The lees left after sake is pressed: soft, cream-coloured sheets or paste that still hold about 8% alcohol and smell of fruit, yeast and something cheesy. For kasuzuke (fish cured in it), kasujiru soup, and lately ice cream and baking.
boozy · fruity · yeasty · cheesy
Kinds
Itakasu
Pressed sheets — firm, fresh and fruity.
Neri-kasu
Aged into a soft, darker paste; sweeter and easier to mix.
Japanese grocers and some sake breweries. It keeps for months in the fridge, and freezes.
Worth knowing
Soften it with a splash of sake or warm water, mix with white miso and a little sugar, and coat fish for two or three days. Scrape it off before grilling. It isn't alcohol-free, even cooked.