Recently I resumed my experiment on koji making by using any kind of kitchen tool that almost everyone has. I’m not sure if everyone has this, but this time I tried a salad spinner – and totally loved it!
The entire process to make koji from tsutsumikomi to finish generally takes about 48 hours, but you should not tie to this number without thinking. Some require less, some require more.
Fermented food has long been a staple in many cultures, and for a good reason. Each fermented food has its unique flavor, texture, and health benefits.
Mycelia seek for moisture. This is a key. Since koji-kin is able to determine what kind enzyme to produce at the moment they wake up on the substrate, you need to make sure where you guide them to grow mycelia towards to.
Koji won’t let you control them before you learn from them. They have their own way to survive, and the first thing we can do is to learn that. After that, koji-kin will invite you to play around for more possibilities.
Let me talk about my background and how I became a seller of bonito flakes. As a woman with no blood relations to the business, how did I get thrust into a male-dominated world which is still strongly influenced by family succession? And what am I doing today?
Mirin, which adds shine and luster to dishes along with an elegant sweetness, is used in a variety of ways of cooking, including in simmered, grilled, dressed, and rice dishes.
As for Japan, the home of soy-sauce making, the "manufacturing method" label on the product will change depending on if and when the hydrolyzed protein is added.