All are koji-based but built from different substrates and processes: miso (koji plus legumes/grains, long aging), shoyu (koji plus wheat/legumes, a liquid umami sauce), garum/amino sauce (enzymatic hydrolysis of a protein source), amazake (koji plus rice, a quick sweet ferment), and shio koji (koji, salt, and water — a marinade and flavor booster).

Fermented foods carry probiotics, prebiotics and postbiotics that can support digestion and immune function. That's not a medical claim — think of it as nutritional support, not treatment.

Yes, with the right information. The critical control is pH and salt ratio — lacto-fermented foods aren't considered safe above pH 4.6, and botulism and mould risk should always be taken seriously. Work from technically verified sources.

A lot of published sources — even the most prestigious ones — carry information that's out of context or technically incomplete: a wrong humidity or temperature range, a missing safety threshold, ignoring how substrate changes the outcome.

Fermentation is a living process — seasonal ingredient shifts, ambient temperature, and culture activity all nudge the flavor profile. Tight pH and taste control keeps that variation narrow; we don't claim zero variation.

Yes. Shio koji or koji culture can ferment plant-based proteins to build texture and umami depth for vegan cheese and similar products.

Turning a kitchen's waste stream (vegetable trim, whey, stale bread) into a valuable product using microorganisms and enzymes. In residencies and consultancy, this is part of the value we add — but it's a supporting benefit, not the pitch. The creative layer we bring to the menu comes first.