Handbook of Making Sake, Shochu, Koji, Amazake, Miso, Natto, Mirin and More: Foundation of Japanese Foods

A practical guide to making stuff I didn't know you could make yourself, like miso, shoyu, and sake. a good companion to the Noma fermenting book.

Great insight for new home brewer

a great little book

There does seem to be a lot of information here that will be helpful, but the first time I tried making miso using his directions it didn't work. In the meantime I joined a miso group on Facebook and described my methods and results to them and they said the directions I was following weren't the best way to make Miso.

This is by no means a comprehensive treatise, but rather a 'home manual' written by a Japanese academic who was homesick for Japanese culinary comforts when he migrated to America in the 60s. It's simply and endearingly written (including some typos) and is realistic that, without polished rice, your sake might turn out a little crude. BUT, he did break down the process to its simple elements; I had thought that homebrew sake might be more complicated (and I'm sure professional stuff is more complex). His explanations made it all seem much less daunting and was very good concerning the overview of koji, yeast and lactic acid. Sure, you won't be making medal-winning barrels if you can't get polished rice, but the book is a good introduction to the key principles and certainly was enough to pique my curiosity and do more research into making miso, sake and mirin. Also contained some simple home recipes, which I hope to try.

There aren't a lot of books on the subject of making sake in English. There are a plethora of websites. This is a very introductory book. If you know NOTHING about sake then this is a good start. Having said that, you can find all this information online with a little research. It's very short. I question how good your sake will be using these procedures...kind of like pre-hopped extract beer kits...sure it's beer...but.... I recommend Auld's book over this one if you need to choose only one. Koji rules!

Good book to get an understanding of making what it says...but be careful and use your mind when you really make something according to the book...for example, there is a big typo in the 3 step sake method recipe...you will find out latest when you do it...this shouldn't happen in an old and even revised book like this...i have the kindle version

This book has the most basic of recipes with little to zero knowledge of how fermentation actually works. I have so many books on fermenation, sake, and koji, and this one is the worst. Better to call it "making sake, shochu, koji, etc for dummies'