Awamori

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File:Various Awamori bottles by jetalone in Ginza, Tokyo.jpg
A Various brands of awamori displayed in a shop
File:Habu liqueur, awamori flavoured with snakes and herbs.jpg
Habushu, a version of awamori bottled with habu vipers

Awamori (Template:Langx; Template:Langx, Script error: No such module "lang".) is an alcoholic beverage indigenous and unique to the Ryukyuan cuisine of Okinawa Prefecture, Japan. It is made from rice and is not a direct product of brewing (like sake) but of distillation (like shōchū). The majority of Script error: No such module "lang". made today uses indica rice[1] imported from Thailand due to its ease of koji production and alcohol yield[2], the production of awamori made from rice grown in Okinawa has been increasing in recent years[3].

Awamori is typically 60–86 proof (30–43% alcohol), although export brands (including brands shipped to mainland Japan) are often 50 proof (25% alcohol).[4] Some styles (notably Script error: No such module "lang".) are 120 proof (60%) and are flammable.

The most popular way to drink Script error: No such module "lang". in Okinawa is with water and ice.[5] When served in a restaurant in Okinawa, it will nearly always be accompanied by a container of ice and carafe of water. Script error: No such module "lang". can also be drunk straight, on the rocks, and in cocktails. Traditionally, Script error: No such module "lang". 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 Script error: No such module "lang". (Template:Langx), or shima for short.

Script error: No such module "lang". is aged in traditional clay pots to improve its flavor and mellowness. 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.[6][7]

Awamori is the oldest distilled alcoholic drink in Japan, it is believed to predate sochu.[8][9]

History

File:Awamori at Miyakojima01s3s4500.jpg
Bottled Script error: No such module "lang". displayed in a shop

Awamori owes its existence to Okinawa's trading history. It originates from the Thai drink lao khao.[10] The technique of distilling reached Ryukyu Kingdom, today's Okinawa,[11] 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. 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.[10] From the 15th to 19th century, Script error: No such module "lang". 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.[8] Strict control for the production and sale of Script error: No such module "lang". was implemented by the Ryukyu government, which only allowed the upper classes consumption and serving overseas dignitaries,[11] including Commodore Matthew C. Perry.[12][13][14]

Since Okinawa's return to Japan in 1972, Script error: No such module "lang". had been labelled as "second class shochu (焼酎乙類)," but from April 1983, awamori was allowed to be labelled as "authentic Script error: No such module "lang". (本場泡盛)." Furthermore, in June 1995, "Ryukyu" was registered as a geographical indication (GI) for distilled spirits by the National Tax Agency of Japan, and since 2004, awamori produced in Okinawa has been labeled "Ryukyu Awamori."[15]

In 2017,[16] facing declining sales in the home market, three of Okinawa's prominent Script error: No such module "lang". distilleries combined their efforts to introduce Script error: No such module "lang". to overseas markets, specifically to the US and Europe.[17] The product, branded Ryukyu 1429, made its UK debut in June 2019.[18]

Production

Although awamori is a distilled rice spirit, it differs from Japanese shochu in several ways. Awamori is made in a single fermentation of koji while shochu is usually made by two-step fermentation of koji and main ingredients such as sweet potatoes, barley and rice. Furthermore, awaori uses Thai-style, long-grained indica rice rather than the short-grained japonica usually used in shochu production.[19] 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.[20]

Kusju

File:Taragawa Cellar.jpg
Already purchased aamui' maturing in the purposely constructed cellar at Taragawa distillery, Miyako-jima, Okinawa

When Script error: No such module "lang". is aged for three years or more, it is called Template:Langx, Script error: No such module "Nihongo".. This pronunciation, which derives from Okinawan, is unique to awamori; elsewhere in Japan, the word is pronounced "Script error: No such module "lang"." and refers to aged Script error: No such module "lang"..[21] 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. Script error: No such module "lang". 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.[22] However, the Shikina Distillery in Shuri owns 100- and 150-year-old Script error: No such module "lang". which are thought to be the oldest surviving.[23] There are ongoing attempts to once again produce 200- and 300-year-old Script error: No such module "lang"..[24]

Script error: No such module "lang".

On Yonaguni, Ryukyu Islands' westernmost island, the three distilleries of Donan, Yonaguni and Maifuna produce a variant of Script error: No such module "lang". called Script error: No such module "lang".(Template:Langx, romanized : hanadaki), lit. "flower liquor", which has an alcohol content of 60%. Originally intended for religious ceremonies, Script error: No such module "lang". is traditionally consumed straight.

Etymology

The earliest known use of the term Script error: No such module "Nihongo". is in a 1671 record of a gift from Script error: No such module "lang". of the Ryukyu Kingdom to the fourth shōgun, Tokugawa Ietsuna. Awamori 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.[25]

Several explanations exist for the etymology of the word awamori. The Okinawan historian Iha Fuyū believed that the name derives from the word for Script error: No such module "Nihongo"., compounded with a verb-derived noun meaning Script error: No such module "Nihongo".. On this theory, the word was recorded incorrectly with the first character as Script error: No such module "Nihongo". rather than the character for Script error: No such module "Nihongo".. Millet was a raw material used to make awamori at the time that the word was first used.[25]

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 Script error: No such module "Nihongo". to Script error: No such module "Nihongo". in the lower bowl as the liquor is poured into it. Longer-lasting bubbles were also seen as desirable.[25]

See also

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Notes

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  1. ^ Page Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css has no content.Pellegrini, Christopher (July 22, 2014). The Shochu Handbook – An Introduction to Japan's Indigenous Distilled Drink. Telemachus Press. p. 21. ISBN 978-1940745282.
  2. ^ Page Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css has no content."泡盛とは | 泡盛基礎知識 | 泡盛に使う主原料について". 琉球泡盛 (in 日本語). Retrieved 2026-04-14.
  3. ^ Page Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css has no content."泡盛の特徴なぜタイ米（インディカ米）を使用するのか？｜検索詳細｜地域観光資源の多言語解説文データベース". 地域観光資源の多言語解説文データベース (in 日本語). Retrieved 2026-04-14.
  4. ^ Page Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css has no content."Awamori – Kampai!".
  5. ^ Page Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css has no content.Pellegrini, Christopher (July 22, 2014). The Shochu Handbook – An Introduction to Japan's Indigenous Distilled Drink. Telemachus Press. p. 67. ISBN 978-1940745282.
  6. ^ Page Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css has no content."Traditional Japanese Brewing Recognized by UNESCO". NHK WORLD. 20 January 2025. Retrieved 14 February 2025.
  7. ^ Page Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css has no content."Japan sake-brewing added to UNESCO intangible heritage". Kyodo News+. 5 December 2025. Retrieved 14 February 2025.
  8. ^ a b Page Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css has no content."Awamori: Okinawa's Iconic Spirit". Visit Okinawa Japan | Official Okinawa Travel Guide. Retrieved 14 February 2025.
  9. ^ Page Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css has no content."日本の酒・本格焼酎と泡盛". www.japansake.or.jp (in Japanese). Retrieved 14 February 2025.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: unrecognized language (link)
  10. ^ a b Page Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css has no content.Nakasone, Ronald Y. (2002). Okinawan diaspora. University of Hawaii Press.
  11. ^ a b Page Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css has no content."Tracing the Roots of Awamori". Visit Okinawa Japan | Official Okinawa Travel Guide. Retrieved 2025-02-14.
  12. ^ Page Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css has no content."Entertaining Honored Guests" (PDF). mlit.go.jp.
  13. ^ Page Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css has no content.Hagio, Toshiaki (31 March 2016). "泡盛今昔" (PDF). isc.senshu-u.ac.jp (in Japanese). pp. 14, 29. Retrieved 14 February 2025.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: unrecognized language (link)
  14. ^ Page Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css has no content."ペリー提督一行も味わった泡盛「醸造古く、まろやか」酒宴の記述 ユネスコ無形遺産登録". Ryukyu Shimpo (in 日本語). 6 December 2024. Retrieved 2025-02-14.
  15. ^ Page Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css has no content."泡盛とは | 泡盛基礎知識 | 「琉球泡盛」が沖縄産の証（あかし）". 琉球泡盛 (in 日本語). Retrieved 2026-04-14.
  16. ^ Page Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css has no content."3 Okinawan liquor makers hold strategy meeting with foreign marketing specialists to develop the "Awamori Brand"". Ryukyu Shimpo – Okinawa, Japanese newspaper, local news. Retrieved 2019-08-26.
  17. ^ Page Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css has no content."Public and private sectors push to revive Okinawa's struggling awamori industry". The Japan Times Online. 2018-10-12. ISSN 0447-5763. Retrieved 2019-08-26.
  18. ^ Page Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css has no content."Japanese Awamori Spirits Draw Attention at London Show". nippon.com. 2019-07-02. Archived from the original on 2020-11-16. Retrieved 2019-08-26.
  19. ^ Page Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css has no content.Chris., Bunting; クリス・バンティング. (2011). Drinking Japan : a guide to Japan's best drinks and drinking establishments. Tokyo: Tuttle Pub. ISBN 9784805310540. OCLC 654312874.
  20. ^ Page Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css has no content.Taiki Futagami. "The white koji fungus Aspergillus luchuensis mut. kawachii. Bioscience, Biotechnology, and Biochemistry, Volume 86, Issue 5". Japan Society for Bioscience, Biotechnology, and Agrochemistry. pp. 574–584. Archived from the original on 9 April 2023. Retrieved 9 April 2023.
  21. ^ Page Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css has no content.John Gauntner (2004). "Shochu & Awamori". Sake World. Archived from the original on 29 November 2010. Retrieved 2016-11-06.
  22. ^ Page Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css has no content."沖縄で現存する最古１５０年物の泡盛古酒を訪ねた". 琉球新報 Style (in 日本語). Retrieved 2022-06-27.
  23. ^ Page Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css has no content."沖縄最古の泡盛". 沖縄泡盛酒造所 有限会社 識名酒造 – 古風味豊かな琉球泡盛「時雨」・「歓」 (in 日本語). Retrieved 2022-06-27.
  24. ^ Page Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css has no content."古酒とは | 古酒は沖縄の宝 | 現存する最古の古酒は？". 琉球泡盛 (in 日本語). Retrieved 2022-06-27.[permanent dead link]
  25. ^ a b c Page Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css has no content."泡盛とは | 泡盛基礎知識 | 泡盛の名前の由来". 琉球泡盛 (in 日本語). Retrieved 2022-06-27.

References

  • Okinawa Prefectural Government, "Awamori", Okinawa: Cultural Promotion Division, Okinawa Tourism and Cultural Affairs Bureau, 1996.

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Template:Alcoholic beverages

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