What is the appeal and history of Shio Koji?
Hello everyone!
This is Yoneyama from Komedoriming.
Recently, while serving customers at the store, I have come across people who have started making koji dishes.
Since being featured on television in 2011, its popularity has spread rapidly, and sales in the koji industry as a whole, which were 200 million yen, have increased by a whopping 31 times to 6.2 billion yen.
Source: (https://www.nishinippon.co.jp/item/n/679658/#:~:text=Salt koji is homemade, adapted, and revived in modern times.)
I would like to introduce the appeal of shio koji, which has become well-known as a food accompaniment.
What is Shio Koji?
When I first learned about shio koji,
・What is it?
・It's a hot topic, but is it delicious?
・I've heard that you can make it yourself, but is that really possible?
That's my honest impression.
To explain again, shio koji is a seasoning made by mixing koji, salt, and water in a 1:3:4 ratio, and has its roots in sangohachizuke, a seasoning traditionally used in the Tohoku region.
Its history can be traced back to documents from the Edo period, where it was recorded as "shio koji pickles." From there, it was developed by a long-established koji maker in Oita Prefecture and began selling in 2007, and became popular as shio koji.
Since it was not registered as a trademark, it is said that it spread throughout the country in the blink of an eye.
The history of shio koji is still short, but it is quite moving to think that shio koji pickles have been a seasoning passed down for over 300 years, dating back to the Edo period!
To make it, add water in several batches to the koji and salt mixture and mix well.
Ferment at room temperature for 5 to 10 days until the grains become soft and gooey, and then it's done.
When using it in cooking, marinate salmon or chicken in shio koji for about half a day and then grill or fry it.
The soaking time will vary depending on what you are soaking. Just kneading it for up to half a day is fine!
It's very delicious, but it contains a lot of salt, so be careful not to eat too much or take in too much salt.
Characteristics of Shio Koji
Shio koji is said to have the effects of relieving fatigue, improving skin condition, preventing aging, regulating the intestines, and providing a relaxing effect.
I often marinate fish and meat and then grill or steam them, and I've found that grilling the marinated fish tastes much better than marinating it first!
This is because one of the digestive enzymes contained in salt koji is called "protease," which breaks down protein, making the rice very soft.
summary
I was surprised at how delicious it becomes just by marinating meat or fish in it, and how easy it is to make the salt koji itself.
Also, koji seasonings can be transformed into something different by changing what you combine them with.
Soy sauce koji is easy to identify as something similar to salt koji.
Now that I know how easy it is to make, I'd like to try making Chinese koji next, which is easy to make and has many uses.
That's all from Yoneyama!
Reference: “https://www.nichireifoods.co.jp/media/15428/
https://www.projectdesign.jp/201410/pn-oita/001663.php
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