Japanese Semi-Dried Shio Rice Koji 250g(8.8oz)

Salty delicious and healthy!

Excellent & very tasty product. From herein most of my meals will be complemented with dashi, furikaki and/or shio rice koji. Thanku for some very umami products. A little expensive but maybe I'll buy in bulk in future.

I used it in a marinade for moulard duck legs which I later confited and served with a cherry-brandy sauce. The marinade included shio koji, soy sauce, mirin, miso, sesame oil, honey, and grated ginger. Outstanding!

I picked this up to experiment a little more with fermentation and marinades. I�fve used rice koji before, but usually the kind that needs to be rehydrated first, so the semi-dried version caught my attention.

The big advantage here is that it�fs ready to use. No soaking or prep step needed, which makes it easier to just grab some and mix it into whatever you�fre working on. I�fve mostly used it so far in simple marinades, and it brings a really nice umami flavor that�fs hard to get from regular seasonings.

The quality seems good - this is my first time trying Koji rice so I can't really compare it. The grains are intact and easy to work with, and it has that slightly sweet, fermented smell you�fd expect from koji. It mixes well into pastes or marinades without a lot of fuss.

One thing worth noting is the quantity. There�fs quite a bit in the bag. Unless you�fre using it regularly, it might take a while to get through all of it. I�fm not even sure I�fll end up using the entire bag before moving on to something else, but it�fs nice not to feel like you�fre running out quickly.

I tried a batch on some chicken along with salt and a little garlic, and it turned out great?very tender and with a deeper flavor than usual. Even the kids noticed it tasted different, in a good way.

Ease of use is pretty straightforward since there�fs no rehydration step. Just measure out what you need and mix it in. That alone makes it more convenient than some other versions I�fve used.

For the money, it feels like a good value considering how much you get and how far a little can go in a marinade or fermentation project.

Overall, it�fs a nice ingredient to have around if you like experimenting with umami flavors and simple ferments.

I love Asian style pickled vegetables and this Japanese Semi-Dried Shio Rice Koji from YAMASAN KYOTO UJI makes it super easy to make my own at home. I simple cut up my veggies, add the appropriate amount of this product, mix and refrigerate for 1 to 4 days. Tastes great. I can snack on these veggies all day. Koji cultures are active and product is ready to go right out of package ? no need to rehydrate with water. Great way to add/bring out the Umami flavor to all types of dishes. I basically add about a tablespoon to my cut-up veggies ? so this 8.8-ounce bag should last me a while. Bag is resealable and should be stored in refrigerator after opening. Product of Japan. Some recipes are included on item description page. I did reach out and ask them for a pickled veggie recipe. The responded promptly! Below is the recipe from their response. Easy to use and adds/enhances flavor and probiotics.

When making salted rice koji pickled vegetables, please use 7-10% of the weight of this product (salted rice koji) relative to the weight of the cut vegetables.
Place the cut vegetables and this product in a food bag or similar container, seal it, mix well, and refrigerate for 1-4 days.
The pickling time will vary depending on the vegetables. Please taste and adjust the pickling time to your liking.
Please also refer to recipes 5 and 6 on the product page.