What is the appeal and history of Shio Koji?
Hello everyone!
This is Yoneyama from Komedoriming.
Recently, while serving customers at the store, I've come across people who have started making koji dishes.
Since being featured on television in 2011, its popularity has grown rapidly, and sales for the koji industry as a whole, which were 200 million yen, have increased by 31 times to 6.2 billion yen.
Quote: (https://www.nishinippon.co.jp/item/n/679658/#:~:text=Salt koji is a homemade, modern reinvention.)
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 Shiokoji,
-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, when it was recorded as "shio koji-zuke" (pickled with salt and koji). From there, a long-established koji maker in Oita Prefecture developed it and began selling it in 2007, which led to it becoming 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 for over 300 years, dating back to the Edo period!
To make it, add water to the koji and salt mixture in several batches and mix well.
Ferment at room temperature for about 5 to 10 days until the grains become soft and gooey, and then it's done.
When using it in cooking, salmon or chicken is marinated in shio-koji for about half a day and then grilled or fried.
The time you soak it will depend on what you are soaking. Just knead it in for about half a day and you're good to go!
It's very delicious, but it contains a lot of salt, so be careful not to eat too much and take in too much salt.
Headline 2: Characteristics of Shio Koji
Shiokoji is said to have the effects of relieving fatigue, beautifying the skin, preventing aging, regulating the intestines, and providing a relaxing effect.
I often marinate fish or meat and then grill or steam it, and I've found that grilling it after marinating it tastes so much better than marinating it before grilling!
This is because one of the digestive enzymes contained in salt koji is called "protease," which breaks down protein, making the food very soft.
summary
I was surprised at how simply marinating meat or fish in the salt koji not only makes it delicious, but also how easy it is to make the salt koji itself.
Furthermore, koji seasonings can be transformed into something different by combining different things with the koji.
Soy sauce koji is easy to identify as being similar to salt koji.
Now that I know how easy it is to make, I would 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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