Houjicha Shio Koji
Shio koji is a magic wand.
I use it often in my cooking and in my classes. It’s not impossible to get but it also isn’t like buying onions or flour. However, the koji grains are fairly easy to source and can be easily purchased online (see NOTES for some ideas).
Using Tap Twice Tea’s Houjicha instead of water changes shio koji, of course. It results in an even more savory paste that also boasts toasty and nutty notes. I find it intriguing and have been using it on everything from roasted vegetables to salad dressings to soups.
INGREDIENTS
1 ⅔ c (400 ml) of strongly brewed Houjicha tea from Tap Twice Tea
1 ⅔ c (300g) koji grains
¼ c + 3 Tbsp (75g) Kosher salt
DIRECTIONS
Place the koji, cooled tea and salt in a sterilized 32oz Mason jar and mix. Cover and let it ferment in a warm, dark place for at least a week. It should smell a little sweet and a little pungent.
Puree the mixture until smooth and return to the Mason jar. Store in the refrigerator. It should keep well for months, likely a year (full disclosure: I always use it up too fast to know for sure).
Yields: approximately one 32oz Mason jar
NOTES
If you are in the Bay Area you can pick up koji grains at places like Berkeley Bowl as well as Preserved.
A few online sources of koji grains include: Cultures for Health and the South River Miso Company.
Some of my favorite recipes that use shio koji are: Stove-Top Shio Koji Tomato Butter and Shio Koji Vinaigrette (One Salad Dressing to Rule Them All!!).