The Fad

So, I've jumped on the bandwagon for the latest food fad here which is 塩麹 (shio kouji)

It's pretty easy to make so I made a batch of it during Golden Week and the fermentation process finally completed yesterday!

塩麹 (shiokouji) or fermened rice salt has been a common condiment that's been around for centuries but recently it's been catching on like fire here. Main reason being with its health benefits and increasing interest in fermented food products. Of course, Japan being the most health conscious country in the world, it's all-out on this and now there's hundreds of products out there.

This is a close-up. You see that the rice is so well fermented, it chemically broke down, giving the condiment a creamier texture.

This fermented condiment adds a rich and unique flavor and goes well with pretty much anything.  Also the bacteria helps soften meat or fish and the salt prevents it from going bad. And needless to say, it adds so much more flavor. You can also use it as an alternative to salt or soy sauce for stirfries, pickles, salads, etc. I love mixing it with olive oil and vinegar to make a simple and healthy dressing!

If you think it's kind of gross, then well I gues you can't really eat any Japanese food since soy sauce, sake, and miso all contain 麹 (kouji) as the main ingridient to ferment them...

How to make it:


All you need is a pack of 米麹(Kome kouji: dry pack of rice with kouji bacteria injected. You can get it at supermarkets here or find it online), salt (ratio to the kome kouji to salt should be about 1:3 or 1:4), and just enough water so it will cover up the surface in a tupperware. Leave it for about 1-2 weeks away from sunlight in room temperature. Stir with a spoon once a day.

Easy breezy pickles: Add in a tablespoon of kouji in a tupperware of chopped veggies. Leave it overnight in the fridge and voila!







More recipes to come :)