Shio koji

Hozan's secret salt koji recipe brings out the flavor of the ingredients

Recently, there has been a lot of talk about koji on television and in magazines.
Koji is an essential ingredient for sake breweries. We are very pleased that everyone is paying attention to it. Shio Koji is particularly popular.
Since it was featured on TV, Takarayama Sake Brewery has been receiving inquiries almost daily. In fact, we've been experimenting with it at home every day. It makes frozen meat and fish taste better. It really brings out the umami. Even vegetables. In my house, we use shio koji instead of salt in most of our cooking. The brewer told us that adding a pinch of it to vinegar makes it much more mellow.
Please give Takayama's secret salt koji a try, as it has beautiful grains, no strong flavor, and brings out the flavor of the ingredients beautifully.

For those encountering shio koji for the first time

First, scoop one up with a spoon and taste it. It's very salty. There's a faint sweetness from the koji, but think of it as the same as regular salt.
Next, let's try it with ingredients. Place about three grains of shio koji on a slice of sashimi. Place about three grains of shio koji on a slice of tomato. How's that? Does it taste any different? This is the delicious flavor of shio koji.

Takarayama Shuzo's Shio Koji does not contain any preservatives or sterilization. The koji remains alive inside the bottle, so please be sure to store it in the refrigerator.
Also, to protect against germs, avoid putting dirty spoons in the jar.

How to use shio koji

Rub 7-10% of the weight of meat (beef, pork, or chicken) with shio koji and let it sit in the refrigerator for 1-3 days. Then, simply use it in your usual cooking. Stir-fried vegetables, meat and potato stew, curry, and hamburger steak will taste amazing!

*The meat will be well seasoned, so seasoning afterwards should be kept to a minimum.
*Please note that meat rubbed with shio koji burns easily.