About this Event
Organic Rice to Sake: A Guided Japanese Fermentation Tasting Experience
Discover how a single grain of organic California rice transforms into koji, amazake, doburoku, and sake through the magic of Japanese fermentation. Led by Masako Kodama, Japanese Fermentation Professional and founder of Long Beach Koji, this tasting experience invites you to explore each stage of the fermentation journey through aroma, texture, and flavor.
You’ll follow the natural flow of fermentation from steamed organic rice to fragrant koji, sweet and creamy amazake, lively doburoku, and finally sake. Learn how enzymes and microbes reshape rice into completely new foods and drinks. This is a curated sensory experience designed to deepen your understanding of Japanese fermentation traditions.
Featuring Local Partners
This event is proudly presented in collaboration with:
@LopesFamilyFarms — Organic California rice grown with regenerative duck‑rice methods
@SawtelleSake — Los Angeles craft sake brewery honoring Japanese fermentation craftsmanship
Together, these partners highlight the beauty of local agriculture and the artistry of Japanese fermentation.
What You’ll Experience
- Taste organic rice and freshly made koji
- Enjoy amazake — sweet, creamy, and gently thick
- Explore doburoku — thick, cloudy, lightly bubbly sake
- Sake tasting featuring “Clear Skies,” the signature sake of Sawtelle Sake
Who This Event Is For
Food lovers, fermentation beginners, sake fans, Japanese culture enthusiasts, and anyone curious about how simple ingredients become extraordinary through fermentation.
Event venue & nearby stays
Sawtelle Sake, 1836 Sawtelle Boulevard, Los Angeles, United States
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