🥃 Kome shōchū
Japanese single-distilled shochu from rice and rice koji, up to 45% ABV; the best known is the protected name Kuma from Kumamoto Prefecture (since 1995).
Kome shōchū (米焼酎) is a Japanese single-distilled shochu based on rice. It is made in many prefectures, but the best known is the shochu Kuma from the Hitoyoshi district of Kumamoto Prefecture. Strength, as for single-distilled shochu, is up to 45% ABV. The taste is soft, with a sweetish note of rice.
How it is made. Koji, a mould that breaks down starch, is grown on rice. The koji ferments with water, then cooked rice is added and the mash ferments again. It is distilled in a pot still. Vacuum distillation gives a soft, fruity aroma, while distillation at normal pressure gives a fuller one with the smell of toasted rice.
Kuma. The name Kuma has been protected in Japan since 1995. It requires only Japanese rice and koji made from it, water from Kuma District or the city of Hitoyoshi, and fermentation, distillation, storage and bottling on site. The basin is surrounded by the mountains of Kyushu: cold winters, mist and the soft water of the Kuma River favour slow fermentation.
Tradition. Under the Kuma standard the basin had enough rice, so local distillers made rice shochu even when other crops were used elsewhere. The closest relative is Okinawan awamori, which is also made only from rice but uses black-mould koji. Sake lees give a separate type of shochu.
Why this matters to you. On the label look for 米焼酎 and 本格焼酎: single distillation from rice. The name 球磨 (Kuma) guarantees Japanese rice and local water. A soft taste does not make the spirit weak: strength can reach 45% ABV. The WHO notes that there is no safe amount of alcohol.
Facts
| Raw material | rice, rice koji, water; for Kuma only Japanese rice and water from the Kuma basin |
|---|---|
| Distillation method | single distillation in a pot still; at normal pressure or under vacuum |
| Alcohol (% vol.) | up to 45% ABV |
| Legal basis | Japanese Liquor Tax Act No. 6 of 1953; protected name Kuma (1995) |
What it includes
How it connects to Spirits
🥃 Kome shōchū → kind of → 🍶 Asian spirit traditions → kind of → 🥃 Spirits
Links
- Next step
- 🍷 Alcoholic fermentation
- Made from
- 🧪 Water
- What it affects
- 🍷 Alcohol and health, 🍷 Drunk driving
- Traditions
- 🧑🤝🧑 Japanese
- Part of
- 🥃 Shochu, 🍶 Asian spirit traditions
- Related to
- 🌍 East Asia
- Similar and different
- 🥃 Awamori, 🥃 Imo shōchū, 🥃 Lao Khao, 🥃 Mugi shōchū, 🥃 Kokutō shōchū, 🥃 Kokutō shōchū, 🥃 Mugi shōchū, 🥃 Iki, 🥃 Satsuma, 🥃 Soba shōchū
- In other topics
- Rice noodles
Frequently asked questions
Is it true that kome shōchū is distilled sake?
Not quite. Both are made from rice and koji, but for shochu the mash itself is distilled. Shochu from sake lees is a separate type.
What is Kuma?
A rice shochu name protected since 1995, from Kuma District and the city of Hitoyoshi in Kumamoto Prefecture: only Japanese rice and local water.
What is the strength of kome shōchū?
As for single-distilled shochu, up to 45% ABV. The exact strength is stated on the label.
How does it differ from awamori?
Awamori is made on Okinawa only from rice koji grown with black mould. Kome shōchū usually adds cooked rice to the koji as well.
Why does the taste vary?
Vacuum distillation gives a soft, fruity aroma. Distillation at normal pressure gives a fuller one with the smell of toasted rice.
What to read next
- 🍷 Alcohol and health — Alcohol in any drink is harmful in large amounts, and the risks grow with the quantity.
- 🍷 Alcoholic fermentation — Yeast eats the sugar in the must and releases alcohol and carbon dioxide.
- 🌍 East Asia — A region in the east of Asia — China, Japan and Korea: milk became an everyday food only in the 20th century, but there are old traditions such as rushan and so; China ranks third in the world for vineyard area.
- 🥃 Mugi shōchū — Mugi shōchū is a Japanese shochu made from barley and koji, distilled once and up to 45% ABV; best known are the protected Iki name and the light styles of Oita Prefecture.
- 🥃 Iki — Japan's protected geographical indication for barley shōchū from Iki Island (Nagasaki): only barley and rice koji in roughly 2:1 ratio, island water, single distillation.
Similar
🥃 Imo shōchū · 🥃 Mugi shōchū · 🥃 Kokutō shōchū · 🥃 Soba shōchū · 🥃 Shochu · 🥃 Kūsu
⚠️ Spirit drinks contain alcohol and are for adults only. Alcohol harms health. Do not drink during pregnancy or before driving; check the label for ingredients and possible allergens.
Sources
- NTA, Tokyo Regional Taxation Bureau: 焼酎に関するもの — types of single-distillation shochu (米焼酎, 黒糖焼酎 …) and history
- NTA: production standard of GI Kuma (球磨), amended 27.02.2018 — single-distillation shochu from domestic rice only, koji from domestic rice, water from Kuma district or Hitoyoshi (Kumamoto); fermentation, distillation, storage and bottling there; Kuma basin with cold winters, fog and soft water of the Kuma river
- National Tax Agency of Japan: list of geographical indications for liquor (酒類の地理的表示一覧)
- Liquor Tax Act of Japan (酒税法, Act No. 6 of 1953), Art. 3 item 10: single-distillation shochu up to 45 % vol. (e-Gov)
- WHO/Europe: No level of alcohol consumption is safe for our health (04.01.2023)