Koji

Koji has been used for centuries to create delicious Japanese foods – from miso and soy sauce, to sake and mirin. It is a miracle ingredient with the power to improve the flavour of food naturally, without the need for chemical additives.

Koji has the ability to:

  • Add a depth of savoury flavour any protein (eg meat or beans)
  • Create natural sugars from any carbohydrate
  • Reduce the amount of salt needed in any dish
  • Make meat more tender

White Rice Koji

Umami Chef is the first company in the UK approved to make koji; so now you can make authentic Japanese foods from the comfort of your own home.

Find out more about koji on the What is koji? page or head straight over to the shop, if you’d like to buy some koji now. If you have any questions about koji, please visit our FAQ, and feel free to leave a comment if you can’t find what you are looking for.

Here are a few other delicious foods you can make with the miracle ingredient, koji:

Make Your Own Miso!

You can make miso by simply mixing koji with cooked beans and salt and then leaving it to rest for as little as 10 days. This creates a delicious, mild creamy miso that is perfect in soups and salad dressings. 

For step-by-step instructions see our miso page.

By altering the ratio of koji:beans:salt and then leaving the miso to mature for longer periods of time you can create rich, dark misos. This green lentil miso is perfect after 6 months and if you can wait a year or more try making red miso.

Amazake

If you have access to a yoghurt maker (or any equipment capable of holding food at 60°C) then it’s very easy to make amazake, a traditional Japanese drink renowned for its health benefits.

Shio Koji
 
Shio koji is an amazing marinade, that adds a delicious depth of flavour to foods. It is especially good on sweetcorn, broccoli, white fish and chicken.
 
To make shio koji, just mix:
 
  • 1 packet Umami Chef Koji
  • 50 g Salt
  • 500ml Water (boiled, then cooled)
Blend to form a smooth paste.
 
It can then be used immediately, or left to ferment for one week to improve the flavour.