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Awamori (Japanese:泡盛;Okinawan:アームイ,āmui, aamui) is analcoholic beverage indigenous and unique to theRyukyuan cuisine ofOkinawa Prefecture,Japan. It is made from long grainindica rice,[1] and is not a direct product ofbrewing (likesake) but ofdistillation (likeshōchū). The majority ofAamui made today uses indica rice imported fromThailand, as the local production is largely insufficient to meet domestic demand, which has risen considerably in recent years.
Awamori is typically 60–86proof (30–43% alcohol), although "export" brands (including brands shipped to mainland Japan) are increasingly 50 proof (25% alcohol).[2] Some styles (notablyhanadaki (Japanese:hanazake)) are 120 proof (60%) and are flammable.Aamui is aged in traditional clay pots to improve its flavor and mellowness.
The most popular way to drinkaamui is with water and ice.[3] When served in a restaurant in Okinawa, it will nearly always be accompanied by a container of ice andcarafe of water.Aamui can also be drunk straight, on the rocks, and incocktails. Traditionally,aamui was served in akara-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 forawamori used in Okinawa issima-jaki (Japanese:島酒,romanized: shima-zake,lit. '"island sake"'), orshima for short.
In general, the price ofawamori increases with the beverage's age.
Kōrēgusu (Okinawan:Kooreegusu) is a type ofhot sauce made ofchillis infused inawamori and is a popular condiment to Okinawan dishes such assuba.
In December 2024,UNESCO added knowledge and traditional techniques used for making sake,aamui and shochu to itsIntangible Cultural Heritage list.[4][5]
Awamori is the oldest distilled alcoholic drink in Japan, it is believed to predate sochu.[6][7]
Awamori owes its existence to Okinawa's trading history. It originates from the Thai drinklao khao.[8] The technique of distilling reachedRyukyu Kingdom, today's Okinawa,[9] from theAyutthaya Kingdom (roughly present-dayThailand) in the 15th century, a time when Okinawa served as a major trading intermediary between Southeast Asia, China, and Japan. Allaamui 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 blackkoji mold.[8] From the 15th to 19th century,aamui was sent as a tribute to Okinawa's powerful neighbors, to theshogun during theEdo period, and was served to show hospitality to envoys from China.[6] Strict control for the production and sale ofaamui was implemented by the Ryukyu government, which only allowed the upper classes consumption and serving overseas dignitaries,[9] including CommodoreMatthew C. Perry.[10][11][12]
Before April 1983,aamui was labelled as a second classshochu; it is now labelled as "authenticaamui".
In 2017,[13] facing declining sales in the home market, three of Okinawa's prominentaamui distilleries combined their efforts to introduceaamui to overseas markets, specifically to the US and Europe.[14] The product, branded Ryukyu 1429, made its UK debut in June 2019.[15]
Althoughawamori is a distilled rice liquor, it differs from Japaneseshochu in several ways.awamori is made in a single fermentation whileshochu usually uses two fermentations. Furthermore,awaori uses Thai-style, long-grainedindica crushed rice rather than the short-grainedjaponica usually used inshochu production.[16] Finally, awamori exclusively uses blackkoji mold (Aspergillus luchuensis) indigenous to Okinawa, while Japaneseshochu uses white (A. luchuensis var.kawachii), black (Aspergillus awamori), and yellow (Aspergillus oryzae)koji molds.[17]
Whenaamui is aged for three years or more, it is calledOkinawan:クース/古酒,romanized: Kuusju,kusu (古酒; "old liquor"). This pronunciation, which derives fromOkinawan, is unique toawamori; elsewhere in Japan, the word is pronounced "koshu" and refers to agedsake.[18] Legally, in order to earn the designation "kusu", theawamori 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.Aamui is aged underground in constant cool temperatures in clay pots or vases. Containers ofawamori can be found in the caves of Okinawa.
Before theBattle of Okinawa during World War II, 200- and even 300-year-oldkusu existed, but most of the oldestkusu were lost in the battle.[19] However, the Shikina Distillery inShuri own 100- and 150-year oldKuusju which are thought to be to be the oldest surviving.[20] There are ongoing attempts to once again produce 200- and 300- year old 'Kuusju.[21]
OnYonaguni, Ryukyu Islands' westernmost island, the three distilleries of Donan, Yonaguni and Maifuna produce a variant ofaamui calledhanadaki(Yonaguni:ハナダキ/花酒, [jahanazake]Error: {{Transliteration}}: missing language / script code (help)), lit. "flower liquor", which has an alcohol content of 60%. Originally intended for religious ceremonies,hanadaki is traditionally consumed straight.
The earliest known use of the termawamori (泡盛) is in a 1671 record of a gift fromShoo Tii (Japanese:Shō Tei) of theRyukyu Kingdom to the fourthshōgun,Tokugawa Ietsuna.Awamori was sent as a gift to theshogunate prior to 1671, but it was recorded asshōchū (焼酒 or 焼酎) in earlier records.[22]
Several explanations exist for the etymology of the wordawamori. The Okinawan historianIha Fuyū believed that the name derives from the word formillet (粟,awa), compounded with a verb-derived noun meaning "heaped amount; serving" (盛り,mori). On this theory, the word was recorded incorrectly with the first character as "bubble, foam" (泡,awa) rather than the character for millet (粟,awa). Millet was a raw material used to makeawamori at the time that the word was first used.[22]
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 (泡,awa) to rise and swell (盛,mori) in the lower bowl as the liquor is poured into it. Longer-lasting bubbles were also seen as desirable.[22]
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