</ref> The technique of distilling reached Ryukyu Kingdom, today's Okinawa,<ref name=":1">Template:Cite web</ref> from the Ayutthaya Kingdom (roughly present-day Thailand) in the 15th century, a time when Okinawa served as a major trading intermediary between Southeast Asia, China, and Japan. All Template:Transliteration is made from Thai (indica) rice. The Okinawans refined the distillation process, incorporating techniques from nearby countries, making it more suitable for the subtropical climate and incorporating the unique local black koji mold.<ref name=Nakasone/> From the 15th to 19th century, Template:Transliteration was sent as a tribute to Okinawa's powerful neighbors, to the shogun during the Edo period, and was served to show hospitality to envoys from China.<ref name=":2" /> Strict control for the production and sale of Template:Transliteration was implemented by the Ryukyu government, which only allowed the upper classes consumption and serving overseas dignitaries,<ref name=":1" /> including Commodore Matthew C. Perry.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
Before April 1983, Template:Transliteration was labelled as a second class shochu; it is now labelled as "authentic Template:Transliteration".
In 2017,<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> facing declining sales in the home market, three of Okinawa's prominent Template:Transliteration distilleries combined their efforts to introduce Template:Transliteration to overseas markets, specifically to the US and Europe.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> The product, branded Ryukyu 1429, made its UK debut in June 2019.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
Production
Although awamori is a distilled rice liquor, it differs from Japanese shochu in several ways. awamori is made in a single fermentation while shochu usually uses two fermentations. Furthermore, awaori uses Thai-style, long-grained indica crushed rice rather than the short-grained japonica usually used in shochu production.<ref>Template:Cite book</ref> Finally, awamori exclusively uses black koji mold (Aspergillus luchuensis) indigenous to Okinawa, while Japanese shochu uses white (A. luchuensis var. kawachii), black (Aspergillus awamori), and yellow (Aspergillus oryzae) koji molds.<ref name="futagami">Template:Cite web</ref>
Kusju}
When Template:Transliteration is aged for three years or more, it is called Template:Langx, Template:Nihongo. This pronunciation, which derives from Okinawan, is unique to awamori; elsewhere in Japan, the word is pronounced "Template:Transliteration" and refers to aged Template:Transliteration.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Legally, in order to earn the designation "kusu", the awamori must be aged for a minimum of three years. If a specific age is noted, then all of the contents must be of at least that age. Template:Transliteration is aged underground in constant cool temperatures in clay pots or vases. Containers of awamori can be found in the caves of Okinawa.
Before the Battle of Okinawa during World War II, 200- and even 300-year-old kusu existed, but most of the oldest kusu were lost in the battle.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> However, the Shikina Distillery in Shuri own 100- and 150-year old Template:Transliteration which are thought to be to be the oldest surviving.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> There are ongoing attempts to once again produce 200- and 300- year old ' Template:Transliteration.<ref>Template:Cite webTemplate:Dead link</ref>
On Yonaguni, Ryukyu Islands' westernmost island, the three distilleries of Donan, Yonaguni and Maifuna produce a variant of Template:Transliteration called Template:Transliteration(Template:Langx, Template:Transliteration), lit. "flower liquor", which has an alcohol content of 60%. Originally intended for religious ceremonies, Template:Transliteration is traditionally consumed straight.
Etymology
The earliest known use of the term Template:Nihongo is in a 1671 record of a gift from Template:Transliteration of the Ryukyu Kingdom to the fourth shōgun, Tokugawa Ietsuna. Template:Lang was sent as a gift to the shogunate prior to 1671, but it was recorded as shōchū (焼酒 or 焼酎) in earlier records.<ref name=":0">Template:Cite web</ref>
Several explanations exist for the etymology of the word awamori. The Okinawan historian Iha Fuyū believed that the name derives from the word for Template:Nihongo, compounded with a verb-derived noun meaning Template:Nihongo. On this theory, the word was recorded incorrectly with the first character as Template:Nihongo rather than the character for Template:Nihongo. Millet was a raw material used to make awamori at the time that the word was first used.<ref name=":0" />
Another hypothesis is that the name comes from a method that was used in the past for assessing the quality of distilled liquors. This method was to slowly pour the liquor from a small bowl held in one hand into an empty bowl held in the other hand about one foot below. The desired result was for a large number of small Template:Nihongo to Template:Nihongo in the lower bowl as the liquor is poured into it. Longer-lasting bubbles were also seen as desirable.<ref name=":0" />
See also
Notes
References
- Okinawa Prefectural Government, "Awamori", Okinawa: Cultural Promotion Division, Okinawa Tourism and Cultural Affairs Bureau, 1996.
External links
Template:Commons categoryTemplate:Alcoholic beverages Template:Rice drinks Template:Authority control