Shio koji is an additive-free umami condiment that works especially well in vegan dishes. It's truly incredible at bringing out the full flavor of the ingredients you use.
This Shio koji is easily made at home with only three ingredients: koji, salt, and water.
A spoonful of Shio Koji adds saltiness, sweetness, and umami to dishes, which makes it an incredibly convenient seasoning👍
If you love pumpkin, Japanese Kabocha Stew with Shio Koji is a highly recommended recipe.
Even though it's just seasoned with Shio Koji, the pumpkin's natural sweetness is taken to the next level, making it feel like sugar has been added.
Even those who usually prefer less sweet dishes will find this stew delightfully satisfying😋
That's the beauty of Shio Koji — its ability to transform any dish into something special!
Homemade Shio Koji is a real game-changer in the world of vegan cooking. You can use it to make all sorts of delicious vegan dishes, like vegan feta cheese and kimchi. It just takes a week in the summer and two weeks in the winter to make, and it's a breeze! Just mix the ingredients and let it sit a bit to mature, and you're all set.
If you don't have the time, no worries! You can always buy ready-made Shio Koji. But if you've got the time, why not give it a try and see how easy it is to make your own?😊
Jump to:
🐰What is Rice Koji?
Before we start, let me introduce a little bit about Rice Koji.
"Rice koji" refers to steamed rice inoculated with Aspergillus oryzae (koji mold), a crucial ingredient in traditional Japanese fermentation processes for making foods like sake, miso, and soy sauce.
There are two types of rice koji: fresh and dried. They're both made with the same basic ingredients: rice that's sprinkled with koji mold and then fermented.
The main differences between them are the amount of moisture and the taste.
Moisture: The moisture content is what makes them different. Fresh koji has about 25% to 30% moisture, while dried koji is dried until it has 10% or less moisture. That makes dried koji easier to store and more accessible.
Taste: And when it comes to taste, dried koji might be a bit more on the subtle side. Fresh koji has a stronger flavor. Fresh koji also has a higher fermentation power, and the salted koji made with it has a richer flavor than dried koji.
That's why, in this recipe, we're going to show you how to make shio koji using fresh koji. And if you're looking for a recipe that uses dried koji, please go to QUESTION.
🧂Ingredients Needed
- Fresh Rice Koji: This recipe requires fresh rice koji. You may be able to get it if you have a miso factory nearby, such as AEDAN Fermented Foods. If you are using dried rice koji, the quantity will be different. So please be sure to check the QUESTIONS for details. If you live in Japan, you can get it on amazon.
- Natural Salt: Instead of refined salt that has had potassium, calcium, and magnesium extracted, I suggest natural salt that has a high mineral content.
- Water
For exact amounts, please check the recipe card.
🔪Step-by-Step Guide
STEP1: First, place the fresh rice koji and salt in a bowl and mix well by hand. Make sure the salt is evenly distributed.
STEP2:Then, just transfer it to a clean glass food storage container or jar and add water. Cover it lightly with a lid or plastic wrap and store it at room temperature out of sunlight.
STEP3:The next morning, the koji has soaked up some water. If the top part of the koji is dry, you need to add water to fill it up. (It depends on the season and the condition of the koji used.)
STEP4:Add enough water to cover the koji, cover it lightly with a lid or plastic wrap, and store it at room temperature. Give it a mix with a spoon once a day until it's good to go.
STEP5: It takes about a week in the summer and two weeks in the winter. The finished product has a sweet aroma, and the koji is so thick that you cannot even see the shape of the koji.
STEP6: The koji is pretty soft and can be easily crashed with the fingers. Also, the saltiness has changed to a more mild taste. Make sure to store it in the refrigerator.
👀Tips: When fermenting at room temperature, close the lid lightly. Koji breathes while it's fermenting, so don't seal the lid too tight. Once it's done fermenting, you can close the lid tightly when storing it in the refrigerator.
🥄Using Shio Koji in Your Cooking
Adding Umami to rice dish: Adding shio koji when cooking Takikomi-gohan(It's a rice dish with flavorings like dashi and seasonings, plus veggies and other ingredients mixed in.) makes it even tastier because of the umami and sweetness from the shio koji. I use shio koji for making Corn Takikomi-gohan, Bamboo Shoot Mixed Rice.
Adding Cheesy Flavour to the dessert: In Japan, vegan products are not as available as in other countries. So, I like to use shio koji to express the cheesy flavor. ex) Baked Pumpkin Vegan Cheese Cake, Vegan Tofu Cream Cheese Spread, Vegan Feta Cheese
For pickle - Shio koji is great with veggies for simple pickles. Most store-bought pickles are made using a lot of additives, but when you make them yourself, they are fresh, tasty, and healthier. ex) Sio Koji dressed Cucumber, Vegan Kimchi
🍽Tools
- bowl
- glass container or jar
🫙To Store
It'll last about six months in the fridge. We suggest using it up before the sweet aroma fades.
🧑🏼🍳Important !
Be careful not to pour too much water in!
The next day(STEP3), the koji soaks up water and dries out. Don't add too much water at this point. Just enough to cover the koji is good. This will result in a thick, flavorful salted koji that's easier to handle when cooking. Also, keep in mind that a low salt concentration will shorten the shelf life of Shio Koji. So be careful not to pour too much water in!
✈️More Vegan Seasonings made with Koji
Once you've mastered making shio koji, you can try making condiments with other koji! These seasonings are a must-have to take your vegan Japanese cooking to the next level.
Soy Sauce Koji: is sweeter and more umami-rich than regular soy sauce. It takes the saltiness of soy sauce down a bit and gives it more of that dashi flavor like Dashi soy sauce. It's not only tasty, but it also keeps the salt content down and can be used as a substitute for soy sauce in everyday cooking. If you're spending money on Tamari, I'd suggest making this tasty soy sauce koji instead.
Onion Koji: It's a great substitute for consommé. With onion koji, you'll never need consommé cubes again for Japanese Curry, pasta, soups, and other dishes.
💭Questions
I haven't tried making it with dried koji yet. I'll upload the method as soon as I try it out. For now, I think you can use the same amount of dried koji as you would fresh koji. Just make sure to add the right amount of water to get the best results.
If you like this recipe or have already made it, we'd love to hear your thoughts in the COMMENTS 🐒. Also feel free to ask any questions or leave any requests!
👨🏻🍳More Recipes with Shio Koji
Vegan recipes using Shio Koji:
Home made Shio Koji
Equipment
- Bowl
- Glass container or Jar
Ingredients
- 100 g Fresh Rice Koji
- 35 g Natural Salt
- 110 g Water
Instructions
- Place Fresh Rice Koji in a bowl and mix with salt. Mix with your hands so that the salt is well distributed in the koji.100 g Fresh Rice Koji35 g Natural Salt
- Transfer it to a clean storage container and add water. Cover it lightly with a lid or plastic wrap and store it at room temperature out of sunlight.110 g Water
- The next day, if the water level is low, add enough water to just cover the raw koji and mix it with a spoon.
- Mix well once a day for about 1 week in summer and 2 weeks in winter until it is ready.
- It's ready when it becomes thick, the koji grains can be easily squished with your fingers, and you'll start to smell sweet aroma.
We'd absolutely love to see your photos of the dishes you've made with our recipes! Share them on Instagram with the hashtag #vegin_vegan_vegun or just tag us @veginveganvegun 🙏
MIKA says
I forgot to mix the salt and koji first. I'm a little worried it might not turn out right.
Vegin Vegan Vegun! says
Did you succeed?
When I feel lazy, I just put all the ingredients in a storage container and mix them together.
It still comes out great, so you don't have to worry about it.
Thanks for your question!