This explains why it is considered a premium "starter" malt or sourdough for food fermentation. What makes koji so special is that it digests starches and proteins, breaking them down into sugars and amino acids.
It's an ingredient that kick-starts the food fermentation process. Miso is made by mixing rice koji with steamed soybeans to which salt and water have been added, causing soybeans to ferment, transforming the whole into a thick mixture with sweet and savoury notes, characteristic of umami flavor.
Rice koji adds depth of flavor and umami to products Our dried rice koji lets you make your own shio koji (koji salt), umami-rich seasoning that has been winning over chefs and home cooks for some years now. It is reputed to soften food fibers and enhance umami flavor.
Simply combine 250 to 300g of rice koji with 80 to 100g of salt and 500 ml of water and leave to ferment for two weeks at room temperature (stirring daily to homogenize) to obtain a thick, slightly lumpy, salty paste with a light miso taste.
Once achieved, keep refrigerated. "Shio koji" mixture can simply be used as a salt substitute, replacing each teaspoon of salt with one teaspoons of shio koji in a recipe.
It can also be used to marinate meat, fish and vegetables, or to replace soy sauce. To marinate meats and fish, after thoroughly drying their surface, place them in an airtight zipped bag after adding your shio koji, spreading the mixture evenly throughout the bag to impregnate the product.
- For a 250g faux filet, add two tablespoons of shio koji and chill for 1 h.
- For 200g of fish fillet, add two tablespoons of shio koji and chill for 1 h to 1 night.
