Rice Syrup (Brown Rice Syrup)

What it is

A mild, amber, thick syrup made from cooked rice converted to sugars; "brown rice syrup" uses whole-grain rice. Dominated by maltose and glucose.

How it's made

Cooked rice is combined with enzymes — either from sprouted barley or from koji mold — which break the rice starch into sugars. The liquid is strained and reduced to syrup.

Flavor profile

Gentle, buttery, faintly nutty, with a mild butterscotch note; noticeably less sweet than sugar and not floral like honey.

Culinary uses

A macrobiotic and natural-foods staple, used to sweeten granola bars, baked goods, and sauces where a mild, sticky, non-floral sweetener is wanted. Its high maltose content makes it good for chewy, binding applications, though it browns and behaves differently from sucrose and is not a clean one-to-one swap in delicate baking.

Regional variations

Traditional East Asian grain syrups overlap heavily with malt syrup; the "brown rice syrup" sold in Western health-food stores is a standardized commodity version. Korean jocheong is often rice-based.

Cultural & historical context

Rooted in the same East Asian grain-conversion tradition as malt syrup, it was adopted by the Western macrobiotic and whole-foods movements as a "natural," low-fructose alternative to refined sugar.

Reference notes

• Tags: grain-derived, rice, maltose, mild-sweetener, macrobiotic
• Related ingredients: malt syrup, amazake, honey
• Related cuisines: Korean, Japanese, Western health-food
• Suggested Cuisinopedia links: Malt Syrup, Amazake, Koji