What is this mysterious grain-milk powder, "Kokkoh," that I've been reading about and where can I get some?
According to George Ohsawa in Zen Macrobiotics, it is a mixture of roasted rice, sweet rice, oatmeal, soybeans, and sesame seeds that have been ground together into a powder. You use 1 heaping tablespoon of powder to 11 ounces of water, stir and boil for 10 minutes, and then you drink! But he doesn't explain the proportions to use for the powder, only that it's easiest to use the factory-made product. (305. Kokkoh, page 91, Zen Macrobiotics).
He says that "Kokkoh is recommended for everyone and may be used as the breakfast for an adult. It can also be used to make a large variety of cakes, drinks and deserts." (page 150, Zen Macrobiotics).
In Zen Cookery (formerly The First Macrobiotic Cookbook), by George Ohsawa, Cornellia Aihara, and friends, I found three recipes for a hot breakfast cereal, a soup, and a beverage, but again, no explanation for how to make the grain milk powder itself:
40. Grain Milk Cereal
1 cup grain milk powder (kokkoh)
5 cups water
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 tsp oil (optional)
Saute grain milk powder in oil or roast in a dry pan until there is a nut-like fragrance. Cool. Add water gradually to prevent lumping. Add salt. Bring to a boil. Lower flame and simmer until thickened. Cook about 30 to 45 minutes. Serve with sesame salt or soy sauce.
— From page 23 of Zen Cookery (The First Macrobiotic Cookbook)
41. Grain Milk Soup
1 cup grain milk powder (kokkoh)
10 cups water
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp oil
Soy sauce
Saute grain milk powder in oil. Cool. Add water gradually to prevent lumping. Add salt and bring to a boil. Lower flame and simmer until thickened. Stir occasionally. Add soy sauce to taste. Variations: Serve with any whole grain noodle or macaroni. Garnish with chopped scallion.
— From page 24 of Zen Cookery (The First Macrobiotic Cookbook)
291. Grain Milk (Kokkoh)
This is a finely ground combination of roasted rice, sweet rice, oats, and sesame seeds, often used as a milk substitute. Use 1 heaping tablespoon grain milk to 1 1/2 cups of water. Stir and boil for 10 minutes. Serve hot or cold. It is a delicious snack time pick-me-up.
— From page 124 of Zen Cookery (The First Macrobiotic Cookbook)
And then finally, I found a recipe for the grain milk powder in Julia Ferre's cookbook, Basic Macrobiotic Cooking, 20th Anniversary Edition (page 246):
Kokkoh — Roast separately, page 62 [dry roasting directions]
Cool and mix together. Yield: 2 1/2 cups
1 cup brown rice, roasted
1/2 cup sweet brown rice, roasted
1/2 cup whole oats, roasted
1 Tbsp. sesame seeds, roasted
2 Tbsp. azuki beans, roasted
She uses azuki beans in her recipe rather than soybeans as mentioned in Zen Macrobiotics, but I suppose any type of bean could be used depending on how yang you want it to be.
Thanks, Julia. I think I'll try making some!
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My Notes On The Macrobiotic Centering Diet
