Awamori
/ˌɑːwəˈmɔːri/noun
A traditional Okinawan distilled spirit made primarily from long-grain indica rice and black koji mold.
Did you know?Awamori is traditionally made with black koji mold, whose dark spores and citric-acid production help protect the mash in Okinawa’s warm climate.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Japonic
Japonic
*awa
“Foam or bubbles; a reconstructed ancestral form associated with the first element.”
Old Japanese
Japanese
awa
“Foam or froth.”
Old Japanese
Japanese
moru
“To pile up, heap, or make rise; the likely source of the second element.”
15th–16th Century
Okinawan Japanese
awamori
“Name for the distilled Okinawan rice spirit; the traditional explanation connects it with foam rising during production.”
Modern English
English
awamori
“A Japanese loanword for Okinawa’s distinctive distilled rice liquor.”