Mizuame

<i>Mizuame</i>

Mizuame

Japanese starch-based sweetener


Mizuame (水飴, literally "water candy", also known as millet jelly) is a sweetener from Japan. A clear, thick, sticky liquid, it is made by converting starch to sugars. Mizuame is added to wagashi to give them a sheen, eaten in ways similar to honey, and can be a main ingredient in sweets. Some Mizuame are produced in a very similar fashion to corn syrup and are very similar in taste.

Quick Facts Type, Place of origin ...

Two methods are used to convert the starches to sugars. The traditional method is to take glutinous rice mixed with malt, and let the natural enzymatic process take place, converting the starch to syrup[1] which consists mainly of maltose.[2] The second and more common method is acid hydrolysis of potato starch or sweet potato starch by adding acid, such as hydrochloric, sulfuric or nitric acids,[1] to make glucose syrup. If done by the first method, the final product, known as mugi mizuame (麦水飴), is considered more flavorful than the acid version.[1]

See also


References

  1. Davidson, Alan (2002) [1999]. "Mizuame". The Penguin companion to food. London: Penguin books. p. 611. ISBN 0-14-051522-4. Retrieved 2021-04-28.
  • Media related to Mizuame at Wikimedia Commons

Share this article:

This article uses material from the Wikipedia article Mizuame, and is written by contributors. Text is available under a CC BY-SA 4.0 International License; additional terms may apply. Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.