Awamori

Awamori (泡盛, Okinawan: アームイ, āmui) is an alcoholic beverage indigenous and unique to Okinawa, Japan.

It is made from long grain indica rice,[1] and is not a direct product of brewing (like sake) but of distillation (like shōchū).

The majority of awamori 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.

Kōrēgusu is a type of hot sauce made of chillis infused in awamori and is a popular condiment to Okinawan dishes such as Okinawa soba.

In December 2024, UNESCO added knowledge and traditional techniques used for making sake, awamori and shochu to its Intangible Cultural Heritage list.

[8] From the 15th to 19th century, awamori 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.

[6] Strict control for the production and sale of awamori was implemented by the Ryukyu government, which only allowed the upper classes consumption and serving overseas dignitaries,[9] including Commodore Matthew C.

This pronunciation, which derives from Okinawan, is unique to awamori; elsewhere in Japan, the word is pronounced "koshu" and refers to aged sake.

The earliest known use of the term awamori (泡盛) is in a 1671 record of a gift from King Shō Tei of the Ryukyu Kingdom to the fourth shōgun, Tokugawa Ietsuna.

The Okinawan historian Iha Fuyū believed that the name derives from the word for millet (粟, awa), compounded with a verb-derived noun meaning "heaped amount; serving" (盛り, mori).

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.