How To Make Shio Koji (Video) 塩麹の作り方

Shio Koji (塩麹, 塩糀) is an all-purpose, natural seasoning used for centuries in Japanese cooking. You can use this versatile ingredient to marinate, tenderize, and enhance the umami flavor of any dish. I’ll show you how easy it is to make at home with just 3 ingredients.

It’s been several years since shio koji (塩麹, 塩糀) experienced a huge resurgence in popularity in Japan as a versatile seasoning, tenderizer, and pickling agent. Why not use one ingredient for multiple purposes! Let me show you how easy it is to make this amazing ingredient at home with my Shio Koji recipe.

What is Shio Koji?

Shio koji (塩麹, 塩糀) is a natural seasoning used to marinate, tenderize, and enhance the umami, or richness (one of the five basic tastes) in foods. It’s made of rice koji that’s fermented with salt.

Rice koji (米こうじ, 米糀, 米麹) is steamed rice that has been treated with koji mold spores (Aspergillus oryzae, koji-kin 麹菌, or koji starter). Koji is a specific strain of mold that has been cultured over the centuries.

Koji in Japanese Foods

You may feel hesitant to eat it and wonder why we make rice moldy on purpose. But you have most likely eaten it already! Koji is the key ingredient in miso, soy sauce, sake, mirin, rice vinegar, amazake, shochu, and shio koji. A live food, koji spores are rich in enzymes that break down starches and proteins in food into sugars and amino acids.

Shio koji is really versatile and you can use it in any kind of Japanese or Western cooking. Use it as a meat marinade for chicken, beef, and pork. You can also make pickles and season your vegetables with it. It also makes a good salt substitute. In a recipe that calls for salt, you can substitute 1 teaspoon of salt with 2 teaspoons of shio koji.

Benefits of Shio Koji

Because it is a fermented ingredient, shio koji is known for its many health benefits. These include:

• a natural probiotic seasoning
• tenderizes food
• brings out the umami and sweetness in foods
• reduces the intake of salt
• aids for digestion
• clear the skin
• anti-aging
• contains minerals, fiber, and vitamins

Ingredients You’ll Need

While you can buy the bottled version at Japanese grocery stores, it’s quite simple and more cost effective to make from scratch. You’ll just need:

• rice koji – find rice koji in Japanese grocery stores or online
• sea salt – use 10–30% of the rice koji, by weight; do not use table salt
• water

How to Make Shio Koji at Home

1. In a large bowl, break the rice koji and separate the rice grains into smaller pieces. Rub the koji in your hands to separate it into individual grains.
2. Add the sea salt, and mix together.
3. Add the measured water and rub it in. If the surface of the rice koji is not submerged in the water, add more water.
4. Transfer to a sterilized jar and ferment at room temperature for 1–2 weeks. Open the lid daily and stir during this time. When it’s done fermenting, move the jar to the fridge where you can store the shio koji for up to 6 months.

Recipes with Shio Koji

Try these recipes all prepared with multipurpose shio koji!

• Yakisoba
• Salmon
• Chicken (baked and broiled)
• Karaage (Japanese fried chicken)
• Grilled Mackerel
• Simmered Kabocha
• Daikon and Cucumber Salad
• Pickled Daikon
• Creamy Mashed Potatoes
• Braised Herb Chicken

I hope you have fun making this magic ingredient at home and discover more ways to flavor your dishes with it.

Wish to learn more about Japanese cooking? Sign up for our free newsletter to receive cooking tips & recipe updates! And stay in touch with me on Facebook, Pinterest, YouTube, and Instagram.

How To Make Shio Koji

4.69 from 22 votes

Shio Koji (塩麹, 塩糀) is an all-purpose, natural seasoning used for centuries in Japanese cooking. You can use this versatile ingredient to marinate, tenderize, and enhance the umami flavor of any dish. I'll show you how easy it is to make at home with just 3 ingredients.

Print Pin

Video

Prep Time: 20 minutes mins

Cook Time: 0 minutes mins

Inactive Time: 14 days d

Total Time: 14 days d 20 minutes mins

Servings: 2 (jars)

Ingredients

 

US CustomaryMetric

 

1x2x3x

• ▢ 200 g rice koji (7.05 oz)
• ▢ 4 Tbsp sea salt (can be 10–30% of rice koji by weight; do not use table salt)
• ▢ 1 cup water

Japanese Ingredient Substitution: If you want substitutes for Japanese condiments and ingredients, click here.

Cook ModePrevent your screen from going dark

Instructions

 

• Gather all the ingredients.
  
• In a large bowl, break 200 g rice koji and separate the koji grains into smaller pieces.
  
• Rub the rice koji firmly in your hands to separate into individual grains.
  
• Rub the koji until aromatic, add 4 Tbsp sea salt, and mix all together.
  
• Add 1 cup water. If necessary, add more water if it doesn‘t cover the surface of the koji. Rub the koji with your hands.
  
• Transfer to sterilized jar(s)/container with a lid. Make sure the shio koji is submerged in water; if not, add more water.
  
• Ferment the shio koji at room temperature, open the lid and mix it once a day for 1 week during the summer and 2 weeks during the winter (as warm temperature speeds up the ripening process). Add a bit of water if the shio koji is too hard. It might taste salty at the beginning, but it will gradually become mild. Shio Koji will become thicker and begin to smell sweet from the fermentation.

To Store

• Store in the refrigerator for up to 6 months.

Notes

Koji: The majority of koji you find at stores will appear lighter in color than this brand of koji that I use, which is slightly yellow. The yellow color comes from koji mold, and some are yellow and some are brown. Depending on the brand/company, they may mix different kinds of koji molds to create a more complex flavor. You see more white koji in stores as they look “prettier” (source).

Nutrition

Serving: 1 jar · Calories: 398 kcal · Carbohydrates: 87 g · Protein: 7 g · Sodium: 13954 mg · Potassium: 3 mg · Calcium: 25 mg · Iron: 1 mg

Author: Namiko Hirasawa Chen

Course: Condiments, How to

Cuisine: Japanese

Keyword: marinade sauce, shio koji

©JustOneCookbook.com Content and photographs are copyright protected. Sharing of this recipe is both encouraged and appreciated. Copying and/or pasting full recipes to any website or social media is strictly prohibited. Please view my photo use policy here.

Did you make this recipe?If you made this recipe, snap a pic and hashtag it #justonecookbook! We love to see your creations on Instagram @justonecookbook!