Miki (Amami Fermented Rice Drink)

Quick answer

Total time: 40 min
Level: Medium
Servings: 8 servings
Ingredients: 4

About this dish

Miki is a lactic fermented drink made with rice, sweet potato, sugar, and water in the Amami area of Kagoshima.

Rice flour is cooked while stirring for 15 to 20 minutes, sweetened, and cooled to about 30°C before juice pressed from grated sweet potato is mixed in. The covered mixture rests in a cool, dark place overnight in summer or for two to three nights in winter, with occasional stirring. Fresh miki is thick and distinctly sweet; as fermentation continues, its acidity becomes more pronounced before the drink is chilled.

Ingredients (8 servings)

Ingredient	Amount	Unit
rice flour	500	g
water	1400	ml
peeled sweet potato	100	g
white sugar	100	g

Instructions

Read the steps as a cooking flow: prep, heat, seasoning, doneness control, and finish.

5 steps

1

Control

Bring the water to a boil in a large pot.

Reduce to medium-low heat and add the rice flour gradually, whisking continuously so no lumps remain.
2

Season

Add the white sugar and cook for 15 to 20 minutes, scraping the bottom with a spatula.

Stop the heat when the rice flour is fully cooked, smooth, and thick.
3

Step

Finely grate the sweet potato, wrap it in clean cloth, and squeeze firmly to collect only the juice.

The grated solids are not used in this preparation.
4

Prep

Cool the rice mixture to about 30°C.

Add the sweet potato juice and stir thoroughly with a clean spatula until the color and consistency are uniform.
5

Finish

Transfer to a clean jar or container, cover, and keep in a cool, dark place.

Ferment overnight in summer or for two to three nights in winter, stirring occasionally with a clean spatula. Refrigerate when the desired acidity develops and serve chilled.

Practical Cooking Checks

The cues that matter most while cooking.

Key technique: Rice flour cooks for 15 to 20 minutes with constant stirring.
Finish cue: Transfer to a clean jar or container, cover, and keep in a cool, dark place.
Storage and reheating: Refrigerate once acidity appears behind the sweetness rather than relying only on the calendar.