Medium Grain Rice Koji, inoculated with Koji-tane, sourced directly from Japan, incubated for 48 hours to reach full enzymatic potential.
Koji (aspergillus oryzae) is a culinary mold grown on grains and legumes. It is the first step to many tasty ferments, such as miso, sake, amazake (sweet rice beverage), shio koji (marinade), pickles, and soy sauce.
Koji fungus uses the enzymes it produces to transform ingredients that contain proteins, carbohydrates, and fats, to create amino acids and simple sugars that we register as sweet, umami flavor. This is done by the enzymes: Protease (which breaks down protein and peptides into amino acids), Amylase (which breaks down starches in to simple sugars), and Lipase (which breaks down fats into fatty acids).
When koji is mixed with ingredients containing these, such as beans and legumes, or even meats, such as chicken, fish, and steak, the ingredients are transformed, and new aromas and flavors are created. It's possible to mimic a 30-day aged steak in just 3 DAYS with the power of koji enzymes.
Fresh Koji is artisanaly made weekly with California grown medium grain rice using Japanese Koji spores. Gently dried at low temperatures to ensure full enzymatic strength and shelf life. Produced in California.