Shio Koji, a powerful Japanese marinade, elevates any dish to delicate yet delicious fine-dining status with its rich umami flavour. Made from just salt, koji, and water, it’s simple yet transformative. This natural umami enhancer elevates meats, veggies, seafood, and even desserts, turning everyday dishes into gourmet experiences. Shio Koji adds a luxurious depth of flavour, making it a natural alternative to MSG and your secret to magically simple yet finger-licking dishes.

Why you will love this recipe

Easy recipe
This easy recipe requires only three ingredients—salt, koji, and water. No cooking is needed! Mix them in the right ratio, stir daily, and it’s ready to use in 3-5 days.

Vegetable and Bean Game-Changer:
Turn veggie and bean haters into lovers! Shio Koji takes away the subtle bitterness, making greens irresistible. Stir-fry with garlic, no salt needed, and watch as even the pickiest eaters become fans.

Transformative Flavour Enhancer
Shio Koji is a magical flavour booster. It tenderizes meat, infusing it with rich umami. In no time, your simple dish turns into a fine dining experience without any complex techniques!

Longer storage
Shio Koji’s high salt content—5% of the combined weight of water and koji rice—makes it an excellent natural preservative. This allows it to last up to a couple of months when stored properly, so you can keep this versatile flavour enhancer on hand and ready to elevate your dishes whenever needed!

What is Shio Koji?

Shio Koji is a fermented blend of salt, water and koji (a type of rice inoculated with beneficial mould). It’s commonly used as a marinade for meats, poultry, and seafood, creating a salty, umami-rich flavour with a touch of subtle natural sweetness. This versatile ingredient has gained widespread popularity beyond traditional Japanese kitchens, becoming a popular ingredient in creating new dishes among innovative chefs worldwide. Once you’ve tasted food marinated or cured with Shio Koji, you’ll understand its magic—it’s a powerful natural flavour enhancer that transforms ordinary dishes into something extraordinarily delicious!

What is Koji?

To truly appreciate Shio Koji, you first need to understand Koji. Koji refers to grains—commonly rice or barley—that have been inoculated with Aspergillus oryzae, a type of mould essential in Japanese and Korean fermentation processes. It’s used to produce staple foods like miso, sake, soy sauce, amazake, makgeolli, and meju just to name a few.

The enzymes in Koji break down starches into sugars, imparting a sweet, umami flavour to rice-based products. Additionally, its protease enzymes break down proteins into amino acids, which tenderize and enhance the taste of meat, making Koji a transformative ingredient in both fermentation and marinating.

Where can I buy Koji (Koji Rice)?

You can easily find Koji (Koji rice) online or at Asian and Japanese grocery stores. A 200g packet usually costs around 8 Australian dollars, though prices may vary. If you’re up for a challenge, you can also make your own Koji at home, though this requires precise temperature and humidity control—a future project for you!

Once you have Koji, you can create a variety of healthy, probiotic-rich fermented foods like miso, amazake, and more. The process is simpler than you might think; it mostly requires patience as fermentation is a slow, time-intensive process.

How to make Shio Koji (Koji marinade)?

The ratio of koji, water and salt

For making Shio Koji, you can follow a basic ratio of 1 part Koji rice to 1 part water, with 5% of the combined weight of Koji rice and water as salt. For example, if you use 100 grams of Koji rice and 100 grams of water, you’ll need 10 grams of salt. This creates a porridge-like consistency.

Method

To make Shio Koji, start by breaking the Koji rice into small pieces so it fits into your container and absorbs water more effectively. Combine the broken Koji rice with salt and water, then let the mixture sit at room temperature for 3 to 7 days, stirring daily to ensure everything is evenly mixed in the salt solution. After the fermentation period, blend the mixture to achieve a creamy consistency, which looks more appealing than the traditional rice porridge texture. Finally, transfer the Shio Koji to the fridge for storage. This method helps create a visually pleasing and well-preserved Shio Koji.

Key Ingredients to make Shio Koji

☑️Koji
Koji is also known as Koji rice, as it typically consists of steamed and cooled rice inoculated with Aspergillus oryzae mould, then dehydrated. You can purchase Koji rice online or visit your local Japanese grocery store for it.

☑️Salt
For making Shio Koji, use natural mineral salt rather than table salt, which often contains additives like anti-caking agents. A salt ratio of 5% will create a fairly salty marinade, but the salt content can range from a minimum of 2% up to 5%. Higher salt concentrations enhance preservation, making the Shio Koji last longer.

☑️Water
Filtered water or clean tap water.

How to Use Shio Koji (Koji marinade)?

Tenderizing and Marinating Meat or Seafood

Shio Koji is a powerful marinade that breaks down proteins into amino acids and starches into glucose, tenderizing meat and imparting a rich, umami flavour with a hint of natural sweetness. For optimal results, cover your protein with Shio Koji and let it marinate for at least 30 minutes up to 24 hours, depending on the type and size of the protein.

Sautéing Vegetables and Legumes

To enhance the flavour of vegetables, simply sauté them with 1 to 2 tablespoons of Shio Koji. It’s also excellent for quickly sautéing cooked beans and legumes, adding a rich umami flavour that will make you fall in love with vegetables and beans.

Pickling Vegetables

Shio Koji can also be used for pickling vegetables. Unlike traditional pickling methods that rely on brine or vinegar, Shio Koji utilizes its high salt content and rice base for preservation and flavour. To achieve the best flavour, let the vegetables sit in Shio Koji overnight, allowing the flavour to fully infuse.

Video

Shio Koji (Koji Marinade)

Serves: Approximately 400 - 620 ml Prep Time: 10minutes

Nutrition facts: 200 calories 20 grams fat

Rating: 5.0/5

( 1 voted )

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Ingredients

Shio Koji Ingredients

• Koji 200g 
• Water: 200ml - 400ml (adjust for desired consistency)
• Salt: 2-5% of the combined weight of Koji rice and water

Equipment 

• Wide-mouth sterilized glass bottle or airtight container
• Blender or food processor (for a smoother Shio Koji)

Instructions

1. Break the Koji rice into smaller pieces by hand or blend it with a food processor. Place the broken Koji into a sterilized jar or container.

2. Add water and salt (refer to the recommended ratio) and stir well.

3. Store the container at room temperature or in the fridge (depending on your preference).

4. Stir the mixture daily. After 3-7 days, your Shio Koji will be ready to use.

Notes

• If you use an equal ratio of water to Koji, the mixture may be a bit dense. To achieve a smoother, creamy consistency after fermentation, you can add a bit more water—usually 1 to 2 cups—once the initial mix is made. The marinade should be salty.
• Fermentation typically takes 3 to 7 days, depending on the ambient temperature. At room temperature, it usually takes 3-4 days. Make sure to store it away from direct sunlight during the fermentation. 
• Stir the mixture daily during fermentation to ensure that all Koji grains are submerged in the brine solution and evenly mixed.