It would not be an exaggeration to say that Koji is truly magic. To understand the taste potential Koji has to offer, you only need to taste a little bit. Koji is the name given to rice, barley or any grain inoculated with Aspergillus Oryzae, a type of mold fungus that grows on cooked grains in warm, moist environments.
As the fungal cells proliferate, the hyphae form a network on the grain known as mycelium. What starts as a few patches of white fluff turns into a dense white layer that completely covers the grains over the course of two days. The resulting moldy grains are koji. After the first 24 hours, a heady scent with passion fruit and apricot aromas emerges. After 48 hours, koji rice contains intense sweet, fruity and umami flavors. The chemicals responsible for koji's flavor and aroma digest the grains externally, and koji uses these chemicals to nourish itself.
The enzymes produced by koji are amylase, protease and lipase and break down carbohydrates, proteins and fats into building blocks, respectively. After this enzymatic process, starches, called complex carbohydrates, turn into sugar, namely glucose. Proteins turn into amino acids and many umami tastes emerge, especially thanks to protease. Fats turn into aromatic fatty acids. Thanks to all this, we can use koji in a wide variety of ways and in almost every culinary area.
Features
Atalık Tohum: Sarıkılçık rice is one of the deep-rooted rice varieties of Anatolia. Its low starch content makes it suitable for koji production. It has a unique rich taste.
Still Fresh: We inoculated this rice with koji mushroom for 48 hours, dried it at the peak of its enzymatic activity, and then brought it into flour form for easy use. Since it is dried at low temperatures, its enzymes are active throughout its shelf life.
Versatile Use: You can use koji flour in various proportions in bakery products, bread production, marinations and curing. You can produce amazake, shio koji, soy sauce and miso with koji flour. Protease enzyme works best at 35-40°C and amylase enzyme works best at 60°C.
Read the fermentation guide for what can be done with koji meal.