Who Is the World’s Strongest Appraiser? ~Living in Another World With Satisfying Meals~

There Are Two Types Of Amazake

“Ah, you must mean amazake.”

““Amazake?””

When Yuuri answered nonchalantly, everyone present, led by Hallow, tilted their heads in confusion. Today, Hallow had come to visit Yuuri with ingredients he’d picked up on his rounds. However, today was a little different. Usually, Hallow, a peddler in his forties, would come with something like, “I found ingredients that seem sellable. Could you teach me how to cook them?” But today, it was, “A friend gave me ingredients for a drink they had while traveling, but they mentioned making it with different ingredients, and I don’t quite understand.

Do you know anything about it?” And Yuuri answered easily. But it wasn’t due to the [God’s Eye] cheat skill. It was simply a matter of Yuuri’s knowledge. That’s because the ingredients Hallow handed him were rice malt and sake lees. These two ingredients make the same drink despite being used separately. The only mysterious drink Yuuri knew of was amazake. The one made with rice malt doesn’t contain alcohol, so even kids can drink it easily, while the one made with sake lees has alcohol and warms your body. Even kids can drink it if they don’t have too much.

“Amazake is something we drink in winter where I’m from… Is it okay if I borrow these ingredients to make it?”

“Please, by all means. My friend will be relieved once we figure out how to make it, as they forgot to ask for the recipe after getting the ingredients.”

“They sound a bit absent-minded.”

“They don’t usually cook, so I imagine they were overwhelmed just by getting the ingredients.”

Hallow sighed as if to say, “What can you do?” while Yuuri smiled gently. He pretended not to notice the people who averted their gazes after hearing the story. When cooking, ingredients are important, but knowing the recipe is even more crucial. If you want to recreate something you ate elsewhere, you must remember the taste, gather the ingredients, and follow the recipe closely. With that, Yuuri took the rice malt and sake lees from Hallow and headed to the kitchen. The usual apprentices were quick to offer their help.

Yakk, in particular, followed Yuuri closely, his face glowing with excitement. It’s not that he’s obsessed with cooking, but unknown dishes pique his curiosity. Magg, on the other hand, followed reluctantly, likely sensing that there wouldn’t be a chance to use dashi. He’s easy to read.

“Oh, Hallow.”

“Yes?”

“Actually, the amazake made with rice malt needs to ferment for five or six hours. Could you come back in the evening?”

“Understood. See you then.”

“Okay.”

After Yuuri informed him, Hallow nodded and returned to his shop to finish his work. Hearing it would take time, the others also left. The only ones remaining were Yuuri and the apprentices who were going to help. Amazake made with sake lees is done relatively quickly, but the one made with rice malt requires time for the koji mold to do its work. The process isn’t difficult, but it takes time.

“Let’s start with the rice malt.”

““Alright!””

For some reason, Yuuri pulled out a thermal jar to keep leftover rice warm. His rice cooker was large, so he had a special tool to keep leftover rice warm. Yuuri took out the jar’s inner pot and tossed the rice malt inside. Next, he prepared water and hot water, adjusting the temperature to between 55 and 60 degrees Celsius. If it exceeds 60 degrees, the koji mold dies, so it’s important to carefully mix hot water and water to get the right temperature. If you mess this up, you can’t make amazake.

“The koji mold in the rice malt dies if it goes over 60 degrees, so make sure the water stays below that, okay? The ideal range is 55 to 60 degrees.”

“Got it. So, what do we do with that?”

“Just mix it with the rice malt.”

“That’s it?”

“Yep, that’s it.”

He poured the hot water into the inner pot, carefully mixing it to avoid leaving any lumps of rice malt. If lumps remain, those parts won’t ferment properly, so it’s important to mix thoroughly with the water. Honestly, the crucial steps are getting the temperature right and mixing thoroughly. After combining the rice malt and hot water, he put them back in the thermal jar. Before closing the lid, he covered it with a cloth and left it slightly open.

After maintaining the temperature for five or six hours, the koji mold would work its magic and turn it into amazake. It’s important to check the temperature occasionally. And when it’s done, you should mix it well to ensure it’s all evenly fermented.

“Now we just need to check the temperature from time to time, right?”

“And that’s it? You can make a drink like this?”

“Yep, you can.”