Koji_Guide_3
Koji_Guide_3
Table of Contents
Before You
Before Begin
You Begin 3
Acknowledgements 3
What is the goal? 3
How hard is it? 3
How far ahead do I have to plan? 3
Koji 101 4
What is Koji? 4
What is Escarpment Labs Koji Rice? 5
Why freeze dried instead of fresh? 5
Koji Applications 6
Shio Koji 6
Amazake 6
Miso 7
Saké 7
Shoyu 8
Koji Guide
3
Acknowledgments
For thousands of years, cultures in China, Korea and Japan have harnessed and mastered
koji. In fact, it has become so ingrained in Japanese cuisine that you'd be hard-pressed to
talk about it without the mention of koji-kin. Escarpment Laboratories would like to express
our deepest appreciation for the history and culture behind Koji, and for the wealth of
knowledge that we inherently benefit from. We are extremely grateful for the opportunity
to learn about and make amazing Koji ferments.
Koji Guide
4
Koji 101
What is Koji?
Koji is a fascinating mold that was discovered in China in 7000 BCE, where it is called
“Qu”, and has cemented its importance in Japanese culture as its official national mold!
This mold grows especially well on high starch substrates (such as rice), in hot and humid
climates. As it grows, the Koji secretes enzymes that help it break down complex starches
and proteins which it uses as food.
Making healthy and enzyme rich koji is the preliminary step in many fermentation
processes including miso, saké and soy sauce. It is a key ingredient because all the
enzymes secreted by the mould contribute to massive flavour in the final product. It is
these enzymes that are the key to getting a delicious umami flavour.
Umami is the meaty, savoury flavour we perceive in foods like parmesan cheese,
tomatoes, meats and broths. What we are actually tasting with this flavour are the amino
acids after the enzymes break down proteins. Therefore, by using koji we are leveraging
enzymes that break down protein in order to create umami in our food.
Koji Guide
5
Koji 101
While our recipes will specify how to use your freeze dried koji in a specific recipe,
sometimes other recipes will call specifically for fresh koji. We suggest for every 100g of
freeze dried koji you used, add 35-40g of water to make fresh koji. Make sure that the
weight of your freeze dried koji, plus the additional water is equal the amount of fresh koji
used in the recipe.
You can also use your judgement to determine if your koji is hydrated enough. You can
achieve this by adding water in increments, stirring well until rice is plump and no longer
brittle. Rice should be a uniform consistency, with no water pooling at the bottom of the
bowl. When rehydrating our Koji Rice, always start with less water as you can always add
more water later in the process.
Please Note: Once you rehydrate our Koji Rice it is no longer shelf stable and should be
used immediately.
Koji Guide
6
Koji 101
Koji Applications
Koji applications are very broad. Often koji is the first step in long multistage ferments. In
this guide we cover some of our favourite fermentations using koji. Although koji is used in
many cultures, it is most popular in Japan. Therefore we primarily use the traditional
Japanese names to avoid confusion.
Shio Koji
Shio koji is a great all-purpose seasoning and marinade. It is a slightly acidic, slightly salty
paste with the perfect amount of umami. Additionally, it is incredibly easy to make and use
too! We love shio koji for marinating all sorts of meat and adding a kick of flavour on
sauteed veggies.
Amazake
Amazake is an example of a sweet koji
fermentation. What makes this particular
application unique is that it is not seasoned
with salt; however, it is still incredibly rich in
flavour and enzymes. The flavour is very
similar to a sweetened milk alternative.
To make Amazake:
Ferment koji with fresh partially cooked rice
at 60℃ for up to 6-12 hours. Amylase
enzymes in the koji break down the starch in
the fresh rice into sugar molecules, making a
very sweet product that can be blended into Figure 4. Homemade Amazake (similar to
a liquid. We recommend adding Amazake to sweetened milk alternative)
your smoothies as a dairy replacement!
Koji Guide
7
Koji 101
Miso
Miso is a semi-solid paste rich in amino
acids and it requires only three
ingredients to make! In addition to koji,
miso needs salt and a protein base
(traditionally soybeans). The
ingredients are mixed and fermented
over several months.
Saké
Saké is a traditional alcoholic
beverage from Japan. It is rich in 18
different amino acids,
oligosaccharides, short peptides and
polyphenols; all of which contribute to
a pure flavour. The most basic
fermentation takes 2 to 3 months and
requires many steps, but if you can
achieve the elegance of sake it's all
worth it! Saké can also be distilled to
make a higher alcohol drink called
Figure 6. Homemade sake
Shochu.
Koji Guide
8
Koji 101
Shoyu
Shoyu, or as it's more commonly known as soy sauce, is something we are all familiar with;
but, did you know it's traditionally fermented? It is made through a two step fermentation
process using koji, which contributes to the intense umami taste. Traditionally it can take
anywhere from 6 months to over a year to make a rich shoyu with a balance of flavours
and aromas.
Koji Guide
9
We love shio koji! Not only is it easy to make, but elevates any dish. Shio koji is a slightly
acidic, salty brine which brings in so much flavour and moisture to meat! In this recipe, we
will show you how to turn your Escarpment Labs Koji Rice into a versatile shio koji and
use it as a marinade for roast chicken and marinated tofu.
Ingredients
283 g Escarpment Labs Koji Rice Pouch
480-500 mL Water
Steps
Figure 7. Ingredients for Shio Koji
Making Shio Koji
1. Add your freeze dried shio koji to a 1-2L mason jar or tupperware
2. Add 480-500mL of water to the jar. Make sure the koji is submerged under water.
Dried koji will soak up some of the water so add more water if needed.
3. Add 75-80g of Kosher salt to the jar and mix well (10% of weight of koji and water)
5. OPTIONAL: You can also blend the shio koji to turn it into a paste, this makes it easier
to spread. However it does spoil faster when blended
Koji Guide
10
1. Rub ¼ of shio koji marinade over chicken. Remaining marinade can be stored in an
airtight container for up to 6 months in the refrigerator.
3. Place chicken in a large zip lock bag and marinate in the fridge for 24-48 hours
NOTE: The longer the chicken marinates the more the texture can change. We prefer
the 24 hour “sweet spot”
4. After the chicken is done marinating, be sure to scrap as much of the koji off. Any koji
that is left on the skin has a high likelihood of burning. This will still taste good but
won’t be as pretty
5. Cook chicken as normal. Some of our favourite ways of cooking the chicken include:
a. The Jamie Oliver “Perfect Roast Chicken” recipe found at
https://www.jamieoliver.com/recipes/chicken-recipes/perfect-roast-chicken/
b. Beer can chicken on the BBQ
c. Spatchcocking the chicken and cooking in oven or BBQ
Koji Guide
11
2. Line a container or tupperware with plastic wrap and apply a layer of shio koji to the
bottom and place the tofu blocks on top
3. Use remaining shio koji to spread over the top and sides of the tofu brick
4. Fold over the sides of the plastic wrap and seal container
6. You can choose to fry the tofu or slice it and eat it as is!
Koji Guide
12
Koji Guide