Awamori


[Image:Various Awamori bottles by jetalone in Ginza, Tokyo.jpg|thumb|right|A Various brands of awamori displayed in a shop]
Image:Habu liqueur, awamori flavoured with snakes and herbs.jpg|thumb|right|Habushu, a version of awamori bottled with habu vipers
Awamori is an alcoholic beverage indigenous and unique to the Ryukyuan cuisine of Okinawa Prefecture, Japan. It is made from long grain indica rice, and is not a direct product of brewing but of distillation. The majority of 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, although "export" brands are increasingly 50 proof. Some styles are 120 proof and are flammable. is aged in traditional clay pots to improve its flavor and mellowness.
The most popular way to drink is with water and ice. When served in a restaurant in Okinawa, it will nearly always be accompanied by a container of ice and carafe of water. can also be drunk straight, on the rocks, and in cocktails. Traditionally, 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, or shima for short.
In general, the price of awamori increases with the beverage's age.
Kōrēgusu 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.
Awamori is the oldest distilled alcoholic drink in Japan, it is believed to predate sochu.

History

Awamori owes its existence to Okinawa's trading history. It originates from the Thai drink lao khao. The technique of distilling reached Ryukyu Kingdom, today's Okinawa, from the Ayutthaya Kingdom in the 15th century, a time when Okinawa served as a major trading intermediary between Southeast Asia, China, and Japan. All is made from Thai 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. From the 15th to 19th century, 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. Strict control for the production and sale of was implemented by the Ryukyu government, which only allowed the upper classes consumption and serving overseas dignitaries, including Commodore Matthew C. Perry.
Before April 1983, was labelled as a second class shochu; it is now labelled as "authentic ".
In 2017, facing declining sales in the home market, three of Okinawa's prominent distilleries combined their efforts to introduce to overseas markets, specifically to the US and Europe. The product, branded Ryukyu 1429, made its UK debut in June 2019.

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. Finally, awamori exclusively uses black koji mold indigenous to Okinawa, while Japanese shochu uses white, black, and yellow koji molds.

''Kusju''

Image:Taragawa Cellar.jpg|thumb|right|Already purchased aamui' maturing in the purposely constructed cellar at Taragawa distillery, Miyako-jima, Okinawa
When is aged for three years or more, it is called, kusu. This pronunciation, which derives from Okinawan, is unique to awamori; elsewhere in Japan, the word is pronounced "" and refers to aged. 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. 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. However, the Shikina Distillery in Shuri own 100- and 150-year-old which are thought to be to be the oldest surviving. There are ongoing attempts to once again produce 200- and 300-year-old

On Yonaguni, Ryukyu Islands' westernmost island, the three distilleries of Donan, Yonaguni and Maifuna produce a variant of called, lit. "flower liquor", which has an alcohol content of 60%. Originally intended for religious ceremonies, is traditionally consumed straight.

Etymology

The earliest known use of the term 2=泡盛 is in a 1671 record of a gift from 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 in earlier records.
Several explanations exist for the etymology of the word awamori. The Okinawan historian Iha Fuyū believed that the name derives from the word for millet, compounded with a verb-derived noun meaning "heaped amount; serving". On this theory, the word was recorded incorrectly with the first character as "bubble, foam" rather than the character for millet. Millet was a raw material used to make awamori at the time that the word was first used.
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 bubbles to rise and swell in the lower bowl as the liquor is poured into it. Longer-lasting bubbles were also seen as desirable.