Koji 17.63oz(500g) Miyako Koji For Shio Koji And Amazake

A few months ago, we tried out a pre-made Amazake mixture that simply required us to combine it with boiling water and we were such fans of the flavor that we wanted to find a way to make more of it in a higher volume. So we picked up this back of Koji and set about learning how to make Amazake from scratch, and we were quite happy with the results.While making Amazake from scratch is quite a bit more complicated a task than our first Amazake experience, it was worth it for the challenge and the increased volume we were able to make. Combining this Koji with some short-grain rice we set about combining the mixture in a hotpot using the "yogurt" setting to keep a steady temperature, and from there it just became a waiting game (about 10 hours) to let our Amazake mature/ferment.When all was said and done, we had a nice big batch of Amazake that lasted us for a week.This probably won't be a weekly or monthly thing that we brew, but for upcoming special occasions or family gatherings we might make a batch so others can try it as well. And if we get really good at making it we'll start adding additional custom flavors, but for now it was just a treat to be able to make the batches this bag afforded us.***Overall Value***We got about 3 batches-worth of Amazake from this bag of Koji, but I will say this, the images are a bit misleading. At 17 ounces, it is NOT a particularly big bag of Koji, but for us it was perfect as it was our first time making it from scratch and honestly there was no guarantee it was going to turn out as good as the pre-made mixture we'd tried before.Fortunately for us, it did work out and we might be picking up another bag or two of this Koji in the near future.

This is the first time I have ever used (or even heard of) koji. All of the packaging instructions and information is written in Japanese, so if you are unfamiliar with koji and can not read Japanese, you will have to do a little research on how to use it. First, koji is described as Japan’s “national fungus". Koji mold plays a foundational role in a lot of the country's food. It is used in making sake, soy sauce, and miso. Koji has many health benefits as well. I attempted to make miso paste with it. It is easy to work with. Making miso is a very long and involved process. It was an intriguing and fun venture though. It does need to ferment for months before I will be able to try it. I ordered this Japanese Decor Sakura Koji in April of 2023 and the date on the bag is February 2024 so there is a lot of time to use the bag up. The bag is not resealable.

I use it to tenderize meat. Tastes great.

Not sure if this is a manufacturer issue or shipping issue- but rice bag was broken and Koji rice spilled all over other items in box. A real bummer.

This is very good koji. I often grind it fine & use it for creating an aged flavor on beef. I also use it on fish, chicken & pork – it really adds a deep, rich flavor. I also use it to make amazake, a fermented beverage.Koji is a strain of Aspergillus oryzae, a fungus used for food, sake, mirin, miso, soy sauce & other foods. It helps start the fermentation process in making these products.

Have been using koji recently and this one is high quality. So far have used it for pickling various vegetables and also using it as a marinade for chicken and beef as a tenderizer whereby you mix the koji with water into a paste like consistency and then rub onto your various meats. The amount of time needed for tenderizing will vary depending on the type of meat and thickness. For smaller, thinner cuts like chicken I keep it on for like 30 minutes then wipe off excess before placing onto a grill. For cuts like steak, I leave on in fridge for about 8 hours, wipe of excess and towel dry before placing onto grill. The meats tenderized by koji impart a really nice taste, is extra tender and has some decent charring when done on the grill. I'm really impressed with this brand of japanese koji and will continue to use.

I mostly know of this as a precursor to making soy sauce, miso, etc., but the ever growing awareness of umami by western cooks has brought this out of it's dank, damp, dark, closet.A common use is to powder it and mix in a brine to make a salty, umami rich, shio koji paste, great for marinades and dry aging.Recently I've heard of more experimentation using just this (ground) as an aging rub for meats and shrimp.That's what I've been playing with, finding some nice flavors.I'm sure there are other good uses, and centuries of Japanese cooks are enjoying being amused by western chefs' recent 'discoveries'.I think, though, unless you start making your own miso, etc, or are into experimentation, it may be simpler to just buy prepared shio koji.

This takes a long time to make. (Over a week!)The results have a very tangy, fermented (probably because it has been fermenting) taste. Half of my family enjoyed it, the other half didn't even want to finish a full bite.I think it turned out the way it should, but the flavor and texture are not something everyone is going to love.