' is a Japanese drink from

Amami Oshima The The name ''Amami-guntō'' was standardized on February 15, 2010. Prior to that, another name, ''Amami shotō'' (奄美諸島), was also used. is an archipelago in the Satsunan Islands, which is part of the Ryukyu Islands, and is southwest of ...

Kagoshima Prefecture is a prefecture of Japan located on the island of Kyushu and the Ryukyu Islands. Kagoshima Prefecture has a population of 1,599,779 (1 January 2020) and has a geographic area of 9,187 km2 (3,547 sq mi). Kagoshima Prefecture borders Kumamoto P ...

and

Okinawa Prefecture is a prefecture of Japan. Okinawa Prefecture is the southernmost and westernmost prefecture of Japan, has a population of 1,457,162 (as of 2 February 2020) and a geographic area of 2,281 km2 (880 sq mi). Naha is the capital and largest city o ...

, areas known for health and longevity. It is an arrangement based on ''

omiki is an offering of sake or other alcoholic drinks offered to gods in Japanese Shinto. Sake is often consumed as part of Shinto purification rituals. People drink Omiki with gods to communicate with them and to solicit rich harvests the followin ...

'', a beverage used in

Shinto Shinto () is a religion from Japan. Classified as an East Asian religion by scholars of religion, its practitioners often regard it as Japan's indigenous religion and as a nature religion. Scholars sometimes call its practitioners ''Shintois ...

rituals and festivals. ''Miki'' is made from fermented rice, sweet potatoes, and sugar and was traditionally made in every household on the island. It is sold commercially as a

soft drink A soft drink (see § Terminology for other names) is a drink that usually contains water (often carbonated), a sweetener, and a natural and/or artificial flavoring. The sweetener may be a sugar, high-fructose corn syrup, fruit juice, a su ...

, with many specialized shops selling it, and some grocery stores.

History

The origin of ''miki'' can be traced back to "''

kuchikamizake or ''Kuchikami no sake'' is a kind of rice-based alcohol produced by a process involving human saliva as a fermentation starter. Kuchikamizake was one of the earliest types of Japanese alcoholic drinks. ''Kuchi'' means "mouth", ''kami'' means " ...

''," an alcoholic beverage made by chewing rice or other grains and storing the saliva in a container. It is related to '' amazake'' but contains many more ingredients such as barley and lactic acid. This type of drink was commonly made and offered during the annual "umachi" event in villages and gateways. Miki is written as "" in

kanji are the logographic Chinese characters taken from the Chinese family of scripts, Chinese script and used in the writing of Japanese language, Japanese. They were made a major part of the Japanese writing system during the time of Old Japanese ...

characters and has been recorded in historical accounts dating back to the 15th century. It was used in fertility festivals. With modernization, the traditional method of mouth-chewing the ingredients was abandoned and commercialized miki is now made using rice, barley, and sugar. The addition of barley to rice is said to have originated in Itoman, where miki has been made at the gates during the umachi season. However, each region has developed its own sense of taste and variations in the miki-making process still exist.

Description

The main ingredients of miki are rice, and sugar, and the drink is made by fermenting these ingredients, it contains sweet potatoes in Amami, and barley in Okinawa. The texture of the fermented rice resembles porridge, and the sweetness of the sweet potatoes and sugar added to it gives it a "sweet porridge" taste. The characteristic of store-bought miki is that it has a flavor like sweet potato porridge, with a thick, sweet, and slightly sour taste. It has a sweet taste and a yogurt like texture It has a thick texture with pulp in it It is not considered an alcoholic drink

Methods of consumption

People typically drink miki chilled, but it can also be mixed with ice, juice, milk, ''shochu'', or wine. As it ferments, it becomes more sour, and some people prefer to drink it when it reaches a certain level of sourness. The shelf life of miki is around 10 days from production, so it is best to drink it as soon as possible. In addition to drinking, Miki can also be used to make desserts such as dumplings with molasses or mixed with ''zenzai'' to make a Japanese-style dessert. It can also be added to fruit to make a yogurt-like dessert. It is said to help sick people recover.

References

{{Reflist, 2

History

Description

Methods of consumption

References

See also